Abstract: A method and a module for segmenting a foreground region from a background region in a 3D scene captured by n capturing devices. A reduced number of 3D samples are selected in the scene. These 3D samples are projected in each captured image. Foreground probability and background probabilities are computed for each selected 3D sample based on color models and the projection of these samples in the images These probabilities are used to update the color models. These probabilities are then re-computed based on the updated color models. These steps are reiterated until the color models or the foreground and background probabilities of the selected 3D samples converge. A final segmentation is computed using foreground color models and foreground and background probabilities.

Abstract: A Braille display system and a method for operating a refreshable Braille display 14 is provided. A string of characters is assigned to a drive signal for specifying the activation or deactivation of a tuple of dots which are raised through holes in a touch and sense surface of the Braille display 14 upon activation and which are retracted upon deactivation. The Braille display 14 is driven by a drive signal which is configured to activate and/or to deactivate the tuple of dots so as to generate a dynamic tactile display of said string of characters. The time dependent characteristic of activation and/or deactivation of the tuple of dots is defined by the string of characters.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for shooting a performance making use of umanned aerial vehicles, such drones for example, to provide the physical markers that are needed to give a physical actor indications on the positioning of virtual elements to be inserted later in the scene, and with which s/he needs to interact.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for creating summaries of multimedia documents, the device comprising a storage means and means enabling a user to view a multimedia document. According to the invention, the device comprises means of automatically weighting multimedia documents stored in the storage means according to the frequency with which the different stored documents are viewed by said user, means of creating a summary of the multimedia documents stored on the storage means according to the weighting assigned to each multimedia document.

Abstract: A visual summary of the image sequences is generated, displaying at least one image from a plurality of the image sequences. Color correction is applied to a feature in one of the displayed images and images comprising at least one feature being close to the color corrected feature according to a distance criterion are selected, displayed, and color correction, based on the color correction to the feature, is applied to the features in the selected images. An apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for recording multimedia data received in programme form. The device comprises temporary storage device designed to continuously record the multimedia data received in programme form and permanent storage device, capable of selectively transferring programmes from the temporary storage device to the permanent storage device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for selection of a first object in a first virtual environment, the first object being represented in the first environment with a size of value less than a threshold value. In order to make the selection of the first object more convivial, the method comprises steps for: estimating a direction associated with a pointing gesture of a user, determining a second object according to said estimated direction, said second object having a size of value greater than said threshold value, and selecting of said first object according to said second determined object. The invention also relates to a multimedia terminal adapted for the implementation of the method for selection.

Abstract: The method utilizing a graph-like structure is comprises the following iteration: calculation of the potential of node nm, merging of two nodes ni and nj, as a function of the distances between the attributes of the key images and as a function of the temporal distance of these key images, calculation of the potential of each edge connecting the merged node to another node of the graph previously connected to nodes ni or nj, merging of the two nodes and validation of the new graph if the energy of this graph is less than the energy of the graph before merging.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and an automatic resetting method using electronic means intended for a geometric model of a scene over a picture of the scene including fixed references, the electronic means comparing the picture with model having been adjusted in perspective by homography for superimposition of the references. According to the invention, the electronic device calculates a fine homography function Hf for resetting into three phases: a first preliminary phase of determination of an average resetting homography consisting in determining an average homography function Hm applicable to the model with average adjustment over a sample of pictures of the scene taken previously, a second, rough resetting phase consisting after application of the average homography function Hm, to the model in determining a rough homography function Hg, and a third, fine resetting phase consisting after application of the rough homography function Hg to the model in determining the fine homography function Hf.

Abstract: The application concerns a method for transmitting video data in a data stream and associated metadata, said metadata representing associated video data structure. The method comprises the steps of—determining the structure of the video data, —splitting said structure into chunks in an incremental manner, —transmitting said chunks in the data stream at time intervals before the video data it is related to. The application concerns also a method for transmitting fingerprint information associated with video data into a video data stream. The method comprises the steps of: —determining fingerprint associated with at least one frame of said video data, —inserting at least a message into the video stream comprising said fingerprint information.

