Abstract: A bitstream includes coded pictures, and split-flags for generating a transform tree. The bit stream is a partitioning of coding units (CUs) into Prediction Units (PUs). The transform tree is generated according to the split-flags. Nodes in the transform tree represent transform units (TU) associated with the CUs. The generation splits each TU only if the corresponding split-flag is set. For each PU that includes multiple TUs, the multiple TUs are merged into a larger TU, and the transform tree is modified according to the splitting and merging. Then, data contained in each PU can be decoded using the TVs associated with the PU according to the transform tree.

Abstract: A method interpolates and filters a depth image with reduced resolution to recover a high resolution depth image using edge information, wherein each depth image includes an array of pixels at locations and wherein each pixel has a depth. The reduced depth image is first up-sampled, interpolating the missing positions by repeating the nearest-neighboring depth value. Next, a moving window is applied to the pixels in the up-sampled depth image. The window covers a set of pixels centred at each pixel. The pixels covered by the window are selected according to their relative position to the edge, and only pixels that are within the same side of the edge of the centre pixel are used for the filtering procedure. A single representative depth from the set of selected pixel in the window is assigned to the pixel to produce a processed depth image.

Abstract: A quality of a virtual image for a synthetic viewpoint in a 3D scene is determined. The 3D scene is acquired by texture images, and each texture image is associated with a depth image acquired by a camera arranged at a real viewpoint. A texture noise power is based on the acquired texture images and reconstructed texture images corresponding to a virtual texture image. A depth noise power is based on the depth images and reconstructed depth images corresponding to a virtual depth image. The quality of the virtual image is based on a combination of the texture noise power and the depth noise power, and the virtual image is rendered from the reconstructed texture images and the reconstructed depth images.

Abstract: A bitstream includes coded pictures, and split-flags for generating a transform tree. The bit stream is a partitioning of coding units (CUs) into Prediction Units (PUs). The transform tree is generated according to the split-flags. Nodes in the transform tree represent transform units (TU) associated with the CUs. The generation splits each TU only if the corresponding split-flag is set. For each PU that includes multiple TUs, the multiple TUs are merged into a larger TU, and the transform tree is modified according to the splitting and merging. Then, data contained in each PU can be decoded using the TUs associated with the PU according to the transform tree.

Abstract: A method and system manage a hierarchy of passwords for users accessing a hierarchy of access control devices. First, a codeword is acquired and a syndrome of the codeword is determined. Next, the codeword is randomly modified with a probability p to produce a modified codeword. The modified codeword is selected and assigned to a user as a password, if the modified codeword is recoverable.

Abstract: Multiview videos are acquired of a scene with corresponding cameras arranged at poses, such that there is view overlap between any pair of cameras. V-frames are generated from the multiview videos. The V-frames are encoded using only spatial prediction. Then, the V-frames are inserted periodically in an encoded bit stream to provide random temporal access to the multiview videos. Additional view dependency information enables the decoding of a reduced number of frames prior to accessing randomly a target frame for a specified view and time, and decoding the target frame. The method also decodes multiview videos by maintaining a reference picture list for a current frame of a plurality of multiview videos, and predicting each current frame of the plurality of multiview videos according to reference pictures indexed by the associated reference picture list.

Abstract: A method for authenticating biometric data. Comprising of a processor that measures the reliability of each bit in enrollment biometric data; by arranging the bits; encoding the enrollment biometric data in the decreasing order to produce an enrollment syndrome; arranging the bits in the authentication biometric; decoding the authentication enrollment syndrome to produce an estimate of the enrollment biometric data; generating an output signal indicating that the estimate of the authentication biometric data is substantially the same as the enrollment biometric data.

Abstract: A system and a method for decoding at least a portion of an image includes determining a current prediction mode based on a combination of a prediction mode residue and a function of at least one previous prediction mode and decoding the portion of the image using the current prediction mode.

Abstract: A method embeds a message into a document containing a set of glyphs. Individual glyphs in the document, groups of glyphs in the document, or the entire document are represented using a distance field that includes distance values from the shapes of interest. Each symbol of the message is represented as modifications of a subset of the distance values in the distance field. This subset of the distance values in the distance field is modified according to modification to produce a modified glyph in a modified document, wherein the symbol in the message is embedded in the modified glyph.

Abstract: A method for encoding a source image, wherein the source image includes a set of bitplanes of pixels, is disclosed. For each bitplane in a most to least significant order, the method include obtaining a list of significant pixels (LSP), a list of insignificant pixels (LIP), and a list of insignificant sets (LIS) according to a hierarchical ordering of the source image pixels; synchronizing the LSP, LIP and LIS of the source image with the LSP, LIP and LIS of a key image; constructing a temporary list of insignificant sets (TLIS) for the source image; and applying syndrome encoding to the LSP, LIP, and TLIS of the source image to obtain syndromes corresponding to magnitudes and signs of pixels in the source image, wherein the steps are performed in a processor.

