Abstract: A water ring scanning apparatus and method, and an apparatus and method for encoding/decoding video sequences using the same are disclosed. A water ring scanning apparatus includes: a preferential scan unit for scanning information on a water ring origin point (water_ring(0)) in an image frame, which is a most significant bit of the image frame to be preferentially scanned; a scan location decision unit for deciding a location of i_th generated water ring (water_ring(i)), which is a rectangular-shape ring surrounding the water ring origin point; and a scan unit for scanning information on the location of the i_th generated water ring.

Abstract: A method for transmitting variable length packets based on FEC coding. Data packets are successively and contiguously stored in a two-dimensional storage device. FEC coding is performed to generate parity packets. The parity packets are stored in the two-dimensional storage device. The data packets, offsets representing positions of the data packets in the two-dimensional storage device, types of packets, and the parity packets are then transmitted.

Abstract: A texture-based image database browsing and sorting method computes the number of edge pixels of objects in static images, measures textures of the static images by numerating the number of edge pixels thereof and measures a texture of a query image by numerating the number of edge pixels of an object in the query image. Then, the method sorts the measured textures according to a sorting order and searches a texture close to the texture of the query image among the sorted textures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for partially transmitting high-resolution and high-volume JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image data as well as a computer-based recording medium for recording the program to embody the method; and, more particularly, to an apparatus and a method for transmitting the images not by sending the entire data but part of them needed for display only in image data transmission, thus reducing the amount of transmission and shortening waiting time.