Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of optimized video encoding of an input video sequence corresponding to a plurality of input frames, the method comprising: obtaining an input frame; performing a first encoding of the input frame using a first encoding parameter determined in accordance with a target bit-rate, giving rise to a first encoded frame; performing a second encoding of the input frame using an iterative quality-driven encoding scheme initialized with an initial second encoding parameter, the initial second encoding parameter determined based on the first encoding parameter, the second encoding performed in an attempt to seek a second encoded frame having a lower bit-rate than the first encoded frame and meeting a quality criterion relative to the first encoded frame; and in case of the second encoded frame being found, providing the second encoded frame as an output frame corresponding to the input frame.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block bom1daries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.

Abstract: TTS is a well known technology for decades used for various applications from Artificial Call centers attendants to PC software that allows people with visual impairments or reading disabilities to listen to written works on a home computer. However to date TTS is not widely adopted for PC and Mobile users for daily reading tasks such as reading emails, reading pdf and word documents, reading through website content, and for reading books. The present invention offers new user experience for operating TTS for day to day usage. More specifically this invention describes a synchronization technique for following text being read by TTS engines and specific interfaces for touch pads, touch and multi touch screens. Nevertheless this invention also describes usage of other input methods such as touchpad, mouse, and keyboard.

Abstract: A method of controlling a video content system can include: obtaining a current input frame and a preceding input frame from an input video sequence and obtaining a current degraded frame and a preceding degraded frame from a degraded video sequence corresponding to the input video sequence; computing a first differences value from the current input and the preceding input frames and a second differences value from the current degraded frame and the preceding degraded frame, comparing the first and second differences values, giving rise to an inter-frame, quality score; computing an intra-frame quality score using an intra-frame quality measure that is applied in the pixel-domain of the current degraded frame and the current input frame and providing a configuration instruction to the video content system based on a quality criterion related to the inter-frame and the intra-frame quality scores.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block bom1daries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block bomldaries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.

Abstract: According to examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, a method of controlling a video content system can include: obtaining a current input frame and a preceding input frame from an input video sequence and obtaining a current degraded frame and a preceding degraded frame from a degraded video sequence corresponding to the input video sequence; computing a first differences value from the current input and the preceding input frames and a second differences value from the current degraded frame and the preceding degraded frame, comparing the first and second differences values, giving rise to an inter-frame, quality score; computing an intra-frame quality score using an intra-frame quality measure that is applied in the pixel-domain of the current degraded frame and the current input frame and providing a configuration instruction to the video content system based on a quality criterion related to the inter-frame and the intra-frame quality scores.

Abstract: According to examples of the presently disclosed subject matter, a method of controlling a video content system can include: obtaining a current input frame and a preceding input frame from an input video sequence and obtaining a current degraded frame and a preceding degraded frame from a degraded video sequence corresponding to the input video sequence; computing a first differences value from the current input and the preceding input frames and a second differences value from the current degraded frame and the preceding degraded frame, comparing the first and second differences values, giving rise to an inter-frame quality score; computing an intra-frame quality score using an intra-frame quality measure that is applied in the pixel-domain of the current degraded frame and the current input frame and providing a configuration instruction to the video content system based on a quality criterion related to the inter-frame and the intra-frame quality scores.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of optimized video encoding of an input video sequence corresponding to a plurality of input frames, the method comprising: obtaining an input frame; performing a first encoding of the input frame using a first encoding parameter determined in accordance with a target bit-rate, giving rise to a first encoded frame; performing a second encoding of the input frame using an iterative quality-driven encoding scheme initialized with an initial second encoding parameter, the initial second encoding parameter determined based on the first encoding parameter, the second encoding performed in an attempt to seek a second encoded frame having a lower bit-rate than the first encoded frame and meeting a quality criterion relative to the first encoded frame; and in case of the second encoded frame being found, providing the second encoded frame as an output frame corresponding to the input frame.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of controlling a quality measure in a compression quality evaluation system, the method comprising: calculating a value indicative of a characteristic of an input image; and configuring the quality measure upon a criterion being met by the value, the quality measure being indicative of perceptual quality of a compressed image compressed from the input image. The value can be a smoothness value indicative of an extent of smoothness of an input image, and the configuration of the quality measure can be performed upon a smoothness criterion being met by the smoothness value. Alternatively, the value can be a gradient value indicative of an extent of gradual spatial changes of an input image, and the configuration of the quality measure can be performed upon a gradient criterion being met by the gradient value.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of controlling a quality measure in a compression quality evaluation system, the method comprising: calculating a grain value indicative of an extent of grain present in an input image, the grain value being calculated based on one or more features characterizing a base image related to the input image; and configuring the quality measure upon a criterion being met by the value, the quality measure being indicative of perceptual quality of a compressed image compressed from the input image. The calculated grain value may be dependent also on further characteristics of the input image, or in the case of a sequence of images, dependent also on the relation between the image and the preceding image.

