Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for encoding a video stream. The method comprising: acquiring pixel data of the video stream having a first resolution; extracting a crop corresponding to a region of interest from the pixel data of the video stream, the crop having the first resolution; down-scaling the pixel data of the video stream into a down-scaled video stream having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; processing the down-scaled video stream through one or more video processing operations; processing the crop through the one or more video processing operations; up-scaling the processed down-scaled video stream into an up-scaled video stream having the first resolution; merging the processed crop and the up-scaled video stream into a merged video stream; and encoding the merged video stream. The present disclosure further related to a video encoding device.

Abstract: A method encodes image frames of an image stream and transmits encoded image frames on a communications network. The method includes receiving and then dividing an image frame into multiple slices defined by first slice parameters and second slice parameters. The method also includes prioritizing the multiple slices and then generating a first encoded image frame having first encoded slices, second encoded slices and one or more first skip blocks. The method then generates and transmits a second encoded image frame having further second encoded slices defined by the second slice parameters and based on encoding second slices and further first encoded slices defined by the first slice parameters with more second skip blocks.

Abstract: An image processing device, a camera system, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and methods for encoding two video image frames captured by one of two image sensors, wherein each of the video image frames depicts a respective portion of a scene. A respective overlapping area is identified in each of the video image frames, which overlapping areas both depict a same sub-portion of the scene, and a video image frame of the video image frames is selected. Compression levels are then set for the image frames, wherein respective compression levels are set for pixel blocks in the selected video image frame based on a given principle. Respective compression levels for pixel blocks in the overlapping area in the selected video image frame are selectively set higher or lower than respective compression levels that would have been set based on the given principle. The video image frames are then encoded.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for encoding a video stream. The method comprising: acquiring pixel data of the video stream having a first resolution; extracting a crop corresponding to a region of interest from the pixel data of the video stream, the crop having the first resolution; down-scaling the pixel data of the video stream into a down-scaled video stream having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; processing the down-scaled video stream through one or more video processing operations; processing the crop through the one or more video processing operations; up-scaling the processed down-scaled video stream into an up-scaled video stream having the first resolution; merging the processed crop and the up-scaled video stream into a merged video stream; and encoding the merged video stream. The present disclosure further related to a video encoding device.

Abstract: A method of encoding an image comprises establishing whether objects constituting one or more predefined object types or performing one or more predefined event types are visible in the image; in response to establishing that the objects are visible, encoding at least one region-of-interest of the image using a non-generative image model, thereby obtaining first image data; and encoding any remainder of the image using a generative image model, thereby obtaining second image data, wherein use of the non-generative image model enables decoding of the first image data without relying on information derived from images other than the encoded image or, if the image is a frame in a video sequence, enables decoding of the first image data without relying on information derived from images outside the video sequence.

Abstract: A method for encoding a video stream for the provision of prunable video data, comprising identifying, in the video stream, a first event-generating occurrence in one or more frames of the video stream, and, in an encoder, using the event-generating occurrence to initiate a hierarchical branch extending from a base-layer when encoding the video stream.

Abstract: A method of encoding a video stream for the provision of prunable video data, comprising: receiving, in an encoder, a video stream in which each image frame of the video stream is divided into a number of subviews, providing each subview with an assigned category based on a content of the particular subview, monitoring the evolution of category assigned for each subview, and encoding the video stream using a hierarchical P-frame encoding structure, in such manner that each change in category for a subview starts a new hierarchical P-frame structure.

Abstract: A method of encoding a video stream including an overlay is provided, including: capturing a first image; adding an overlay to the first image at a first position, and encoding the first image in a first frame of a video stream; capturing a second image of the scene; determining a desired position of the overlay in the second image; encoding the second image in a second frame marked as a no-display frame, and generating and encoding a third frame including temporally predicted macroblocks at the desired position of the overlay referencing the first frame with motion vectors based on a difference between the desired position and the first position, and skip-macroblocks outside of the desired position of the overlay referencing the first frame. A corresponding device, computer program and computer program product are also provided.

Abstract: A method for forming a combined image frame of a combined video stream comprises: capturing image frames of first and second video streams; encoding image data of the image frames of the first and second video streams, wherein each image frame of the first and second video streams are respectively encoded into first and second encoded data comprising a plurality of rows wherein each row has a height of a single coding unit and a width equal to a width of the image frame and is encoded as one or more slices; and combining the first and second encoded data into combined encoded data by interleaving rows of the first and second encoded data. The combined encoded data representing the combined image frame of the combined video stream.

Abstract: A method and image processing device for encoding a video comprising a sequence of image frames captured between a first and a second time is disclosed. The method comprises encoding a subset of the image frames, wherein the image frames of the subset are distributed over the sequence and storing the remaining image frames of the sequence. After the second time, the encoded subset is decoded and the stored remaining image frames as well as the decoded encoded subset are encoded to generate the encoded video. Alternatively, the stored remaining image frames are encoded and the encoded subset added to generate the encoded video.

Abstract: An image processing device, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and a method for dividing an array of pixels into slices and tiles, and a system for encoding the slices and tiles into a video stream by means of a first encoder arranged in a first image processing circuitry and a second encoder arranged in a second image processing circuitry are disclosed. The array of pixels consists of a first subset of pixels having pixel data stored in a first buffer arranged in the first image processing circuitry and a second subset of pixels having pixel data stored in a second buffer arranged in the second image processing circuitry, wherein a first border between the first subset of pixels and the second subset of pixels is tilted at a tilt angle in relation to the array of pixels. The array of pixels is divided into two or more slices, and each slice is divided into two or more tiles.

