Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for recommending content and updating user proprofile. The method adds a step of content alarm processing before recommending to user on a basis of the current content recommending method, so that the recommendation, which can be offered directly to a user in a previous time must be processed correspondingly in a manner of the content alarm before being sent to the user. Alternatively, after receiving an user's feedback information, the method and the system processes the feedback information correspondingly in a manner of the content alarm and updates the user profile according to the feedback information processed in the manner of the content alarm. The invention can recommend contents more carefully and accurately, making the recommendation conforming further to the user's requirement so as to avoid as far as possible the recommendation of unwished program to users.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for recommending content and updating user proprofile. The method adds a step of content alarm processing before recommending to user on a basis of the current content recommending method, so that the recommendation, which can be offered directly to a user in a previous time must be processed correspondingly in a manner of the content alarm before being sent to the user. Alternatively, after receiving an user's feedback information, the method and the system processes the feedback information correspondingly in a manner of the content alarm and updates the user profile according to the feedback information processed in the manner of the content alarm. The invention can recommend contents more carefully and accurately, making the recommendation conforming further to the user's requirement so as to avoid as far as possible the recommendation of unwished program to users.

Abstract: A method and device for XML compression with easy querying are provided. An XML file is parsed with a SAX-parser, useless characters such as tabulators and white spaces are removed, indicating data marks are inserted, LZ-77 compression is applied, and finally the data are Huffman-encoded and packed in data blocks. The indicating marks are used to search in the compresed file for tags or literals in the document, based e.g. on alphabetical order. The indicating marks consist of a special character such as a tab and an XML comment; hence they are XML-compatible. The organization of the compressed file in independent data blocks facilitates rapid querying and partial decompression of the compressed file.

Abstract: This invention relates to processing of dynamic graphic content, more particularly, to a method for pre-processing dynamic graphic content, a corresponding decoding method, and an apparatus for the same. The pre-processing method of the invention comprising: encoding a view in which all of the plurality of dynamic elements being in a first state as a reference picture; encoding the views in which at least one of the plurality of dynamic elements being in a state other than the first state as differential pictures with regards to said reference picture, to form a differential picture sequence; multiplexing said reference picture and said differential picture sequence together, and providing the result video signals. The method allows significant bandwidth and memory savings with only minor modifications to the user device.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of transcoding (200) a primary encoded signal (S1) into a secondary encoded signal (S2). Said transcoding method comprising at least a step of decoding a current picture of the primary encoded signal, said decoding step comprising a dequantizing sub-step (12) for producing a first transformed signal (R1), an encoding step, following the decoding step, for obtaining the secondary encoded signal, said encoding step comprising a quantizing sub-step (13), and a step of predicting a transformed motion-compensated signal (Rmc) from a transformed encoding error (Re) derived from the encoding step, said prediction step being situated between the encoding and decoding steps. Said method of transcoding further comprises a filtering step (21), between the dequantizing sub-step and the quantizing sub-step, for obtaining a better picture quality for low bitrate applications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cost-effective method of modifying a non-scalable coded video signal for generating a scalable coded video signal comprising a base layer and a set of enhancement layers. The base layer results from a bit shift performed by a shift matrix applied on coefficients, and an extraction of a reduced number of least significant bit planes. The enhancement layers result from the bit-plane coding of the least significant bit planes. Contrary to a requantization method that would identically truncate all coefficients in a block and would cause visual artifacts, the shift matrix allows a progressive attenuation of the coefficients. The base layer is then composed of dampened coefficients. The invention also relates to a cost-effective method of modifying said scalable coded video signal for generating a non-scalable coded video signal.

