Abstract: A method for coding a picture portion of a picture of a video sequence is disclosed, at least one picture of the video sequence being a key picture. The method comprises the following steps: a) calculate a saliency map of the key picture, b) estimate for the picture portion to be coded, at least one motion vector pointing towards a portion of the key picture, c) motion compensate at least one portion of the saliency map using an estimated motion vector to obtain, for said picture portion, at least one portion of the predicted saliency map, and d) code the picture portion according to the saliency level of the portion of the predicted saliency map. The invention also relates to a method for decoding a binary stream, a coder able to code pictures of a video sequence and a decoder of a binary stream.

Abstract: Interlaced video can be encoded in two layers, base layer and enhancement layer. A method for optimizing the encoding of motion vectors for enhancement layer is proposed. It comprises defining various different ways to encode the motion vectors, estimate the coding costs for each way, and select the way with the lowest coding cost. The various ways to encode enhancement layer motion vectors can be combined. Either motion vectors from base layer are reused, resulting in a scaling factor and an update vector, or new motion vectors are calculated. Either forward or backward or bi-directional prediction can be used. Either one frame or multiple frames can be taken as reference. The reference frame can be from the enhancement layer, base layer or both. Either the complete motion vectors are encoded, or only the difference between the motion vector and the corresponding BL motion vector is encoded.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for modifying a reference block of a reference image. That is, the method comprises transforming the reference block into a first set of coefficients, modifying the first set of coefficients by help of one or more weights and inverse transforming the modified first set of coefficients wherein said weights are determined by help of one or more further pixels of the current image and by help of one or more further reference pixels of the reference image. Using further pixels of the current image as well as further reference pixels of the reference image allows spectral weights to be determined such that they reflect fading effects. Especially, if a reference frame consists of two cross-faded frames of which one shall be predicted by help of said reference frame, then, spectral domain weighting allows for separating the relevant of the two frames.

Abstract: Method for coding using a technique for synthesis of images and image regions exploiting a synthesis algorithm that operates on a set of patches, this operation carried out through the intermediary of a low resolution image, comprising the following steps: decision making for coding or non-coding of regions of the synthesized image by comparison of the display with the source image, according to a quality metric, for the regions synthesized with a coding decision, conventional coding of patches as well as of the low resolution image, for the regions synthesized with a non-coding decision, coding according to a conventional coding schema.

Abstract: The invention is related to a method for determining a filter for interpolating one or more pixels comprised in a frame. The proposed method comprises the step of determining the filter based on other pixels in the remainder of the frame wherein a motion vector associated with said pixels has at least one motion parameter in common with another motion vector associated with said other pixels and the filter is determined such that a quality of an interpolation of said other pixels, said interpolation being determined by help of said determined filter, reaches or exceeds the quality of any other interpolation of said other pixels determinable by help of one of different filter candidates comprised in a filter candidate set. In determining the filter solely on different other pixels of the same frame, said method for determining a filter for interpolation allows for realization of a single pass encoding framework.

Abstract: A method for decoding a stream of coded data representative of a sequence of images divided into blocks is described. It comprises the following steps for a current block: reconstructing a residual block of residual data from the decoding of a first part of the coded stream of data relating to the current block, determining a prediction block, and reconstructing the current block by merging the residual block and the prediction block, According to the invention, the decoding method comprises in addition a step of reorganisation of residual data in the residual block before the reconstruction of the current block according to the content of the prediction block. The invention also relates to a method for coding.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for reconstructing a picture that is part of a sequence of pictures, from coded digital data, representative of said current picture. It comprises the following steps: construct, for each picture block, first and second prediction blocks (from a first picture and a second picture previously reconstructed, and calculate, for each block, a confidence value representative of the proximity between the visual content of the first predictive block and the visual content of the second predictive block, and reconstruct each block from a part of said coded digital data representative of said block and initial auxiliary data calculated from the first and second predictive blocks when the block confidence value is greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: The method comprising a wavelet-based spatial analysis step comprising filtering operations of the picture at the high resolution format and horizontal and/or vertical decimation operations of the filtered picture to supply subband signals, is wherein a decimation operation is carried out according to a factor different from an even value and corresponds to the quotient of the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the first and second format such that the low frequency picture thus obtained relative to the low frequency subband signals, corresponds to the second format.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of encoding and decoding video images with spatial scalability. The inventive method comprises the following steps consisting in: encoding (5) a low-resolution image, by performing a calculation of a local or reconstructed decoded image, in order to supply an encoded low-resolution image; oversampling (6) the reconstructed image in order to supply a prediction image; and encoding (7) a higher resolution image, comprising a difference calculation with the prediction image in order to supply residues. The invention is characterised in that the method also comprises a step consisting in selecting or calculating filter coefficients to be used for oversampling and a subsequent step consisting in encoding said coefficients such that they can be transmitted to the decoder with the other encoded data. The invention is suitable for hierarchical encoding with spatial scalability.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating for at least one block of pixels of a picture of a sequence of interlaced pictures at least one motion predictor and at least one texture predictor from motion data, respectively 10 texture data, associated with the pictures of a sequence of low resolution interlaced pictures.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for deriving motion data for a macroblock divided in elementary blocks of a high resolution picture, called high layer macroblock, from motion data of macroblocks of a low resolution picture, called base layer macroblock.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for generating for at least one macroblock of a high resolution image at least one motion predictor from motion data associated to macroblock(s) of a low resolution image.

