Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for processing an image with depth information and a computer program product thereof, wherein a filtering template is used to extract a gesture region and filter the image, and wherein the hue values of the pixels of the current gesture region are used to modify the self-adaptive thresholds of the filtering template, and wherein the size of the filtering template at the next time point is modified according to the depth at the current time point and the depth at the former time point.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a method for processing an image with depth information and a computer program product thereof, wherein a filtering template is used to extract a gesture region and filter the image, and wherein the hue values of the pixels of the current gesture region are used to modify the self-adaptive thresholds of the filtering template, and wherein the size of the filtering template at the next time point is modified according to the depth at the current time point and the depth at the former time point.

Abstract: A macroblock skip mode judgement method for an encoder applies to implementation of H.264 encoder hardware compressing a plurality of successive frames and comprises steps: undertaking IME (Integer Motion Estimation) for two frames appearing at neighboring time points to calculate MV (Motion Vector), and calculating PMV (Predicted Motion Vector) of the frame appearing the preceding time point; if MV equals PMV, modifying the cost function of MV to be a negative value; undertaking block encoding and compare the costs; if the cost of the Inter mode is smaller than the cost of the Intra mode, setting the mb (macroblock) skip flag to be 1; using Entropy to compress the mb skip flag, and omitting compressing the macroblock represented by the mb skip flag.

Abstract: An optimal dynamic seam adjustment system for image stitching includes an image obtaining module, a feature difference calculation module and a dynamic seam module. The image obtaining module obtains at least two images to be stitched, which have at least one overlapping area divided into a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of pixel columns and a plurality of pixel rows. The feature difference calculation module calculates a feature difference value for each pixel within the overlapping area. The dynamic seam module establishes a plurality of dynamic seam routes started from a top end of the overlapping area, so as to find an optimal dynamic seam route based on the feature difference value, wherein each dynamic seam route is composed of a plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A view synthesis method of depth mismatching checking and depth error compensation, wherein, input left and right maps are warped in a processor to perform view synthesis, comprising following steps: when a present pixel moves to a position of a target pixel after warping, compute respectively pixel displacement amounts for said present pixel to move to said target pixel in said left and said right maps, to figure out coordinate of said target pixel; determine if depth value of the present pixel is greater than that of said target pixel, if an answer is positive, determine if depth value of said present pixel matches that of coordinate adjacent to said target pixel; and if answer is negative, set depth value of said target pixel to a hole; otherwise, cover said target pixel with pixel value of said present pixel, hereby completing refining even minute errors.

Abstract: An optimal dynamic seam adjustment system for image stitching includes an image obtaining module, a feature difference calculation module and a dynamic seam module. The image obtaining module obtains at least two images to be stitched, which have at least one overlapping area divided into a plurality of pixels arranged in a plurality of pixel columns and a plurality of pixel rows. The feature difference calculation module calculates a feature difference value for each pixel within the overlapping area. The dynamic seam module establishes a plurality of dynamic seam routes started from a top end of the overlapping area, so as to find an optimal dynamic seam route based on the feature difference value, wherein each dynamic seam route is composed of a plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A low-complexity method of converting 2D images/videos into 3D ones includes the steps of identifying whether each pixel in one of the frames is an edge feature point; locating at least two vanishing lines in the frame according to the edge feature point; categorizing the frame into the one of close-up photographic feature, of landscape feature, and of vanishing-area feature; if the frame is identified to have the vanishing-area feature or the landscape feature to generate a GDM; and apply a modificatory procedure to the GDM to generate a final depth information map; if the frame is identified to have the close-up photographic feature, distinguish between a foreground object and a background information in the frame and define the depth of field to generate the final depth information map.

Abstract: A low-complexity method of converting 2D images/videos into 3D ones includes the steps of identifying whether each pixel in one of the frames is an edge feature point; locating at least two vanishing lines in the frame according to the edge feature point; categorizing the frame into the one of close-up photographic feature, of landscape feature, and of vanishing-area feature; if the frame is identified to have the vanishing-area feature or the landscape feature to generate a GDM; and apply a modificatory procedure to the GDM to generate a final depth information map; if the frame is identified to have the close-up photographic feature, distinguish between a foreground object and a background information in the frame and define the depth of field to generate the final depth information map.

Abstract: A low-complexity panoramic image and video stitching method includes the steps of (1) providing a first image/video and a second image/video; (2) carrying out an image/video alignment to locate a plurality of common features from the first and second images/videos and to align the first and second images/videos pursuant to the common features; (3) carrying out an image/video projection and warping to make the first and second coordinates of the common features in the first and second images/videos correspond to each other and to stitch the first and second images/videos according to the mutually corresponsive first and second coordinates; (4) carrying out an image/video repairing and blending for compensating chromatic aberrations of at least one seam between the first and second images/videos; and outputting the stitched first and second images/videos.

Abstract: A predictive coding method for coding intra of frames is revealed. Firstly, an encoder divides an image frame into a plurality of macroblocks. Then the encoder sets predictive coding models corresponding to these macroblocks according to a ratio. The encoder performs predictive coding for coding each macroblock according to the corresponding predictive coding model so as to get and output a coded image. By the present invention, various predictive coding models are set and applied to code the different macroblocks so as to increase predictive coding efficiency. The intra prediction efficiency and image compression efficiency are improved simultaneously.

