Abstract: A method is provided for encoding an image sequence, including the step of dividing a reference image into blocks and a prediction step that includes the following steps: determining monitoring vectors associated with a common image and dividing the same into sub-blocks defining a first partition; determining monitoring vectors associated with an image to be compensated and dividing the same into sub-blocks defining a first partition obtaining a common partitioning into basic sub-blocks; determining first and second sets of monitoring vectors for the basic sub-blocks; movement-compensating a sub-block of the image to be compensated towards a sub-block of the common image.

Abstract: A method is provided for predicting an image by compensation during forward movement from at least one reference image. For at least one block of a reference image, referred to as a reference block, the prediction method includes the following steps: determining at least one piece of movement information, representing a movement between said reference block and a matching block in the image to be predicted; determining at least one enlarged block, including the reference block and at least one point of a block adjacent to said reference block in the reference image; and determining a prediction value for at least one point of the image to be predicted from the at least one enlarged block and from the movement information determined for the reference block.

Abstract: A coding method includes cutting an image into a plurality of blocks containing symbols. Adjacent pairs of blocks are grouped into a predetermined number of tiles of the image. An entropy coder codes each tile by associating digital information with the symbols of each block of a tile under consideration, Coding includes, for the first block of the image, a substep of initializing state variables of the entropy coder. At least one data substream is generated and representative of at least one of the coded tiles. When the current block of the tile forms a boundary with an adjacent edge of a neighboring tile, the method includes writing in the substream all of the digital information that has been associated with the symbols during the coding, for the tile under consideration, of the blocks preceding the current block, and performing the initialization substep.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding an image or a sequence of images, generating a data stream including data representative of pixel groups, referred to as blocks, in one of the images. The method includes: grouping blocks in a cluster of blocks according to the proximity of their respective values corresponding to at least one block parameter to be coded; determining a value of the parameter, the value being characteristic of said group of blocks; coding blocks of the cluster, where the values of the blocks for the parameter are coded implicitly by inheritance of the characteristic value or are coded as refinements relative to the characteristic value, and coding a data structure associated with the cluster of blocks, the data structure including data associated with the characteristic value.

Abstract: A method for coding includes; segmenting an image into blocks; grouping blocks into a number of subsets; coding, using an entropy coding module, each subset, by associating digital information with symbols of each block of a subset, including, for the first block of the image, initializing state variables of the coding module; and generating a data sub-stream representative of at least one of the coded subsets of blocks. Where a current block is the first block to be coded of a subset, symbol occurrence probabilities for the first current block are determined based on those for a coded and decoded predetermined block of at least one other subset. Where the current block is the last coded block of the subset; writing, in the sub-stream representative of the subset, the entire the digital information associated with the symbols during coding of the blocks of the subset, and implementing the initializing sub-step.

Abstract: A method of coding at least one image comprising the steps of splitting the image into a plurality of blocks, of grouping said blocks into a predetermined number of subsets of blocks, of coding each of said subsets of blocks in parallel, the blocks of a subset considered being coded according to a predetermined sequential order of traversal. The coding step comprises, for a current block of a subset considered, the sub-step of predictive coding of said current block with respect to at least one previously coded and decoded block, and the sub-step of entropy coding of said current block on the basis of at least one probability of appearance of a symbol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding an image or a sequence of images, generating a data stream including data representative of pixel groups, referred to as blocks, in one of the images. The method includes: grouping blocks in a cluster of blocks according to the proximity of their respective values corresponding to at least one block parameter to be coded; determining a value of the parameter, the value being characteristic of said group of blocks; coding blocks of the cluster, where the values of the blocks for the parameter are coded implicitly by inheritance of the characteristic value or are coded as refinements relative to the characteristic value, and coding a data structure associated with the cluster of blocks, the data structure including data associated with the characteristic value.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding an image signal that includes motion information, by selecting a motion vector from among a set of at least three candidate vectors for at least one actual block of an actual image to be encoded. The method includes: determining an optimal-selection subset containing some of the candidate vectors; selecting the motion vector from among the vectors of the optimal-selection subset; and inserting into the signal a piece of information designating the motion vector selected from among the vectors of the optimal-selection subset.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding a sequence of images. The method includes a step of coding at least one block of a current image of the sequence, implementing a prediction associating the block with at least one corresponding block in a reference image. The prediction includes the following steps, for at least one given block of the current image or of the reference image: determination of a plurality of control vectors for the block; at least one splitting of the block into sub-blocks; determination of a plurality of control vectors for the sub-blocks; and determination of a prediction value for at least one point of the current image. Moreover, the method includes a step of inserting, into a signal representative of the sequence, information regarding reconstruction of the control vectors for the given block.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding an image or a sequence of images, generating a data stream including data representative of pixel groups, referred to as blocks, in one of the images. The method includes: grouping blocks in a cluster of blocks according to the proximity of their respective values corresponding to at least one block parameter to be coded; determining a value of the parameter, the value being characteristic of said group of blocks; coding blocks of the cluster, where the values of the blocks for the parameter are coded implicitly by inheritance of the characteristic value or are coded as refinements relative to the characteristic value, and coding a data structure associated with the cluster of blocks, the data structure including data associated with the characteristic value.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding an image or a sequence of images, generating a data stream including data representative of pixel groups, referred to as blocks, in one of the images. The method includes: grouping blocks in a cluster of blocks according to the proximity of their respective values corresponding to at least one block parameter to be coded; determining a value of the parameter, the value being characteristic of said group of blocks; coding blocks of the cluster, where the values of the blocks for the parameter are coded implicitly by inheritance of the characteristic value or are coded as refinements relative to the characteristic value, and coding a data structure associated with the cluster of blocks, the data structure including data associated with the characteristic value.