Abstract: A visual summary of the image sequences is generated, displaying at least one image from a plurality of the image sequences. Colour correction is applied to a feature in one of the displayed images and images comprising at least one feature being close to the colour corrected feature according to a distance criterion are selected, displayed, and colour correction, based on the colour correction to the feature, is applied to the features in the selected images. An apparatus is also provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for segmenting objects in an image. The method comprises steps for: the approximate definition of a contour external to the object to be segmented, said contour including a plurality of so-called control points, the determination of a vicinity of candidate points in the vicinity of each control point, the determination of an energy associated with each candidate point in the vicinity of each control point, the convergence of each of the control points (Vi) towards the candidate point, which minimizes said energy, so providing an estimated contour of the object to be segmented. According to the invention, the energy associated with each candidate point includes a colour discrimination term.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for processing audio-visual broadcasts to display a summary thereof. The method comprises a prior step which consists in recording an audio-visual broadcast, and a step which consists in searching within the recorded broadcasts slow-motion sequences and a step which consists in displaying the sequences found. User controls enable to browse among the found sequences. The invention also a receiver set for audio-visual broadcasts provided with a storage unit for storing the slow-motion sequences of an audio-visual broadcast. The apparatus also includes controls enabling the user to display the stored sequences.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (1) and a method for creating summaries of multimedia documents, the device comprising a storage means and means enabling a user to view a multimedia document. According to the invention, the device comprises means of automatically weighting multimedia documents stored in the storage means according to the frequency with which the different stored documents are viewed by said user, means of creating a summary of the multimedia documents stored on the storage means according to the weighting assigned to each multimedia document.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for measuring similarity between images, comprising the performance of the following steps for each of the images: segmentation of the image into segments, classification of the segments as a function of their orientation to give classes, calculation of a histogram of the number of segments as a function of class, calculation of a histogram of the number of pixels belonging to the segments of one and the same class as a function of class, and comparing, for each image, the histograms calculated above to their respective histograms calculated for each of the rest of the images to give a measurement of similarity.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device and an automatic resetting method using electronic means intended for a geometric model of a scene over a picture of the scene including fixed references, the electronic means comparing the picture with model having been adjusted in perspective by homography for superimposition of the references. According to the invention, the electronic device calculates a fine homography function Hf for resetting into three phases: a first preliminary phase of determination of an average resetting homography consisting in determining an average homography function Hm applicable to the model with average adjustment over a sample of pictures of the scene taken previously, a second, rough resetting phase consisting after application of the average homography function Hm, to the model in determining a rough homography function Hg, and a third, fine resetting phase consisting after application of the rough homography function Hg to the model in determining the fine homography function Hf.

Abstract: The invention relates in particular to a method of tracking an object in a sequence of images, each image comprising pixels with each of which is associated at least one value in a determined representation space, termed the colour space. This method comprises the following steps: segmenting, in the spatial domain, the object in an image of the sequence, termed the reference image, by estimation of its contour; and tracking the contour of the object in the other images of the sequence on the basis of the values associated, in the color space, with the pixels of the object segmented in the reference image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for segmenting objects in an image. The method comprises steps for: the approximate definition of a contour external to the object to be segmented, said contour including a plurality of so-called control points, the determination of a vicinity of candidate points in the vicinity of each control point, the determination of an energy associated with each candidate point in the vicinity of each control point, the convergence of each of the control points (Vi) towards the candidate point, which minimizes said energy, so providing an estimated contour of the object to be segmented. According to the invention, the energy associated with each candidate point includes a colour discrimination term.

Abstract: The method utilizing a graph-like structure is comprises the following iteration: calculation of the potential of node nm, merging of two nodes ni and nj, as a function of the distances between the attributes of the key images and as a function of the temporal distance of these key images, calculation of the potential of each edge connecting the merged node to another node of the graph previously connected to nodes ni or nj, merging of the two nodes and validation of the new graph if the energy of this graph is less than the energy of the graph before merging.

Abstract: The method performs, for each image, the following steps: segmentation of the image, classification of the segments as a function of their orientation to give classes, calculation of a histogram of the number of segments as a function of class, calculation of a histogram of the number of pixels belonging to the segments of one and the same class as a function of class, comparison of the histograms of each image to give a measurement of similarity.