Abstract: There is provided a method and devices for encoding and streaming a video sequence over a plurality of network connections. A video sequence is encoded (S04) in parallel into a number of encoded video sequences having different video properties. The encoded video sequences are then streamed (S06) in parallel over the plurality of network connections. Each encoded video sequence is streamed over at least one of the plurality of network connections, and, for each network connection, an encoded video sequence having video properties that match desired video properties of the network connection. In response to detecting (S08) that the desired video properties of one of the network connections have changed, the number of encoded video sequences is increased or decreased (S10).

Abstract: An encoding device and a method for encoding an image frame comprising a plurality of pixel blocks are provided. A respective offset compression value is set for each of the plurality of pixel blocks based on an interest level associated with the pixel block, wherein each offset compression value defines an offset in relation to a reference compression value set for the image frame. In the image frame, one or more low contrast regions having a contrast which is below a predefined contrast threshold are identified. For pixel blocks within the one or more low contrast regions having set offset compression values based on the associated interest levels higher than a predefined offset compression threshold, the set offset compression values are selectively restricted to be at most equal to the predefined offset compression threshold. The image frame is then encoded using the set offset compression values.

Abstract: A and method encode a view area within a current image frame of a video into an encoded video area frame. The view area is a respective subarea of each image frame, each image frame comprising first and second image portions, and between previous and current image frames, the view area moves across a boundary between the first and second image portions. First and second encoders are encode image data of the first and second image portions, respectively. First, second and third portions of the view area are identified based on their respective location in the previous and current image frames. Image data of the first and third portions are inter-coded as first and third encoded slices/tiles. Image data of the second portion of the view area in the current image frame are intra-coded as a second encoded slice/tile. The encoded slices/tiles are merged into the encoded video area frame.

Abstract: An exposure time controller for controlling an exposure time (ET) variable of a video camera, which is associated with an auto-exposure algorithm configured to reduce an exposure mismatch (?E) by incrementing and decrementing the ET variable, which comprises: a memory for recording ET values applied while the video camera is imaging a scene and the algorithm is active; and processing circuitry configured to: determine that the exposure mismatch exceeds a threshold while the video camera is imaging the scene; estimate a distribution of the recorded ET values; based on the estimated distribution, identify multiple relatively most frequent ET values; and, in reaction to determining that the exposure mismatch exceeds the threshold, assign one of the identified ET values to the ET variable.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for encoding a video stream. The method comprising: acquiring pixel data of the video stream having a first resolution; extracting a crop corresponding to a region of interest from the pixel data of the video stream, the crop having the first resolution; down-scaling the pixel data of the video stream into a down-scaled video stream having a second resolution lower than the first resolution; processing the down-scaled video stream through one or more video processing operations; processing the crop through the one or more video processing operations; up-scaling the processed down-scaled video stream into an up-scaled video stream having the first resolution; merging the processed crop and the up-scaled video stream into a merged video stream; and encoding the merged video stream. The present disclosure further related to a video encoding device.

Abstract: A digital camera and a method for aligning digital images comprising: receiving images including first and second images depicting a first and a second region of a scene, the regions being overlapping and displaced along a first direction; aligning the images using a transformation; determining disparity values for an overlap between the images; identifying misalignments by identifying blocks of pixels in the first image having a same position along a second direction and having disparity values exhibiting a variability lower than a first threshold and exhibiting an average higher than a second threshold; adjusting the transformation for the identified blocks of pixels in the first image and their matching blocks of pixels in the second image; and realigning the images using the adjusted transformation.

Abstract: A method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for encoding a privacy masked image into an encoded image frame of a video stream is disclosed. The encoding comprises receiving pixel divided image data of an image; receiving data defining an area and graphical characteristic of a privacy mask that masks part of the image; extending the privacy mask to be aligned with one or more encoding units having one or more pixels located within the privacy mask to form a redefined privacy mask; generating a privacy masked image by applying the redefined privacy mask and the graphical characteristic of the privacy mask to the image; and encoding the privacy masked image into the encoded image frame of the video stream, wherein the encoding comprises preventing spatial prediction encoding and/or temporal prediction encoding of pixels within the redefined privacy mask of the image in response to certain conditions.

Abstract: A device, and method of signing a video segment comprising one or more groups of pictures, GOPs, wherein each GOP comprises a header and one or more frames, are disclosed. For each of the one or more GOPs a GOP hash is produced and the GOP hash is digitally signed by means of a digital signature to produce a signed GOP hash. For each GOP except a last GOP of the one or more GOPs the respective signed GOP hash is saved in the header of a subsequent GOP. An additional GOP is added to the video segment after the last GOP of the one or more GOPs, wherein the additional GOP comprising a header and one or more frames. The signed GOP hash of the last GOP of the one or more GOPs is saved in the header of the additional GOP.

Abstract: An exposure time controller for controlling an exposure time (ET) variable of a video camera, which is associated with an auto-exposure algorithm configured to reduce an exposure mismatch (?E) by incrementing and decrementing the ET variable, which comprises: a memory for recording ET values applied while the video camera is imaging a scene and the algorithm is active; and processing circuitry configured to: determine that the exposure mismatch exceeds a threshold while the video camera is imaging the scene; estimate a distribution of the recorded ET values; based on the estimated distribution, identify multiple relatively most frequent ET values; and, in reaction to determining that the exposure mismatch exceeds the threshold, assign one of the identified ET values to the ET variable.