Abstract: Methods for changing a rate-control (RC) setting during video encoding, performed by an RC controller and a video encoder, are provided. An embodiment of the method comprises determining whether change in the RC setting is allowed for encoding a next portion of a video sequence, detecting a request for changing the RC setting before encoding the next portion of the video sequence if the RC setting is allowed to be changed; and executing video encoding for the next portion of the video sequence ceaselessly utilizing the changed RC setting when detecting the request.

Abstract: A video processing method for a video image consisting of a plurality of units includes: generating a plurality of information types of at least a first unit and a second unit neighboring the first unit; and storing the plurality of information types of the first unit in a first continuous address space in a buffer and storing the plurality of information types of the second unit in a second continuous address space in the buffer, wherein the first continuous address space is adjacent to the second continuous address space. The plurality of information types of the first and second units are required for coding a specific unit, and the order of the stored plurality of information types of the first and second units is manipulated in each of the first and second continuous address spaces.

Abstract: A portable device and image processing method for the device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an image, performing an eye-gazing detection process on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one eye of at least one object in the image, determining whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion, wherein the gazing criterion defines a specific angle of the eye-gazing direction of the at least one eye of the at least one object with respect to the portable device, and wherein the eye-gazing direction is determined by analyzing pupils of the at least one eye, and triggering an application of the portable device in response to the eye-gazing direction meeting the gazing criterion.

Abstract: A portable device and image processing method for the device are disclosed. The method includes sensing an image, performing an eye-gazing detection process on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one eye of at least one object in the image, determining whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion, wherein the gazing criterion defines a specific angle of the eye-gazing direction of the at least one eye of the at least one object with respect to the portable device, and wherein the eye-gazing direction is determined by analyzing pupils of the at least one eye, and triggering an application of the portable device in response to the eye-gazing direction meeting the gazing criterion.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image capturing method for photographing at least one object in the digital camera. An image is sensed, and an eye-gazing detection process is accordingly preformed on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one pair of eyes of the at least one object. It is determined whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion. If the eye-gazing direction meets the gazing criterion, an application of the digital camera is triggered.

Abstract: A video processing method for a video image consisting of a plurality of units includes: generating a plurality of information types of at least a first unit and a second unit neighbouring the first unit; and storing the plurality of information types of the first unit in a first continuous address space in a buffer and storing the plurality of information types of the second unit in a second continuous address space in the buffer, wherein the first continuous address space is adjacent to the second continuous address space. The plurality of information types of the first and second units are required for coding a specific unit, and the order of the stored plurality of information types of the first and second units is manipulated in each of the first and second continuous address spaces.

Abstract: A method for encoding macroblock units of a video image, and a related system are disclosed. The method includes: receiving the video image; generating a plurality of information types of a first macroblock unit; and storing the information types of the first macroblock unit in a continuous address space in the buffer. The system includes: an encoder, for receiving the video image, and generating a plurality of information types of a first macroblock unit; and a buffer, coupled to the encoder, for storing the information types of the first macroblock unit in a continuous address space in the buffer.

Abstract: A method of performing block matching on a video image of progressive data includes: receiving the video image; storing the video image to a first storage; loading a current macroblock pair and a current search window of the video image to a second storage and utilizing the current search window to perform block matching for the current macroblock pair; and loading a next macroblock pair and a plurality of macroblocks corresponding to a non-overlapped area of a next search window to the second storage to perform block matching for the next macroblock pair.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image capturing method for photographing at least one object in the digital camera. An image is sensed, and an eye-gazing detection process is accordingly preformed on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one pair of eyes of the at least one object. It is determined whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion. If the eye-gazing direction meets the gazing criterion, an application of the digital camera is triggered.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image capturing method for photographing at least one object in the digital camera. An image is sensed, and an eye-gazing detection process is accordingly preformed on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one pair of eyes of the at least one object. It is determined whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion. If the eye-gazing direction meets the gazing criterion, an application of the digital camera is triggered.