Abstract: This high dynamic picture transmission system comprises a coding unit able to generate: a standard bitstream coding the pictures in which the luminance of each pixel is coded with a standard dynamic, and at least a second bitstream containing the information necessary to reconstruct the luminance of high dynamic pictures from the coded luminance with a standard dynamic contained in the standard bitstream.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining for a high layer macroblock that uses inter-layer prediction a partitioning of the macroblock in partitions.

Abstract: Often hierarchical bi-directionally predicted frame structures are used for encoding a video picture sequence. The frames may consist of interlacing fields. A method for encoding interlaced video, wherein inter-prediction of fields is used and reference lists are assigned to the fields for indicating reference frames or fields, comprises that, if within such reference list a reference to another frame is included, then references to both fields of the other frame are included separately in direct sequence. Further, a temporal level is assigned to each of the frames according to their display order, and for the frames of all except one temporal level the quantization parameter is higher for one type of fields than for the other type of fields.

Abstract: The invention relates to spatially scalable encoding and decoding processes using a method for deriving coding information. More particularly, it relates to a method for deriving coding information for high resolution pictures from the coding information of low resolution pictures. The method mainly comprises the following steps: Computing geometrical parameters characterizing the position of said high layer macroblock relatively to the corresponding base layer macroblocks and deriving from these parameters a macroblock class; Deriving a partition and possibly sub-partitions for each partition of said high layer macroblock from corresponding base layer macroblocks partition and sub-partitions on the basis of the geometrical parameters and HL MB class; and Deriving motion information for said high layer macroblock from motion information of corresponding base layer macroblocks.

Abstract: The invention relates to spatially scalable encoding and decoding processes using a method for deriving coding information. More particularly, it relates to a method for deriving coding information used to encode high resolution images from coding information used to encode low resolution images when the ratio between high resolution and low resolution images dimensions is a multiple of 3/2. The method mainly comprises the following steps: deriving a block coding mode for each 8×8 blocks of a prediction macroblock MBi_pred from the macroblock coding mode of the associated base layer macroblocks on the basis of the macroblock class of MBi and an the basis of the position of the 8×8 block within MBi_pred; deriving a macroblock coding mode for MBi_pred from the coding modes of the associated base layer macroblocks; and deriving motion information for each macroblock MBi_pred from the motion information of the associated base layer macroblocks.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for coding an image data macroblock of a sequence of images presented in the form of a base layer and at least one enhancement layer. The image data macroblock to which corresponds an image data block in the base layer, called a corresponding block, belongs to the enhancement layer. The method comprises the following steps: generate, for the said image data macroblock, a prediction macroblock of image data from one block or several blocks of image data blocks of the said base layer previously coded and reconstructed, generate a macroblock of residues from the prediction macroblock and from the image data macroblock MBEL of the enhancement layer, and code the said macroblock of residues. According to the invention, the image data blocks of the said base layer are different from the corresponding block.

Abstract: Interlaced video can be encoded in two layers, base layer and enhancement layer. A method for optimizing the encoding of motion vectors for enhancement layer is proposed. It comprises defining various different ways to encode the motion vectors, estimate the coding costs for each way, and select the way with the lowest coding cost. The various ways to encode enhancement layer motion vectors can be combined. Either motion vectors from base layer are reused, resulting in a scaling factor and an update vector, or new motion vectors are calculated. Either forward or backward or bi-directional prediction can be used. Either one frame or multiple frames can be taken as reference. The reference frame can be from the enhancement layer, base layer or both. Either the complete motion vectors are encoded, or only the difference between the motion vector and the corresponding BL motion vector is encoded.

Abstract: The picture and coding method comprises the following steps: coding of the lowest resolution picture to provide coded data for a base layer of the coded data flow, zoom of the picture to obtain a low resolution zoomed picture of dimensions of those of the picture for the common video part, coding of to supply coded data to an upper layer of the coded data flow and using at least one of the following modes: predictive inter layer coding using a previous low resolution zoomed picture in which a predicted block and a motion vector defining this block is determined, predictive inter layer coding using a current low resolution zoomed picture in which a predicted block and a motion vector defining this block is determined.