Abstract: A method of processing an image signal comprising image and depth information is provided. The method is configured to perform segmentation on an image based on depth/disparity information present in the image signal comprising said image, and subsequently inpaint background for correction of the errors in the image around the foreground objects into a region that extends beyond the segment boundary of the foreground object and/or inpaint foreground for correction of errors in the image into a region that extends inside the segment boundary of the foreground object. In this way compression and other artifacts may be reduced.

Abstract: A 3-D picture is provided as follows. A pair of pictures (LP, RP) is provided that comprises a first picture (LP) being intended for one eye of a viewer, and a second picture (RP) being intended for the other eye of the viewer. In addition, a depth map (DM) specifically dedicated to the first picture (LP) is provided. The depth map (DM) comprises depth indication values. A depth indication value relates to a particular portion of the first picture (LP) and indicates a distance between an object at least partially represented by that portion of the first picture and the viewer. Such a 3-D picture allows a satisfactory 3-D visual rendering on a great variety of display devices. Preferably, the 3-D picture is supplemented with rendering guidance data (GD) that specifies respective parameters for respective rendering contexts. These respective parameters preferably relate to generating a shifted viewpoint picture from the first picture (LP) and the depth map (DM).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image-processing device and a method of assigning pixel values to adjacent pixel locations in an image (705) having unassigned pixel values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and apparatus for processing a depth-map 710, the method comprising obtaining a depth-map 710 based on a lossy compressed depth-map, the depth-map 710 comprising depth information of a scene from a viewpoint, the scene comprising an object, obtaining occlusion information for the scene from the viewpoint, the occlusion information comprising information occluded by the object in the depth-map 710, and processing at least part of the depth information using at least part of the occlusion information in order to reduce compression artifacts in the depth-map 710.

Abstract: In a method for encoding and an encoder for a 3D video signal, centre view frames, a depth map for centre view frames and an occlusion data frame are encoded. On the basis of the depth map for the centre view frame a distinction is made between functional and non-functional data in an occlusion data frame. This allows a strong reduction in bits needed for the encoded occlusion data frame. In the decoder a combined data stream is made of functional data in the encoded occlusion data frames and the centre view frames. Preferably the centre view frames are used as reference frames in encoding the occlusion data frames.

Abstract: A combination of image data and depth data is supplied defining luminance and/or color for image positions in an image and distance to objects visible at said image positions respectively. The image data and the depth data are compressed by a compressor (120) and decompressed by a decompressor (16). The depth data is dilated before said compressing, to move an edge between a region of image positions with a relatively smaller distance and a region of image positions with a relatively greater distance towards the region of image positions with a relatively greater distance.

Abstract: The method for high efficiency video signal compression comprises: a) calculating a first motion vector field (MvI) at a temporal location (t3) of a third video picture (125) by using pixel data of a second video picture (123) and the third video picture; b) calculating a second motion vector field (Mv2) at a temporal location (t2) of the second video picture (123), in which second motion vector field (Mv2) a foreground motion region (rFG2) composed of positions of foreground motion vectors, having a magnitude substantially equal to the motion of a foreground object (101), substantially collocates spatially with positions of pixels of the foreground object (101) and not with pixels of a background object (103, 103?); c) correcting erroneous foreground motion vectors (rERR) in an uncovering region of the first motion vector field (MvI) on the basis of the second motion vector field (Mv2); d) determining in a region (COV) of the first motion vector field corresponding to covering of background object pixels by

Abstract: When transforming a 2.5D video format to a plurality of images viewed from different virtual positions, it can occur that for certain output pixels, no input data is available. Therefore, these output pixels do not have any definite values assigned in their pixel locations. These unassigned pixel values cause artifacts called ‘holes’ in the transformed images. A method of hole filling or assigning pixel values in a region (110) comprising pixel locations of unassigned pixel values in an image (100) is provided. A direction (140) of an image feature (160) relative to a first pixel location (120) is estimated in a first neighbourhood (130) adjoining the region (110) of unassigned pixel values. A second set of pixel values is selected from pixel locations in the estimated direction (140) from the first pixel location (120). A third set of pixel values are computed from the second set of pixel values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing spatial scalable compression using adaptive content filtering of a video stream is disclosed. The video stream is downsampled to reduce the resolution of the video stream. The downsampled video stream is encoded to produce a base stream. The base stream is decoded and upconverted to produce a reconstructed video stream. The reconstructed video stream is subtracted from the video stream to produce a residual stream. The resulting residual stream is encoded in an enhancement encoder and outputs an enhancement stream. The residual signal in selected frames is muted in the enhancement encoder while the motion information in the frame is maintained.