Abstract: A method for coding includes; segmenting an image into blocks; grouping blocks into a number of subsets; coding, using an entropy coding module, each subset, by associating digital information with symbols of each block of a subset, including, for the first block of the image, initializing state variables of the coding module; and generating a data sub-stream representative of at least one of the coded subsets of blocks. Where a current block is the first block to be coded of a subset, symbol occurrence probabilities for the first current block are determined based on those for a coded and decoded predetermined block of at least one other subset. Where the current block is the last coded block of the subset: writing, in the sub-stream representative of the subset, the entire the digital information associated with the symbols during coding of the blocks of the subset, and implementing the initializing sub-step.

Abstract: A method of filling occluded areas of a depth or disparity map estimated from at least two images and consisting of a matrix of pixels forming a set of lines and columns, each pixel of the map being associated with a depth or disparity value (pixel value) and any pixel of an occluded area (invalid pixel) being associated with a pixel value identifiable as being invalid. This method comprises a step of processing each line of the map pixel by pixel in a predefined direction and assigning each invalid pixel Pi encountered on a current line a value determined as a function of the values associated with the pixels in a predefined vicinity around the first valid pixel P1, if any, that follows the invalid pixel Pi on the current line and the value V(P1) of which corresponds to a greater depth or a lesser disparity relative to the value V(P0) of the last valid pixel P0, if any, that precedes the invalid pixel Pi on the current line.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding an image or a sequence of images, generating a data stream including data representative of pixel groups, referred to as blocks, in one of the images. The method includes: grouping blocks in a cluster of blocks according to the proximity of their respective values corresponding to at least one block parameter to be coded; determining a value of the parameter, the value being characteristic of said group of blocks; coding blocks of the cluster, where the values of the blocks for the parameter are coded implicitly by inheritance of the characteristic value or are coded as refinements relative to the characteristic value, and coding a data structure associated with the cluster of blocks, the data structure including data associated with the characteristic value.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method which consists in analyzing a field of motion of images, estimated by using a first mesh, to detect a faulty area in the first mesh, and in locating a rupture line in said area; then generating a second mesh including a faultless part consisting of meshes of the first mesh outside the faulty area and two sub-meshes which overlap in a region including the rupture line. Each of the two sub-meshes includes respective meshes delimited by nodes including nodes shared with the faultless part, located at the boundary of the faulty area, and additional nodes not belonging to the faultless part, the rupture line being located between the respective nodes of the two sub-meshes shared with the faultless part. Said second mesh is used to finally estimate the field of motion in the group of images concerned.

Abstract: A method is provided for filtering a scalable video stream, organized in the form of data unit blocks, each of which comprises a base data unit and a set of data units distributed according to two types of enhancement data, corresponding respectively to time and/or space and/or quality characteristics and making it possible to define several quality levels. The method defines at least two distinct filtering profiles, or paths of each block data units, wherein each path defines a row of successive foldover positions and each foldover position uses at least by one less data units than a previous position, and selects one of the paths according to a predetermined criterion, taking into account the type of content of the stream and/or at least one information item representing the capacities of a terminal receiving the stream.

Abstract: A method of coding at least one image comprising the steps of splitting the image into a plurality of blocks, of grouping said blocks into a predetermined number of subsets of blocks, of coding each of said subsets of blocks in parallel, the blocks of a subset considered being coded according to a predetermined sequential order of traversal. The coding step comprises, for a current block of a subset considered, the sub-step of predictive coding of said current block with respect to at least one previously coded and decoded block, and the sub-step of entropy coding of said current block on the basis of at least one probability of appearance of a symbol.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for decoding a signal representative of an image sequence. The method includes extracting motion tubes from the signal, each of the tubes being defined by at least the following information cues: a block of reference pixels comprising reference texture information cues; start-of-tube and end-of-tube instants; and transition information cues. The method further includes processing the transition information cues and combining the information cues associated with the current blocks of at least two of the tubes overlapping in an overlap zone of the current image.

Abstract: A method is provided for decoding a signal that represents at least one image. The method implements at least one iteration of the following steps, for at least one block of the image to be decoded: determining at least one selection parameter from at least one characteristic associated with at least one reference pixel of a reference region of the image, the reference region including at least one previously encoded/decoded block and/or at least one pixel predicted in a preceding iteration; selecting at least one pixel to be predicted in the block to be decoded from the at least one selection parameter; and for at least one selected pixel to be predicted, referred to as an anchor pixel, predicting the anchor pixel from at least one reference pixel, thereby outputting a predicted pixel.

Abstract: A method is provided decoding a digital image signal in a decoding terminal that uses a variable-complexity decoding, enabling, for at least one step in the decoding, selection of at least one decoding tool from at least two available decoding tools. The method includes the following steps: identifying from the images control images and intermediate images; applying to each of the control images, for at least one step of the decoding, at least one predetermined decoding tool imposed by the signal; applying to at least one of the intermediate images, for at least one step of the decoding, at least one decoding tool selected by the decoding terminal and not imposed by the signal.