Abstract: Systems and methods for using redundant pictures and slice groups to encode spatially scalable H.264 Baseline profile conformant video and to route that video to endpoints of varying capabilities without using the Scalable Video extension of H.264 or transcoding. Reduced resolution versions of primary coded pictures are encoded as slice groups in a full-resolution composite pictures, which are added to the video bitstream as redundant pictures. A router then processes the spatially scaled video bitstream into separate streams having different resolutions and routes these to endpoints of varying capabilities.

Abstract: Disclosed are adaptive loop filtering techniques for video encoding and/or decoding. For a video unit, the encoder selects a set of predefined filters or generates a set of new filters, and places into the bitstream information identifying the set of predefined filters, or information defining the set of new filters. The set of filters may be used for loop filtering of at least one of the reconstructed samples of the video unit. At the decoder, a set of filters may be obtained by, decoding an index that identifies a set of predefined filters, or by decoding information related to a set of new filters. The obtained set of filters may be used for loop filtering of at least one decoded and reconstructed sample of the video unit.

Abstract: Systems and methods for multipoint video distribution are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, system for multipoint video distribution include at least one endpoint including a EECM and a DECM, and at least one server including a SECM, the server being coupled to the endpoint. In some embodiments, methods for configuring an encoder include receiving at least one property related to a capability of a decoder, determining a number of layers to be coded by the encoder, and configuring the encoder based on that at least one property.

Abstract: Disclosed are adaptive loop filtering techniques in the context of video encoding and/or decoding. For each video unit, the encoder can select a filter shape, and can place into the bitstream information that identifies the filter shape. At least one filter whose shape is the selected filter shape is used to loop filter at least one sample. At the decoder, a filter shape is obtained by decoding information that identifies the filter shape. At least one filter whose shape is the obtained filter shape is used to loop filter at least one reconstructed sample. Different filter shapes are also disclosed.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system, method, apparatus, and computer readable media containing instructions for pre-filtering one or more pictures of a prediction structure. In an exemplary embodiment, a system includes an input for receiving the one or more pictures and a pre-filter, operatively coupled to the input and receiving the one or more pictures. The pre-filter can include a prediction position determining module for determining a position of at least one picture in the prediction structure, a context memory for storing determined position information, and a filter module for selecting a filter context based on the determined position and using the selected filter context to filter the at least one picture.

Abstract: Described is picture segmentation through columns and slices in video encoding and decoding. A video picture is divided into a plurality of columns, each column covering only a part of the video picture in a horizontal dimension. All coded tree blocks (“CTBs”) belonging to a slice may belong to one or more columns. The columns may be used to break the same or different prediction or in-loop filtering mechanisms of the video coding, and the CTB scan order used for encoding and/or decoding may be local to a column. Column widths may be indicated in a parameter set and/or may be adjusted at the slice level. At the decoder, column width may be parsed from the bitstream, and slice decoding may occur in one or more columns.

Abstract: Described are techniques in video coding and/or decoding that allow for selectively breaking prediction and/or in loop filtering across segment boundaries between different segments of a video picture. A high layer syntax element, such as a parameter set or a slice header, may contain one or more indications signalling to an encoder and/or decoder whether an associated prediction or loop filtering tool may be applied across the segment boundary. In response to such one or more indications, the encoder and/or decoder may then control the prediction or loop filtering tool accordingly.

Abstract: Disclosed are techniques for adaptive interpolation filtering of luminance and chrominance samples in the context of motion compensation in video encoding or decoding. A two-dimensional interpolation filter of n×m coefficients may be separable, i.e., it may be separated into two one-dimensional filters with m and n coefficients, respectively. The bitstream may include, per video unit and sub-sample position, information indicating whether to use a newly-generated, a cached, or a default filter that may be a separable two-dimensional filter. The information may be structured in a way that takes advantage of the two-dimensional filter being separable. When a newly-generated filter is signalled, the bitstream may contain information pertaining to the characteristics of the newly-generated filter, such as its coefficients. A decoder may fetch this information from the bitstream to create the filters which are applied to samples of the video unit. An encoder may create a bitstream as described.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques and computer readable media containing instructions arranged to determine a bit allocation for a temporal base layer and at least one temporal enhancement layer. The techniques are enhanced to yield improved reproduced quality for the case where both a temporal base layer and at least one temporal enhancement layer is being used. An exemplary method for determining a bit allocation to one base layer includes initializing a bit allocation between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer, determining a quality difference between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer, expressed, for example, in the Quantizer Parameter of the last picture of each layer within a GOP, and determining a new bit allocation between the base layer and the at least one enhancement layer based on the quality difference and at least one constant factor.