Abstract: The invention is a method of modifying data for obtaining a scalable video signal composed of a base video signal and a set of enhancement video signals from a non-scalable video signal. The method includes a set of attenuation steps applied to coefficients composing the non-scalable video signal, the attenuation steps being assembled in cascaded or in series for delivering the base video signal. The method further includes a re-encoding step associated with each one of said attenuation steps for delivering one of said enhancement video signals, from the coding error generated in each attenuation step.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for enhancing the efficiency of spatial scalable compression schemes by lowering the bitrate of the enhancement layer. The complete image is used during motion estimation and/or motion compensation in the enhancement layer by inserting both the reconstructed video stream from the base layer and the input video stream into the motion estimation unit or both the motion estimation unit and the motion compensation unit in the enhancement layer.

Abstract: The concept of B-frames gives the MPEG video compression standard its high encoding efficiency. However, B-frame encoding roughly doubles the complexity of an MPEG encoder. In view thereof, MPEG encoders have been developed which produce I-frames and P-frames only. They are less complex but also less efficient. To improve the efficiency of such “IPP encoders”, selected P-frames are quantized more coarsely than other P-frames, for example, by multiplying the conventional quantization step size by 1.4. Although this results in isolated frames (“virtual B-frames”) being encoded with a lower quality, the overall perceptual quality is not affected. It has been found that the gain in bit rate obtained by the coarser quantization is not lost in subsequent P-frames, even though the subsequent frames are encoded with reference to the lower quality frames.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided, in which a signal is encoded to obtain a bit-stream. Blocks of quantized transform coefficients are provided. Transform coefficients corresponding to higher frequencies are attenuated more than coefficients corresponding to lower frequencies. For attenuating higher-frequency coefficients, the invention provides a curve (QC) with higher quantization step-size (QADD) for transform coefficients (Ci) corresponding to higher frequencies. Because this additional quantization step size (QADD) is put in the resulting bit-stream, the reconstruction is performed with an original quantization step-size, without taking the additional quantizing into account. Therefore, a reconstructed coefficient will have a lower value than an original coefficient (Ci). Bit rates can easily be regulated by shifting the curve (QC) to lower or higher frequencies and/or multiplying the curve (QC).

Abstract: The invention provides spatial scalable compression of video, comprising base layer encoding for providing a bitstream with a relatively low resolution, and enhancement layer encoding for encoding a residual signal for providing a second bitstream, wherein a modification is provided prior to the enhancement layer encoding for transforming the residual signal into a signal with a level range of a normal input video signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing spatial scalable compression using adaptive content filtering of a video stream is disclosed. The video stream is downsampled to reduce the resolution of the video stream. The downsampled video stream is encoded to produce a base stream. The base stream is decoded and upconverted to produce a reconstructed video stream. The reconstructed video stream is subtracted from the video stream to produce a residual stream. The resulting residual stream is encoded in an enhancement encoder and outputs an enhancement stream. The residual signal in selected frames is muted in the enhancement encoder while the motion information in the frame is maintained.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for enhancing the efficiency of spatial scalable compression schemes by lowering the bitrate of the enhancement layer. The complete image is used during motion estimation and/or motion compensation in the enhancement layer by inserting both the reconstructed video stream from the base layer and the input video stream into the motion estimation unit or both the motion estimation unit and the motion compensation unit in the enhancement layer.

Abstract: A method and a device are provided, in which a signal is encoded to obtain a bit-stream. Blocks of quantized transform coefficients are provided. Transform coefficients corresponding to higher frequencies are attenuated more than coefficients corresponding to lower frequencies. For attenuating higher-frequency coefficients, the invention provides a curve (QC) with higher quantization step-size (QADD) for transform coefficients (Ci) corresponding to higher frequencies. Because this additional quantization step size (QADD) is put in the resulting bit-stream, the reconstruction is performed with an original quantization step-size, without taking the additional quantizing into account. Therefore, a reconstructed coefficient will have a lower value than an original coefficient (Ci). Bit rates can easily be regulated by shifting the curve (QC) to lower or higher frequencies and/or multiplying the curve (QC).

Abstract: Method of modifying data for obtaining a scalable video signal composed of a base video signal and a set of enhancement video signals from a non-scalable video signal, in a cost-effective manner.

Abstract: The concept of B-frames gives the MPEG video compression standard its high encoding efficiency. However, B-frame encoding roughly doubles the complexity of an MPEG encoder. In view thereof, MPEG encoders have been developed which produce I-frames and P-frames only. They are less complex but also less efficient. To improve the efficiency of such “IPP encoders”, selected P-frames are quantized more coarsely than other P-frames, for example, by multiplying the conventional quantization step size by 1.4. Although this results in isolated frames (“virtual B-frames”) being encoded with a lower quality, the overall perceptual quality is not affected. It has been found that the gain in bit rate obtained by the coarser quantization is not lost in subsequent P-frames, even though the subsequent frames are encoded with reference to the lower quality frames.