Abstract: A method for generating a time scheduling of a contents stream distributed to plural terminals. The contents stream is segmented in consecutive segments, each segment defining a corresponding program. The method includes: receiving auxiliary metadata including a planned time scheduling of the content stream which has been set in advance and monitoring at least a portion of a segment of the contents stream to extract corresponding content features therefrom, generating a corresponding fingerprint based on the extracted content features and assessing at least one among an actual start time and an actual end time of such segment based on a comparison between the fingerprint and a reference fingerprint associated with such segment, and updating the planned time scheduling based on the assessed at least one among the actual start time and actual end time to generate a time scheduling synchronized with the contents stream.

Abstract: A computer implemented method and system for generating an alternative audible, visual and/or textual data based upon an original audible, visual and/or textual data comprising the step of inputting to a processor original audible, visual and/or textual data having an original plot, extracting a plurality of basic segments from the original audible, visual and/or textual data, defining a vocabulary of intermediate-level semantic concepts based on the plurality of basic segments and/or the original plot, inputting to the processor at least an alternative plot based upon the original plot, modifying the alternative plot in terms of the vocabulary of intermediate-level semantic concepts for generating a modified alternative plot, and modifying the plurality of basic segments of the original audible, visual and/or textual data in terms of said vocabulary of intermediate-level semantic concepts for generating a modified plurality of basic segments.

Abstract: A method for generating a time scheduling of a contents stream distributed to plural terminals. The contents stream is segmented in consecutive segments, each segment defining a corresponding program. The method includes: receiving auxiliary metadata including a planned time scheduling of the content stream which has been set in advance and monitoring at least a portion of a segment of the contents stream to extract corresponding content features therefrom, generating a corresponding fingerprint based on the extracted content features and assessing at least one among an actual start time and an actual end time of such segment based on a comparison between the fingerprint and a reference fingerprint associated with such segment, and updating the planned time scheduling based on the assessed at least one among the actual start time and actual end time to generate a time scheduling synchronized with the contents stream.

Abstract: A method of scalable video coding in which the video signal is processed and coded at various layers of spatial resolution where between each pair of spatial layers a prediction mechanism is enabled which allows a comparison at homologous layers of spatial resolution with the aim to obtain a good efficiency.

Abstract: A method of scalable video coding in which the video signal is processed and coded at various layers of spatial resolution where between each pair of spatial layers a prediction mechanism is enabled which allows a comparison at homologous layers of spatial resolution with the aim to obtain a good efficiency.

Abstract: An image, having N dimensions, is partitioned into a set of bounded arbitrarily shaped regions. This partitioning is achieved through the use of arbitrarily shaped N-1 dimensional surfaces which pass through the boundaries of the image. The arbitrarily shaped regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily shaped surfaces, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. In a preferred embodiment, arbitrarily oriented lines passing through the image boundaries are employed to partition a two-dimensional image into a set of convex regions. The convex regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily oriented lines, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. Furthermore, the arbitrarily oriented lines are selected through the use of a Hough transform and the image is partitioned, along the selected lines, in a recursive manner as the binary tree is developed.

Abstract: An image, having N dimensions, is partitioned into a set of bounded arbitrarily shaped regions. This partitioning is achieved through the use of arbitrarily shaped N-1 dimensional surfaces which pass through the boundaries of the image. The arbitrarily shaped regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily shaped surfaces, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. In a preferred embodiment, arbitrarily oriented lines passing through the image boundaries are employed to partition a two-dimensional image into a set of convex regions. The convex regions are represented in the leaf nodes of a binary tree and the arbitrarily oriented lines, which are used to partition the image, are represented in the non-leaf nodes of the tree. Furthermore, the arbitrarily oriented lines are selected through the use of a Hough transform and the image is partitioned, along the selected lines, in a recursive manner as the binary tree is developed.

Abstract: The invention relates to developing a signal to represent each block of an image contained in a frame being interpolated in a motion interpolated system such that the error between the frame being interpolated and the reference frames is minimized without placing any predetermined limitation on the values of either the weights or the displacements employed as motion vectors. The weights and displacements required to achieve the minimization of the interpolation error are jointly determined on a block by block basis. A set of groups having a candidate displacement from each reference frame and, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, their corresponding best weights are determined. An error signal which would result if each member of the set of groups of candidate displacements from each reference frame and their corresponding best weights were employed to represent the block is evaluated.