Abstract: A remote communication apparatus for receiving the image of a remote user captured by an imaging device to show the image to another user includes a zoom controller for controlling a zoom ratio defining the angle of view of the imaging device, and an estimator for estimating a distance between the imaging device and the remote user on the basis of the zoom ratio of the imaging device.

Abstract: A remote communication apparatus for receiving the image of a remote user captured by an imaging device to show the image to another user includes a zoom controller for controlling a zoom ratio defining the angle of view of the imaging device, and an estimator for estimating a distance between the imaging device and the remote user on the basis of the zoom ratio of the imaging device.

Abstract: A motion vector searching apparatus to which a reference image, an object image and weight parameters for the reference image are inputted and searches a motion vector based thereon is provides. The motion vector searching apparatus includes an inverse weighting section that generates an inverse weighted object image by performing, on the object image using the weight parameter, a weighting inverse from a weighting performed on the reference image using the weight parameter; an image comparing section that compares the generated inverse weighted object image with the reference image to obtain a comparison value indicating a degree of approximation between the two images; and a determination section that determines an optimum motion vector from the comparison value.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus divides each frame of a moving picture into parts and assigns the parts to different coding units, which compressively code their respective parts. The coding process includes motion compensation with respect to a reference frame. Each coding unit has its own reference frame memory. To generate reference frame data, each coding unit receives, decodes, and decompresses the coded data generated by at least one other coding unit, as well as decompressing the data it has coded itself. Consequently, only ordinary coded data have to be passed between different coding units, which saves bandwidth and eliminates the need for special coding hardware and development and testing tools.

Abstract: A camera controller allows the user to control a predominant camera currently shooting a subject and its nearby cameras simply by manipulating the predominant camera. The camera controller is communicably connected to networked cameras held at positions and controls the shooting direction of the imager built in the cameras according to control data. The controller has a video data detector for extracting motion picture data produced by the predominant camera from motion picture data produced by all of the cameras, and a camera control that corrects control data about the shooting camera with camera control request data entered by the user. The camera control outputs the corrected control data about the shooting camera to the predominant camera and also to the nearby cameras near the predominant camera.

Abstract: A remote communication apparatus for receiving the image of a remote user captured by an imaging device to show the image to another user includes a zoom controller for controlling a zoom ratio defining the angle of view of the imaging device, and an estimator for estimating a distance between the imaging device and the remote user on the basis of the zoom ratio of the imaging device.

Abstract: A motion vector searching apparatus to which a reference image, an object image and weight parameters for the reference image are inputted and searches a motion vector based thereon is provides. The motion vector searching apparatus includes an inverse weighting section that generates an inverse weighted object image by performing, on the object image using the weight parameter, a weighting inverse from a weighting performed on the reference image using the weight parameter; an image comparing section that compares the generated inverse weighted object image with the reference image to obtain a comparison value indicating a degree of approximation between the two images; and a determination section that determines an optimum motion vector from the comparison value.

Abstract: To code the current frame of a moving picture, a weighting coefficient and the mean pixel values in the current frame and a reference frame are obtained. The weighting coefficient is used to modify the mean pixel value in the reference frame, and an offset value is calculated from the resulting modified mean pixel value and the mean pixel value in the current frame. Reference image blocks are then selected from the reference frame, and a predicted image block is generated by applying the weighting coefficient and the offset value to each selected reference image block. Because of the modification of the mean pixel value of the reference frame, pixel values in the predicted image blocks are distributed around the mean pixel value in the current frame, which leads to efficient coding.

Abstract: A moving image encoding device that encodes a difference between a predicted image and an original image is provided. The predicted image is generated using a weighted reference image, for which a weight is multiplied with and an offset is added to a reference image. The moving image encoding device includes an image data reduction section and a weighting estimation section. The image data reduction section reduces data volumes of the original image and the reference image while retaining characteristics of the original image and the reference image. The weighting estimation section estimates weighting parameters on the basis of image data of the original image and reference image of which the data volumes have been reduced by the image data reduction section.

Abstract: A picture is divided into parts that are coded by different computing resources. The picture consists of blocks, which are the basic units in the coding process; each part includes one or more blocks. To determine how to divide the picture into parts, first a scene differential is calculated for each block, indicating a degree of change that takes place in the block, and a coding processing time is predicted for each block on the basis of its scene differential. The picture is then divided into parts with substantially equal total predicted coding processing times.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus divides each frame of a moving picture into parts and assigns the parts to different coding units, which compressively code their respective parts. The coding process includes motion compensation with respect to a reference frame. Each coding unit has its own reference frame memory. To generate reference frame data, each coding unit receives, decodes, and decompresses the coded data generated by at least one other coding unit, as well as decompressing the data it has coded itself. Consequently, only ordinary coded data have to be passed between different coding units, which saves bandwidth and eliminates the need for special coding hardware and development and testing tools.

Abstract: A data compressing apparatus which can reduce a processing load associated to a data compressing process. The data compressing apparatus is used in a data transmitting apparatus for performing a data transmission, and includes a transmission mode selecting circuit for selecting the first transmission mode or second transmission mode in accordance with information indicating a kind of input data, a data compressing circuit for compressing the input data and transmitting it to a data output terminal, and a switch for allowing the input data to be transmitted to the data output terminal in accordance with the first transmission mode and allowing the input data to be transmitted to a data compressing circuit in accordance with the second transmission mode. The transmission mode is selected by the transmission mode selecting circuit on the basis of the signal indicative of the kind of input data.