Abstract: A video bitrate control method for a video coding system, the coding system generating coded video frames to be stored in a storage device and originating from a sequence of input frames, the method comprising at least a quantization step for applying to the input frames a quantization factor issued from an evaluation step. The evaluation step uses statistics relative to previous coded frames to evaluate a complexity of the current frame to be coded. In parallel, a current bit target for the frame being coded is estimated in relation to the remaining space available in the storage device and the remaining number of frames to be coded in the sequence. Then the quantization factor is derived on the basis of the estimated complexity and the estimated current bit target. This results in an output bitrate for coded frames having CBR or VBR behaviors, leading to a constant quality of the coded video frames, while guaranteeing an optimal filling of the storage device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of modifying data in an input coded video signal for generating an output scalable video signal composed of a base video signal and a set of at least one enhancement video signal, said method comprising at least an error decoding step for generating a decoded data signal from said input coded video signal, a first re-encoding step for generating said base video signal from an intermediate data signal resulting from the addition of a motion-compensated signal to said decoded data signal, a reconstruction step for generating a coding error of said base video signal, a motion compensation step for generating said motion-compensated signal from said coding error, a second re-encoding step for generating said enhancement video signal from said coding error. The coding error of said base video signal is re-encoded with a finer granularity than the one used for generating said base video signal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a scalable video transcoding method for transcoding an input video signal coded in accordance with the MPEG-2 video standard. It is an object of the invention to provide a method and device for modifying data in a coded data signal through the use of standard motion compensation processing steps used in MPEG-2 video decoders and encoders. To this end, an adding and a subtracting sub-step are inserted into the prediction loop for shifting the dynamic of the coding error so that it can be stored in a standard memory device dedicated to storing 8-bit unsigned values. Secondly, said subtracting sub-step allows to use a standard prediction step while reducing the quality drift resulting from data interpolation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transcoding method and device for converting input coded signals previously quantized with a first quantization scale Q1 into output coded signals quantized with a second quantization scale Q2. The transcoding device comprises a variable length decoder, a quantization step modifying stage, and a variable length encoder, said modifying stage itself comprising: (i) means of selection of one out of two parallel requantizing devices; (ii) a first requantizing device provided to be selected when the coding type corresponds to pictures used as references; (iii) a second requantizing device provided to be selected when said coding type does not correspond to reference pictures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transcoder comprising a drift compensating loop (DCL) for compensating a drift signal (Ei) introduced in the transcoding path by a quantization operation (Q2). This drift compensation loop performs a motion compensation of a signal (F1) issuing from a previous dequantization (IQ1) resulting in a prediction signal (P1). The motion compensation is based on the drift signal stored in a memory unit (MEM). The drift signal and the prediction signal may be conveyed in an interlaced or de-interlaced structure. According to the invention, an AMC unit adapts the motion compensation operation with the de-interlaced or interlaced structures of the drift and prediction signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of transcoding (200) a primary encoded signal (S1) into a secondary encoded signal (S2). Said transcoding method comprising at least a step of decoding a current picture of the primary encoded signal, said decoding step comprising a dequantizing sub-step (12) for producing a first transformed signal (R1), an encoding step, following the decoding step, for obtaining the secondary encoded signal, said encoding step comprising a quantizing sub-step (13), and a step of predicting a transformed motion-compensated signal (Rmc) from a transformed encoding error (Re) derived from the encoding step, said prediction step being situated between the encoding and decoding steps. Said method of transcoding further comprises a filtering step (21), between the dequantizing sub-step and the quantizing sub-step, for obtaining a better picture quality for low bitrate applications.

Abstract: By inserting a downsampling filter between the decoding and re-encoding parts of a transcoder, a reduced resolution transcoding is performed. Before transferring the decoded motion vectors to the encoding part, the motion vectors are processed by additional operations provided in order to take into account the fact that macroblocks before and after the resizing step no longer match.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a video bitrate control method for a video coding system, said coding system generating coded video frames to be stored in a storage device and originating from a sequence of input frames, said method comprising at least a quantization step for applying to said input frames a quantization factor issued from an evaluation step. The evaluation step uses statistics relative to previous coded frames to evaluate a complexity of the current frame to be coded. In parallel, a current bit target for the frame being coded is estimated in relation to the remaining space available in the storage device and the remaining number of frames to be coded in the sequence. Then the quantization factor is derived on the basis of the estimated complexity and the estimated current bit target. This invention results in an output bitrate for coded frames having CBR or VBR behaviors, leading to a constant quality of the coded video frames, while guaranteeing an optimal filling of the storage device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transcoding method and device for converting input coded signals previously quantized with a first quantization scale Q1 into output coded signals quantized with a second quantization scale Q2.