Abstract: A method including obtaining a first plurality of decode-independent segments corresponding to an original video bit-stream, re-encoding each one of the first plurality of decode-independent segments according to a quality criterion, giving rise to a second plurality of decode-independent segments; and generating an output video bitstream including a third plurality of decode-independent segments, wherein each segment in the third plurality of decode-independent segments is selected from either the first plurality of decode-independent segments or from the second plurality of decode-independent segments using a selection criterion that is related at least to a segment's bit-rate.

Abstract: A computerized method and system of segment-based video encoding optimization, the method comprising obtaining a set of input segments constituting an input video stream; selecting one or more input segments in accordance with a selection criterion to be one or more representative segments; determining an encoding instruction and obtaining one or more encoded representative segments encoded from the representative segments in accordance with the encoding instruction and using a quality-driven video encoding scheme; determining, based on the encoded representative segments, an encoding configuration, and obtaining one or more encoded input segments encoded from at least a sub-set of the input segments using the encoding configuration; determining an evaluation instruction used to evaluate quality for each encoded input segment; and generating an output video stream, by selecting, for each input segment, a corresponding output segment from a group comprising at least one of the following candidate segments: the

Abstract: A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block bomldaries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.

Abstract: A computerized method and system of segment-based video encoding optimization, the method comprising obtaining a set of input segments constituting an input video stream; selecting one or more input segments in accordance with a selection criterion to be one or more representative segments; determining an encoding instruction and obtaining one or more encoded representative segments encoded from the representative segments in accordance with the encoding instruction and using a quality-driven video encoding scheme; determining, based on the encoded representative segments, an encoding configuration, and obtaining one or more encoded input segments encoded from at least a sub-set of the input segments using the encoding configuration; determining an evaluation instruction used to evaluate quality for each encoded input segment; and generating an output video stream, by selecting, for each input segment, a corresponding output segment from a group comprising at least one of the following candidate segments: the

Abstract: TTS is a well known technology for decades used for various applications from Artificial Call centers attendants to PC software that allows people with visual impairments or reading disabilities to listen to written works on a home computer. However to date TTS is not widely adopted for PC and Mobile users for daily reading tasks such as reading emails, reading pdf and word documents, reading through website content, and for reading books. The present invention offers new user experience for operating TTS for day to day usage. More specifically this invention describes a synchronization technique for following text being read by TTS engines and specific interfaces for touch pads, touch and multi touch screens. Nevertheless this invention also describes usage of other input methods such as touchpad, mouse, and keyboard.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a second reduced size digital image from a first digital image, the method including iteratively compressing the first digital image to an extent determined by a quality measure comprising at least a blockiness measure quantifying added artifactual edges along coding block boundaries of the second image and/or use of a quantization matrix generated by computing a weighted average of the quantization matrix of the first digital image and a scaled second quantization matrix.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of controlling a video content system based on an input video bitstream, the input video bitstream including encoded data encoded from one or more input frames of a video sequence, the method comprising: extracting, from the input video bitstream, encoding information associated with each input frame of said one or more input frames, the encoding information being used in an encoding process of the input frame to encode pixels included in the input frame into corresponding section of the input video bitstream; calculating one or more intricateness values each for a respective input frame based on the encoding information associated therewith, each intricateness value being indicative of encoding difficulty of the respective input frame in the encoding process; and providing a configuration instruction for controlling a video content system by using the one or more intricateness values.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of controlling a quality measure in a compression quality evaluation system, the method comprising: calculating a value indicative of a characteristic of an input image; and configuring the quality measure upon a criterion being met by the value, the quality measure being indicative of perceptual quality of a compressed image compressed from the input image. The value can be a smoothness value indicative of an extent of smoothness of an input image, and the configuration of the quality measure can be performed upon a smoothness criterion being met by the smoothness value. Alternatively, the value can be a gradient value indicative of an extent of gradual spatial changes of an input image, and the configuration of the quality measure can be performed upon a gradient criterion being met by the gradient value.

Abstract: There is provided a computerized method and system of controlling a quality measure in a compression quality evaluation system, the method comprising: calculating a grain value indicative of an extent of grain present in an input image, the grain value being calculated based on one or more features characterizing a base image related to the input image; and configuring the quality measure upon a criterion being met by the value, the quality measure being indicative of perceptual quality of a compressed image compressed from the input image. The calculated grain value may be dependent also on further characteristics of the input image, or in the case of a sequence of images, dependent also on the relation between the image and the preceding image.