Abstract: Sub-sampling pattern design for motion estimation in video compression. A motion estimation method divides a first frame into a plurality of macroblocks, performs block matching for a current macroblock pair on a candidate macroblock pair of a second frame. The current macroblock pair and the candidate macroblock pair are sampled according to a sub-sampling pattern, and an error measure between the current and candidate macroblock pairs is calculated. The sub-sampling pattern is constructed by a plurality of repeating units, and each repeating unit is composed of a first and a second pattern unit.

Abstract: An image capture apparatus includes an image sensor, a lens, an adjusting mechanism, and a controller. The image sensor is configured for detecting incident light to generate a corresponding captured image. The lens is configured for guiding light of a scene toward the image sensor. The adjusting mechanism is configured for adjusting a relative position relationship between the image sensor and the lens when the image capture apparatus is capturing the scene. The controller is configured for controlling the image sensor to generate a plurality of captured images of the scene in response to different relative position relationships between the image sensor and the lens.

Abstract: Encoders and scheduling methods for macroblock-based adaptive frame/filed (MBAFF) coding are provided. The encoder comprises a first processing engine and a second processing engine. The first processing engine executes a first encoding stage of the frame coding and field coding processes. The second processing engine obtains a processed macroblock (MB) pair or a processed frame and field of a MB pair from the first processing engine, and executes a second encoding stage of the frame coding and field coding processes on the obtained MB pair or obtained frame and field while the first processing engine executes the first encoding stage of the frame coding and field coding processes on a subsequent MB pair or subsequent frame and field.

Abstract: A stereo graphics system based on depth-based image rendering is disclosed. A master pipeline renders a first image from graphics data and derives a depth image relating to the first image. A rendering unit accesses the first image and the depth image from the master pipeline and renders a second image based on the first image and the depth image. First and second frame buffers retrieves and stores the first and second images, and a compositor accesses the first and second images from the frame buffers and combines the images to generate a resulting image.

Abstract: An image evaluation method for a digital camera includes analyzing the composition of an image for obtaining a characteristic of the composition of the image, computing information of an ideal composition based on the obtained characteristic of the composition of the image, and generating an indication according to the information of the ideal composition to guide a photographer to compose toward the ideal composition.

Abstract: An image capturing system comprises a storage device and a transcoder module coupled to the storage device. The storage device stores image data of a captured still image compressed by a first coding format configured. The transcoder module transcodes the image data compressed by the first coding format into output image data compressed by a second coding format and outputting the output image data to an external device when the external device requests the captured still image.

Abstract: A CABAC encoding method includes: receiving first and second coefficient flags (Sig, Last); detecting coefficient flags according to positions of the detected coefficient flags and control signal (Sig_first); generating first bin and second bin (bin_val_1, bin_val_2) corresponding to the detected coefficient flags according to the detecting result; updating a value of the second control signal (Sig_first) for the next clock cycle according to the detecting result; generating first and second position parameters (Sig/Last_pos_1, Sig/Last_pos_2) corresponding to the positions of the first and second bins (bin_val_1, bin_val_2); generating a first context index (Ctx_idx_1) according to the control signal (Sig_first) and the first position parameter (Sig/Last_pos_1) and a second context index (Ctx_idx_2) according to the control signal (Sig_first), the second position parameter (Sig/Last_pos_2) and the first bin (bin_val_1); and encoding the first and second bins (bin_val_1, bin_val_2) according to the first and

Abstract: An image evaluation method for a digital camera includes analyzing the composition of an image for obtaining a characteristic of the composition of the image, computing an ideal characteristic value, a real characteristic value, and a difference value between the ideal characteristic value and the real characteristic value, and generating a grade according to the difference value to show quality related to the composition of the image.

Abstract: According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a method for controlling quantization scales when encoding video signals is disclosed, which comprises: (a) generating a new quantization scale; and (b) comparing the new quantization scale with a prior quantization scale, and if the difference between the new quantization scale and the prior quantization scale exceeds a predetermined range, replace the prior quantization scale with the new quantization scale.

Abstract: A digital camera and an image capturing method for photographing at least one object in the digital camera. An image is sensed, and an eye-gazing detection process is accordingly preformed on the image to detect an eye-gazing direction of at least one pair of eyes of the at least one object. It is determined whether the eye-gazing direction meets a gazing criterion. If the eye-gazing direction meets the gazing criterion, an application of the digital camera is triggered.