Abstract: A method and an apparatus for changing the brightness of an image are provided. The method for changing the brightness of an image includes obtaining a level incremental rate, which denotes the degree to which the brightness of three input color components, i.e., first, second and third color components, will be increased according to a determined color gamut, scaling the input color components using the level incremental rate and determining the results of the scaling as incremental values of the input color components, obtaining a fourth color component value using the incremental values, and obtaining output color components, the brightnesses of which are increased from those of the input color components, using the fourth color component value and the incremental values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a white signal component and for controlling the brightness of an image are provided. In the above method and apparatus, the brightness increases of Red, Green and Blue, the saturations of which are not decreased from an input image are calculated using a vector, and the minimum value of such increases is utilized as the input value for the white component. Further, by adding brightness control components of RGB color to the input RGB signals, brightness increases in the direction of the original colors instead of the achromatic one are possible, which is the way the white component is added so as to increase the luminance of color display devices representing a color using a color filter such a flat panel display. Accordingly, a color saturation of the image is not decreased even with addition of the achromatic color component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a white signal component and for controlling the brightness of an image are provided. In the above method and apparatus, the brightness increases of Red, Green and Blue, the saturations of which are not decreased from an input image are calculated using a vector, and the minimum value of such increases is utilized as the input value for the white component. Further, by adding brightness control components of RGB color to the input RGB signals, brightness increases in the direction of the original colors instead of the achromatic one are possible, which is the way the white component is added so as to increase the luminance of color display devices representing a color using a color filter such a flat panel display. Accordingly, a color saturation of the image is not decreased even with addition of the achromatic color a component.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for coding a chrominance component of an intra-image using spatial predictive coding and a method and apparatus for decoding the coded chrominance component are provided.

Abstract: A progressive coding and decoding method of three-dimensional (3D) mesh data used in the fields of motion picture experts group-4 synthetic and natural hybrid coding (MPEG-4 SNHC), virtual reality modelling language (VRML) and the like. In transmitting 3D objects composed of 3D mesh data, it is very important to progressively restore transmitted data as well as to effectively code the 3D mesh data. In the progressive restoration, in the event that a transmission data error is generated, partial restoration of the transmitted data is allowed. Thus, it is possible to minimize the amount of mesh data to be transmitted again. The progressive restoration method which is resistant to such transmission errors can be effectively applied in wireless communications or low transmission rate communications.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing color images are provided. The apparatus includes a color conversion unit for white-transforming signals in RGB space. The color conversion unit includes a first white-transforming means for white-transforming signals in RGB space to signals in a predetermined color space using N predetermined illuminant colors, and a second white-transforming means for white-transforming the signals in the predetermined color space to the signals in RGB space using M predetermined color temperatures of the display means, so that a natural color image or an image of a desirable color can be obtained without information with respect to the illuminant.

Abstract: A generalized scan interleaving-based encoding/decoding method using context values of neighboring pixels and an apparatus therefore, and linear down/up-sampling apparatus used in the apparatus are provided. If the down-sampling ratio is m/n, the linear down-sampling apparatus divides the down-sampling ratio into two parts, [1/2K9 and [(m2K)/n], and performs linear down-sampling by applying the two parts sequentially. If the up-sampling ratio is n/m, the linear up-sampling apparatus divides the up-sampling ratio into two parts, [n/(m2K)] and [2K], and performs linear up-sampling by applying the two parts sequentially. By applying the linear down-sampling and up-sampling method to existing generalized an interleaving-based encoding using context values of neighboring pixels, continuously-scalable down-sampling is enabled and by using the down-sampled base layer, the current layer can be encoded and decoded.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the position of a human face in an input image or video image and a method thereof are provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for changing the brightness of an image are provided. The method for changing the brightness of an image includes obtaining a level incremental rate, which denotes the degree to which the brightness of three input color components, i.e., first, second and third color components, will be increased according to a determined color gamut, scaling the input color components using the level incremental rate and determining the results of the scaling as incremental values of the input color components, obtaining a fourth color component value using the incremental values, and obtaining output color components, the brightnesses of which are increased from those of the input color components, using the fourth color component value and the incremental values.

