Abstract: A method is provided for identifying a multimedia document, aimed at verifying whether the multimedia document to be identified is similar or not to at least one multimedia document referenced in a base of reference multimedia documents. The method includes assignment of a number of votes to at least one reference multimedia document and selection of multimedia documents similar to the multimedia document to be identified. The selection step includes: determining a probabilistic distribution of the number of votes assigned to a reference multimedia document, as a function of the total number of documents referenced in the base and of the total number of votes, under a random voting assumption; and obtaining a threshold of selection of the similar multimedia documents from among the reference multimedia documents, on the basis of the probabilistic distribution.

Abstract: A method for encoding a digital image for producing a bit stream representing the image, the bit stream length depending on the quality of the desired representation, consisting in: a) defining, on the domain of the image to be encoded, a hierarchical meshing comprising a plurality of nested meshes whereof the mesh peaks are the image pixels; b) determining for each mesh of the hierarchical meshing, a brightness variation between the image to be encoded and an interpolated image obtained from the nested meshing peaks whereto pertains the mesh concerned; and c) inserting in the bit stream position, brightness and chrominance values of the peaks of meshes whereof the brightness variation is higher than a threshold variation useful for encoding fixed or animated images with speed reduction.