Abstract: System and method to determine a reduced cohort criteria, the method including: defining N selection criteria to select a cohort from among a universe of patient data; querying a patient database, by use of a processor, and by use of the N selection criteria, in order to define a full patient population; selecting a subset of size M of the N selection criteria, to produce a subset criteria; selecting a permutation of the subset criteria, to produce a permuted subset criteria in a predetermined order; for each member of the permuted subset criteria: querying the patient database by use of the member of the permuted subset criteria to produce a respective interim patient population; combining all respective interim patient populations to produce a partial patient population; and calculating, by a processor, a coverage figure of merit that compares the partial patient population to the full patient population.

Abstract: System and method to determine a reduced cohort criteria, the method including: defining N selection criteria to select a cohort from among a universe of patient data; querying a patient database, by use of a processor, and by use of the N selection criteria, in order to define a full patient population; selecting a subset of size M of the N selection criteria, to produce a subset criteria; selecting a permutation of the subset criteria, to produce a permuted subset criteria in a predetermined order; for each member of the permuted subset criteria: querying the patient database by use of the member of the permuted subset criteria to produce a respective interim patient population; combining all respective interim patient populations to produce a partial patient population; and calculating, by a processor, a coverage figure of merit that compares the partial patient population to the full patient population.

Abstract: Roughly described, pictures are divided into multiple spatial sections to be encoded by multiple section encoders. To address discontinuities of compression decisions across section boundaries, the multiple section encoders encode overlapping regions in a picture.

Abstract: System and method to determine a reduced cohort criteria, the method including: defining N selection criteria to select a cohort from among a universe of patient data; querying a patient database, by use of a processor, and by use of the N selection criteria, in order to define a full patient population; selecting a subset of size M of the N selection criteria, to produce a subset criteria; selecting a permutation of the subset criteria, to produce a permuted subset criteria in a predetermined order; for each member of the permuted subset criteria: querying the patient database by use of the member of the permuted subset criteria to produce a respective interim patient population; combining all respective interim patient populations to produce a partial patient population; and calculating, by a processor, a coverage figure of merit that compares the partial patient population to the full patient population.

Abstract: A scalable video compression method and apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames includes partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprise temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence are encoded, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

Abstract: A scalable video compression method and apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames includes partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprise temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence are encoded, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

Abstract: Roughly described, an input unencoded video stream is first encoded according to a high quality compression standard such as 1080P@60 AVC. The high quality compressed video stream is then transcoded into a scalable format, such as 1080P@60 SVC. Developing the scalable video stream by transcoding offers significant benefits over developing it natively from the original uncompressed picture sequence.

Abstract: A scalable video compression method and apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames includes partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprise temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence are encoded, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

Abstract: A scalable video compression method and apparatus for encoding an input frame sequence having temporally sequential frames includes partitioning each of the frames of the input frame sequence into a top field and a bottom field to form a base layer sequence of fields and an enhancement layer sequence of fields. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence each comprise temporally alternating top and bottom fields of the partitioned frames of the input frame sequence. The base layer sequence and the enhancement layer sequence are encoded, wherein at least one field of the enhancement layer sequence is encoded in dependence upon at least one of the fields of the base layer sequence.

Abstract: Systems and methods for preprocessing a video signal are disclosed. In one method, a video signal is preprocessed prior to encoding by a motion compensated prediction encoding system. The method includes modifying an input video signal to maximize the input video signal's conformance with a prediction model used by the motion compensated prediction encoding system.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for bit rate allocation, or statistical multiplexing, in a multi-channel video data encoder. A pre-processor in each channel determines a bit rate need prior to compression and encoding. A control processes the bit rate need in each channel to arrive at an allocated bit rate for each channel. The video data is then compressed and encoded according to the allocated bit rate. The bit rate demand accounts for various characteristics of the current picture data in each channel, including spatial activity, temporal activity, image size, frame rate, scene change, brightness, flash, fade, and horizontal pixel resolution.

Abstract: A statistical multiplexing apparatus and method for encoding and combining a diversity of video signal resolutions and formats. Higher resolution signals are reduced to lower resolution signals for simplifying the a priori statistics gathering process. Alternately, input video signals in multiple formats are converted to a single common format prior to their application to an a priori statistics gatherer. A storage device contains the a priori statistics which are indicative of the encoding complexity of the video signals from which the encoded video bit streams will be generated. The original video signals are applied to encoders which compress the signals in accordance with bit allocation decisions generated by a statistics computer. The statistics computer uses the a priori statistics from the storage device to generate bit allocation decisions. Subsequently, the statistics computer may use both the a priori statistics and the a posteriori statistics received from the encoders in allocating bits.