Abstract: A disparity estimation depth generation method, wherein after inputting an original left map and an original right map in a stereo color image, compute depth of said original left and right maps, comprising following steps: perform filtering of said original left and right maps, to generate a left map and a right map; perform edge detection of an object in said left and right maps, to determine size of at least a matching block in said left and said right maps, based on information of two edges detected in an edge-adaptive approach; perform computation of matching cost, to generate respectively a preliminary depth map, and perform cross-check to find out at least an unreliable depth region from said preliminary depth map to perform refinement; and refine errors in said unreliable depth region, to obtain correct depth of said left and said right maps.

Abstract: A method of motion prediction of multimedia video coding includes the steps of a) defining that each of macroblocks of enhancement layers has corresponding BL_Residual, EL_Residual, and EL_ResidualME; b) acquiring the BL_Residual that the current macroblock corresponds to from one of the enhancement layers; c) identifying whether the BL_Residual is zero; if it is zero, apply the motion prediction of video coding to the current layer and then proceed to the step e); if it is not zero, proceed to the next step d); d) comparing the BL_Residual that the current macroblock corresponds to with a threshold; if the BL_Residual is smaller than the threshold, apply the motion prediction of video coding to the current layer; if the BL_Residual is bigger than the threshold, proceed to cross-layer-mode motion prediction of video coding; and e) ending.

Abstract: A predictive coding method for coding intra of frames is revealed. Firstly, an encoder divides an image frame into a plurality of macroblocks. Then the encoder sets predictive coding models corresponding to these macroblocks according to a ratio. The encoder performs predictive coding for coding each macroblock according to the corresponding predictive coding model so as to get and output a coded image. By the present invention, various predictive coding models are set and applied to code the different macroblocks so as to increase predictive coding efficiency. The intra prediction efficiency and image compression efficiency are improved simultaneously.

Abstract: A method for reducing computational complexity of video compression standard is provided, and it includes an intra 4×4 macroblock (I4MB) search algorithm, an intra 16×16 macroblock (I16MB) search algorithm and a chroma search algorithm. The I4MB search algorithm and I16MB search algorithm accelerate the prediction process of the luma macroblock, and the chroma search algorithm accelerates the prediction process of chroma macroblock. The above algorithms can greatly reduce the computation of prediction mode of video compression standard.

Abstract: An intra prediction circuit device applied to the H.264 video coding standard is provided. The intra prediction device uses a method of decreasing the repeated operations of the shared terms of the video pixel data to reduce the circuit computation and simplify the hardware architecture. In the intra prediction scheme, the computational complexity can be lessened by implementing not only the adder based method but also decomposition technique to simplify the algorithm of the intra prediction.

Abstract: A multimedia coding system has different picture qualities with different coding characteristics. It is done through a scaleable fractional motion estimation (FME) in H.264 and a block size trend prediction FME. Three quality levels are thus obtained. The first level processes a complete calculation and obtains a best picture; the second level, fewer calculation with a low power consumption and an acceptable picture quality; and the third level, fewest calculation with a fastest speed. And the present invention is suitable for hardware design to obtain a high efficiency, a low cost and a high performance.

Abstract: A fractional motion estimation method including the steps of categorizing search modes of the macroblock into a single mode, a reduced mode, and a full mode; determining a search mode of a to-be-process macroblock according to a predetermined condition; and conducting a fractional motion estimation of a to-be-estimated pixel according to the search mode determined in the aforesaid step. Therefore, the fractional motion estimation method can have the adaptive mode selection to spare some parts of computation for low throughput. In other words, it can effectively enhance efficiency of hardware, to lower power consumption, and to maintain consistent image quality.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for motion estimation in multimedia images, which comprises steps of: dividing a predict image frame into a plurality of groups of macroblocks, and each of the groups of macroblocks including a plurality of macroblocks; predicting a motion vector of each of the groups of macroblocks, and producing a predict motion vector; producing one or more search windows according to the predict motion vector; and comparing a plurality of pixels in each macroblock of each group of macroblocks to a plurality of pixels in the search window, and producing an actual motion vector, respectively. Thereby, by gathering a plurality of macroblocks, a shared predict motion vector is produced for reducing computations in coding. Hence, the coding efficiency can be enhanced.

Abstract: An image compression system in coordination with camera motion includes a camera for capturing motion pictures; a motion detection device structurally connected with the camera for detecting motions of the camera; an image compression electrically connected with the camera for compressing the motion pictures; and a motion vector receiver electrically connected with the motion diction device and the image compression device for receiving motion signals generated by the motions and then transmitting the motion signals to the image compression device, whereby the image compression device can refer to the motion signals for calculation while compressing the motion pictures. Accordingly, the image compression system can compress the images in coordination with the camera motion and meanwhile eliminate the minor vibrations in the images.

Abstract: Design techniques and their circuit designs for versatile and scalable video coding are proposed, in which the inner product operation in the transform coding expression is taken apart into a series of add and shift operations, and the expression is partitioned into several sub-expressions. Taking each order of the add-and-shift series as a clock period, several adders/subtractors and a shift accumulator are used to carry out corresponding additions/subtractions and shift operations to finish the inner product operations. The calculating result is accumulated until all the orders are finished. The final accumulated value is the output of the transform coding. Data throughput rate can thus be enhanced to save the power consumption of the circuit system. Moreover, a dynamic guarded computation method and a switching power suppression technique are provided to further lower the power consumption.