Abstract: An image segmenting apparatus and method is provided. The image segmenting apparatus includes an initial image segmenting unit, a region structurizing unit and a redundant region combiner. The initial image segmenting unit converts color signals of an input image into a color space which is based on predetermined signals, and segments the input image into a plurality of regions according to positions of color pixels of the input image in the color space. The region structurizing unit classifies the plurality of regions into layers according to horizontal, adjacent relation and hierarchical, inclusive relation between the regions, and groups adjacent regions into region groups in each layer, so as to derive a hierarchical, inclusive relation between the region groups. The redundant region combiner determines the order in which adjacent regions are combined according to the horizontal, adjacent relation between regions and the hierarchical, inclusive relation between region groups.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating illuminant chromaticity and a method and apparatus for converting the estimated illuminant chromaticity into desired illuminant chromaticity using software are provided.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating a white signal component and for controlling the brightness of an image are provided. In the above method and apparatus, the brightness increases of Red, Green and Blue, the saturations of which are not decreased from an input image are calculated using a vector, and the minimum value of such increases is utilized as the input value for the white component. Further, by adding brightness control components of RGB color to the input RGB signals, brightness increases in the direction of the original colors instead of the achromatic one are possible, which is the way the white component is added so as to increase the luminance of color display devices representing a color using a color filter such a flat panel display. Accordingly, a color saturation of the image is not decreased even with addition of the achromatic color component.

Abstract: Provided are an image brightness controlling apparatus and method, and an adaptive brightness controlling apparatus and method based on the brightness degree and/or brightness range of an image. The image brightness controlling apparatus includes a brightness increment arithmetic unit for outputting a brightness increment for a pixel, and an individual component brightness increment arithmetic unit for outputting the brightness increments of individual components constituting the pixel in response to the brightness increment for a pixel. The individual component brightness increment arithmetic unit multiplies the brightness increment of the pixel by each of the unit vectors of the components constituting the pixel to obtain the brightness increments of the individual components. The image brightness controlling apparatus further includes an adder for adding the components constituting the pixel to the brightness increments of the components.

Abstract: A progressive and error resilient coding and decoding method of three-dimensional (3D) mesh data used in the fields of motion picture experts group-4 synthetic and natural hybrid coding (MPEG-4 SNHC), virtual reality modelling language (VRML) and the like. In transmitting 3D objects composed of 3D mesh data, it is very important to progressively and error-resiliently restore transmitted data as well as to effectively code the 3D mesh data. In the progressive restoration, in the event that a transmission data error is generated, partial restoration of the transmitted data is allowed. Thus, it is possible to minimize the amount of mesh data to be retransmitted and the standby time of a user. The progressive restoration method which is resistant to such transmission errors can be effectively applied in wireless communications or low transmission rate communications.

Abstract: A 3D sound reproducing apparatus for multiple listeners includes an inverse filter module for filtering an input sound signal such that each of the listeners can have the same virtual sound source, time multiplexing module for sequentially selecting one of the sound signals filtered by the inverse filter module at a predetermined interval, and a plurality of speakers for outputting the sound signal selected by the time multiplexing means as sound. Thus, the 3D sound reproducing apparatus for multiple listeners can concurrently present the same 3D sound effect to multiple listeners.

Abstract: A progressive coding method and apparatus of three-dimensional (3D) mesh data is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) constructing a 3D triangle mesh of one or more mesh object layers, (b) partitioning each mesh object layer into a plurality of mesh components, (c) forming bitstreams in units of mesh components and coding the same, and (d) combining the coded mesh components into compressed bitstreams and transmitting the same. Therefore, progressive 3D mesh restoration is allowed, and the entropy coding efficiency can be enhanced.

Abstract: Regarding compression/restoration of data using arithmetic coding, a bit-error resistant arithmetic coding/decoding apparatus in which a plurality of independent segments, instead of single segment of all-connected codes, are formed to reduce propagation of bit errors between symbols is provided. The apparatus gives advantages of resistance to bit error while maintaining compression efficiency similar to that of existing arithmetic encoding which only considers compression.

Abstract: In a prediction method usable with synthetic and natural hybrid coding (SNHC) field or a virtual reality markup language (VRML) the difference between immediately prior information (most adjacent information) and input property information is obtained, considering the immediately prior information as the prediction value. The difference is used as a prediction error signal. A predictor having an order of 1 is used. When the output value of the predictor is fixed to 0, the prediction error signal becomes identical to an original signal. Therefore, the operation is the same as in the case where there is no predictor. The correlation of the input property information is used in order to control two operation modes of the predictor. Namely, auto-correlation is obtained from the input property information.

Abstract: A moving picture coding/decoding method and apparatus having a spatially scalable architecture and a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scalable architecture together is provided.

Abstract: A digital audio encoding method and apparatus using a look-up table includes preparing allocated bits for each frequency band of an input audio signal according to the characteristics of the input audio signal using a look-up table. A time domain audio signal is divided into a number of equal frequency bands. The addresses of the look-up table are decided according to the relative magnitudes of the audio signal characteristics acquired for the divided frequency bands. Bits corresponding to the addresses for the frequency bands are allocated and quantized. A quantized audio signal is formed from the quantized bits as a bitstream. Since the delay in operation time for the encoding apparatus is considerably reduced, real-time processing of the encoding apparatus can be realized in a hardware implementation.