Abstract: The present invention provides bit rate control techniques for a hybrid block based motion compensated predictive video encoder (e.g., H.264, as well as other video coding algorithms and standards). The techniques aim to reduce the picture-to-picture bit rate fluctuations within a prediction structure or over a short time interval that can lead to undesirable additional delay on links without over-provisioned capacity. In one embodiment of the present invention, the end to end delay is estimated. The end to end delay is used to determine limits on the modulation of the target coded picture size, with the goal of trading an acceptable amount of additional delay for a better coding efficiency.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques and computer readable media containing instructions arranged to utilize existing video compression techniques to enhance a visually appealing high frame rate, without incurring the bitrate and computational complexity common to high frame rate coding using conventional techniques. SVC skip slices—slices in which the slice_skip_flag in the slice header is set to a value of 1—require very few bits in the bitstream, thereby keeping the bitrate overhead very low. Also, when using an appropriate implementation, the computational requirements for coding an enhancement layer picture consisting entirely of skipped slices are almost negligible. In addition, skipped slices in an enhancement layer inherit motion information from the base layer(s), thereby minimizing, if not eliminating, the possibly bad correlation between nonlinear motion and linear interpolation.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting a video bit rate (VBR) over a network includes reducing the VBR if the network incurs a packet loss (PL) that is greater than a PL threshold increasing the VBR if the PL is less than or equal to the PL threshold over a maximum integer number of time intervals and increasing the maximum integer number of time intervals if the PL is greater than the packet loss threshold at the increased VBR. In addition, the VBR is increased over consecutive time intervals until a maximum video bit rate is restored, if the PL over each consecutive time interval is less than or equal to the packet loss threshold.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for creating and updating a facial image database from a collection of digital images is disclosed. A set of detected faces from a digital image collection is stored in a facial image database, along with data pertaining to them. At least one facial recognition template for each face in the first set is computed, and the images in the set are grouped according to the facial recognition template into similarity groups. Another embodiment is a naming tool for assigning names to a plurality of faces detected in a digital image collection. A facial image database stores data pertaining to facial images detected in images of a digital image collection.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting a video bit rate (VBR) over a network includes reducing the VBR if the network incurs a packet loss (PL) that is greater than a PL threshold increasing the VBR if the PL is less than or equal to the PL threshold over a maximum integer number of time intervals and increasing the maximum integer number of time intervals if the PL is greater than the packet loss threshold at the increased VBR. In addition, the VBR is increased over consecutive time intervals until a maximum video bit rate is restored, if the PL over each consecutive time interval is less than or equal to the packet loss threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for adjusting a video bit rate (VBR) over a network includes reducing the VBR if the network incurs a packet loss (PL) that is greater than a PL threshold; increasing the VBR if the PL is less than or equal to the PL threshold over a maximum integer number of time intervals; and increasing the maximum integer number of time intervals if the PL is greater than the packet loss threshold at the increased VBR. In addition, the VBR is increased over consecutive time intervals until a maximum video bit rate is restored, if the PL over each consecutive time interval is less than or equal to the packet loss threshold.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating the amount of visible light in a light source using an image sensor, e.g., such as an image sensor of the type commonly found in color video cameras. The methods and systems may be implemented to use information about the normalized differences of three color components contained in a light source in conjunction with a measure of total light energy of the light source in order to estimate the amount of visible light present in light received by the image sensor from a light source.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically detecting the presence or absence of a bright object in the field of view of a video camera and/or for adaptively modifying video camera exposure level. A video camera system may be configured to enter and exit an adaptive exposure modification mode upon detection of the presence of a bright object in the field of view of a video camera.

Abstract: A method for reducing or eliminating coding artifacts in video pictures processed using intra block prediction methods, for example, according to the H.264 standard. The causes of the coding artifacts are identified to be the intra prediction modes with prediction directions that are not in the direction of the raster scan. Filtering the affected blocks with a simple one-dimensional spatial filter will reduce or even eliminate these coding artifacts.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a system and method for concealing video errors. The system encodes, reorders, and packetizes video information into video data packets for transmission over a communication network such that the system conceals errors caused by lost video data packets when the system receives, depacketizes, orders, and decodes the data packets. In one embodiment, the system and method encodes and packetizes video information, such that adjacent macroblocks are not placed in the same video data packets. Additionally, the system and method may provide information accompanying the video data packets to facilitate the decoding process. An advantage to such a scheme is that errors due to video data packet loss are spatially distributed over a video frame. Thus, if regions of data surrounding a lost macroblock are successfully decoded, the decoder may predict motion vectors and spatial content with a higher degree of accuracy, which leads to higher video quality.

Abstract: The present invention provides, in one embodiment, a system and method for concealing video errors. The system encodes, reorders, and packetizes video information into video data packets for transmission over a communication network such that the system conceals errors caused by lost video data packets when the system receives, depacketizes, orders, and decodes the data packets. In one embodiment, the system and method encodes and packetizes video information, such that adjacent macroblocks are not placed in the same video data packets. Additionally, the system and method may provide information accompanying the video data packets to facilitate the decoding process. An advantage to such a scheme is that errors due to video data packet loss are spatially distributed over a video frame. Thus, if regions of data surrounding a lost macroblock are successfully decoded, the decoder may predict motion vectors and spatial content with a higher degree of accuracy, which leads to higher video quality.