Abstract: A method for concatenating MPEG-4 or H.263 segments is provided. The method includes extracting and comparing the VOL or picture header information of each segment. If the two segments have the same VOL or picture header information, the method merges the two segments directly by appending one segment to another to form a new bit stream. If the two segments have the different resolution, the method completely decodes and re-encodes the segments and then merges the segments. Otherwise the method takes the VOL or picture header information of one segment as reference to produce the new bit stream. The method parses the other segment frame at a time, re-encapsulates it according to the reference VOL or picture header information, and appends it to the one segment. During the process, the method only uses VLD to parse the other segment without using the tools of DCT, IDCT, ME, and MC.

Abstract: A method for detecting a facial area on a color image includes (a) placing a search window on the color image, (b) determining if a center pixel of the search window is a skin color pixel, indicating that the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (c) applying a 3-rectangle filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (d) applying a 4-rectangle filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (e) if steps (b), (c), (d) all determine that the search window is a possible facial area candidate, applying an AdaBoost filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a facial area candidate, and (f) if step (e) determines that the search window is a facial area candidate, saving the location of the search window.

Abstract: A first video stream is analyzed for generating consecutive video segments. Each video segment indicates a specific scene in the video stream. A first intra frame is added at a start of each of the video segments, and second intra frames are inserted each fixed interval of video frames from the start of each of the video segments for spacing two consecutive second intra frames by the fixed interval of video frames in each of the video segments.

Abstract: A method is provided for approximating a quadratic Bezier curve represented by two anchor points and a control point that are fixed-point binary numbers. If a first flatness of a line formed between the two anchor points of the Bezier curve is less than a threshold, the method includes replacing the Bezier curve with an edge between the two anchor points. If the first flatness is not less than the threshold, the method includes subdividing the Bezier curve into halves and determining a second flatness of one of the halves. The first flatness is approximated by a triangular area formed by the two anchor points and the control point, and the triangular area is approximated by multiplication and subtraction operations. The second flatness of the half is approximated as the triangular area divided by 8, where the division by 8 is determined by shifting 3 bits to the right.

Abstract: Locating an eye includes generating an intensity response map by applying a 3-rectangle filter and applying K-mean clustering to the map to determine the eye. Locating an eye corner includes applying logarithm transform and grayscale stretching to generate a grayscale eye patch, generating a binary map of the patch by using a threshold based on a histogram of the patch, and estimating the eye corner by averaging coordinates weighted by minimal eigenvalues of spatial gradient matrices in a search region based on the binary map. Locating a mouth corner includes generating another intensity response map and generating another binary map using another threshold based on another histogram of the intensity response map. Locating a chin or a cheek includes applying angle constrained gradient analysis to reject locations that cannot be the chin or cheek. Locating a cheek further includes removing falsely detected cheeks by parabola fitting curves through the cheeks.

Abstract: A method for concatenating MPEG-4 or H.263 segments is provided. The method includes extracting and comparing the VOL or picture header information of each segment. If the two segments have the same VOL or picture header information, the method merges the two segments directly by appending one segment to another to form a new bit stream. If the two segments have the different resolution, the method completely decodes and re-encodes the segments and then merges the segments. Otherwise the method takes the VOL or picture header information of one segment as reference to produce the new bit stream. The method parses the other segment frame at a time, re-encapsulates it according to the reference VOL or picture header information, and appends it to the one segment. During the process, the method only uses VLD to parse the other segment without using the tools of DCT, IDCT, ME, and MC.

Abstract: A data structure, termed a pyramid, representing levels of data is disclosed. A method to produce the data structure is also disclosed. The pyramid data structure includes a series of levels, termed floors. In turn, the each floor is comprised of numerous cells. The data structure may be cached or can be stored in a file or database for run-time access by distributed applications.

Abstract: Locating an eye includes generating an intensity response map by applying a 3-rectangle filter and applying K-mean clustering to the map to determine the eye. Locating an eye corner includes applying logarithm transform and grayscale stretching to generate a grayscale eye patch, generating a binary map of the patch by using a threshold based on a histogram of the patch, and estimating the eye corner by averaging coordinates weighted by minimal eigenvalues of spatial gradient matrices in a search region based on the binary map. Locating a mouth corner includes generating another intensity response map and generating another binary map using another threshold based on another histogram of the intensity response map. Locating a chin or a cheek includes applying angle constrained gradient analysis to reject locations that cannot be the chin or cheek. Locating a cheek further includes removing falsely detected cheeks by parabola fitting curves through the cheeks.

Abstract: A method for detecting a facial area on a color image includes (a) placing a search window on the color image, (b) determining if a center pixel of the search window is a skin color pixel, indicating that the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (c) applying a 3-rectangle filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (d) applying a 4-rectangle filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a possible facial area candidate, (e) if steps (b), (c), (d) all determine that the search window is a possible facial area candidate, applying an AdaBoost filter to the search window to determine if the search window is a facial area candidate, and (f) if step (e) determines that the search window is a facial area candidate, saving the location of the search window.

Abstract: A method for rasterizing an edge includes determining an area projected by the edge in a pixel it touches. The projected area is first set equal to a unit area projected by the edge in one unit step. If a starting point of the edge is located in the pixel, an excessive projected area attributed to the edge before the starting point is subtracted from the projected area. If an end point of the edge is located in the pixel, another excessive projected area attributed to the edge after the end point is subtracted from the unit area from the projected area. If the edge crosses the pixel, then a carryover projected area attributed to the edge in a preceding pixel is added to the projected area.

Abstract: A method is provided for approximating a quadratic Bezier curve represented by two anchor points and a control point that are fixed-point binary numbers. If a first flatness of a line formed between the two anchor points of the Bezier curve is less than a threshold, the method includes replacing the Bezier curve with an edge between the two anchor points. If the first flatness is not less than the threshold, the method includes subdividing the Bezier curve into halves and determining a second flatness of one of the halves. The first flatness is approximated by a triangular area formed by the two anchor points and the control point, and the triangular area is approximated by multiplication and subtraction operations. The second flatness of the half is approximated as the triangular area divided by 8, where the division by 8 is determined by shifting 3 bits to the right.

Abstract: A toolbar includes a first toolbar area and a second toolbar area. The first toolbar area includes a plurality of icons and a cursor visually identifying one of the icons. When a user moves the cursor beyond a position, the icons shift so that at least one of the icons is removed and at least one new icon is added. The second toolbar area includes information about the icon identified by the cursor.

Abstract: A method for determining a projected area of an edge along a major direction in a pixel includes determining if the edge is at a starting point located inside the pixel and determining if the edge is at an end point located inside the pixel. If the edge is at a starting point located inside the pixel, the method includes determining a first excessive area and decrementing the projected area in the pixel by the first excessive area. If the edge is at an end point located inside the pixel, the method includes determining a second excessive area and decrementing the projected area by the second excessive area.

Abstract: A method for approximating a quadratic Bezier curve represented by a first anchor point, a control point, and a second anchor point includes determining a flatness of a line formed between the first anchor point and the second anchor point. The flatness is a first quotient of (1) a first triangular area formed by the first anchor point, the control point, and the second anchor point divided by (2) a first distance between the first anchor point and the second anchor point. If the flatness is less than a threshold, the method further includes replacing the quadratic Bezier curve with an edge between the first anchor point and the second anchor point.

Abstract: A data structure, termed a pyramid, representing levels of data is disclosed. A method to produce the data structure is also disclosed. The pyramid data structure includes a series of levels, termed floors. In turn, the each floor is comprised of numerous cells. The data structure may be cached or can be stored in a file or database for run-time access by distributed applications.