Abstract: A system and a method for determining a result of applying a function to signals is disclosed. The function is a polynomial function including monomials, in which the first signal in a first power forming a first part of the monomial and the second signal in a second power forming a second part of the monomial, wherein the first part of the monomial encrypted with a key is a first encrypted signal, and the second part of the monomial encrypted with the key is a second encrypted signal, comprising the steps of transmitting a first input signal encrypted with a second public key to the second processor, wherein the first input signal includes the first encrypted signal, transmitting a second input signal encrypted with a first public key to the first processor, wherein the second input signal includes a product of the first encrypted signal and the second encrypted signal.

Abstract: A method synthesizes virtual images from a sequence of texture images and a sequence of corresponding depth images, wherein each depth images stores depths d at pixel locations I(x, y). Each depth image, is preprocessed to produce a corresponding preprocessed depth image. A first reference image and a second reference image are from the sequence of texture images. Then, depth-based 3D warping, depth-based histogram matching, base plus assistant image blending, and depth-based in-painting are applied in order to synthesize a virtual image.

Abstract: A method for encoding a source image, wherein the source image includes a set of bitplanes of pixels, is disclosed. For each bitplane in a most to least significant order, the method include obtaining a list of significant pixels (LSP), a list of insignificant pixels (LIP), and a list of insignificant sets (LIS) according to a hierarchical ordering of the source image pixels; synchronizing the LSP, LIP and LIS of the source image with the LSP, LIP and LIS of a key image; constructing a temporary list of insignificant sets (TLIS) for the source image; and applying syndrome encoding to the LSP, LIP, and TLIS of the source image to obtain syndromes corresponding to magnitudes and signs of pixels in the source image, wherein the steps are performed in a processor.

Abstract: A virtual image is synthesized from a reduced resolution depth image storing depth values at each pixel location. The reduced resolution depth image is scaled up to produce an up-scaled depth image. Then, at least one filter is applied to the up-scaled depth image to produce a reconstructed depth image, and the virtual image is synthesized using the reconstructed depth image.

Abstract: Biometric parameters acquired from human faces, voices, fingerprints, and irises are used for user authentication and access control. Because the biometric parameters are continuous and vary from one reading to the next, syndrome codes are applied to determine biometric syndrome vectors. The biometric syndrome vectors can be stored securely, while tolerating an inherent variability of biometric data. The stored biometric syndrome vector is decoded during user authentication using biometric parameters acquired at that time. The syndrome codes can also be used to encrypt and decrypt data. The biometric parameters can be pre-processed to form a binary representation, in which the binary representation has a set of predetermined statistical properties enforced imposed by a set of binary logical conditions.

Abstract: A method codes pictures in a bitstream, wherein the bitstream includes coded pictures to obtain data for associated TUs and data for generating a transform tree, and a partitioning of coding units (CUs) into Prediction Units (PUs), and data for obtaining prediction modes or directions associated with each PU. One or more mapping tables are defined, wherein each row of each table has an associated index and a first set of transform types to be used for applying an inverse transformation to the data in TU. The first set of transform types is selected according to an index, and then a second set of transform types is applied as the inverse transformation to the data, wherein the second set of transform types is determined according to the first set of transform types and a transform-toggle flag (ttf) to obtain a reconstructed prediction residual.

Abstract: Multiview videos are acquired by overlapping cameras. Side information is used to synthesize multiview videos. A reference picture list is maintained for current frames of the multiview videos, the reference picture indexes temporal reference pictures and spatial reference pictures of the acquired multiview videos and the synthesized reference pictures of the synthesized multiview video. Each current frame of the multiview videos is predicted according to reference pictures indexed by the associated reference picture list with a skip mode and a direct mode, whereby the side information is inferred from the synthesized reference picture. In addition, the skip and merge modes for single view video coding are modified to support multiview video coding by generating a motion vector prediction list by also considering neighboring blocks that are associated with synthesized reference pictures.

Abstract: In stereo images that include occluded pixels and visible pixels, occlusions are handled by first determining, for the occluded pixels, initial disparity values and support for the initial disparity values using an initial support function, an occlusion map and disparities of the visible pixels neighboring the occluded pixels in the stereo images. Then, for the occluded pixels, final disparity values and support for the final disparity values are determined using the initial disparity values, a final support function and a normalization function in an iterative support-and-decision process.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention discloses a system and a method for determining a result of applying a function to signals including a first signal and a second signal, wherein the function is a polynomial function of the signals such that a monomial in the function includes the first signal having a power less than or equal to a first maximum power, and wherein the first signal is partitioned into a first subsignal and a second subsignal, comprising a processor for performing steps of the method, comprising the steps of acquiring a second signal and a second subsignal; acquiring a set of encrypted powers of the first subsignal, wherein the set of encrypted powers of the first subsignal includes homomorphically encrypted powers of the first subsignal; and determining an encrypted result of the function based on a second subsignal, the set of encrypted powers of the first subsignal, and the second signal.

Abstract: A bitstream includes coded pictures, and split-flags for generating a transform tree. The bit stream is a partitioning of coding units (CUs) into Prediction Units (PUs). The transform tree is generated according to the split-flags. Nodes in the transform tree represent transform units (TU) associated with the CUs. The generation splits each TU only if the corresponding split-flag is set. For each PU that includes multiple TUs, the multiple TUs are merged into a larger TU, and the transform tree is modified according to the splitting and merging. Then, data contained in each PU can be decoded using the TUs associated with the PU according to the transform tree.