Abstract: A residual picture is produced and encoded that is a residual picture that is a residual signal between a picture to be coded that is an input moving-picture video signal to be subjected to coding and a predictive picture produced from a reference picture that is a local decoded video signal for each of a plurality of rectangular zones, each composed of a specific number of pixels, into which a video area of the moving-picture video signal is divided. A boundary condition of each of a plurality of borders is obtained between the rectangular zones and another plurality of rectangular zones adjacent to the rectangular zones, and a border, of the reference picture, having a boundary condition that matches the boundary condition, is found by motion-vector search in the reference picture, and border motion-vector data is generated that is data on a motion vector from a border of the rectangular zone in the picture to be coded to the border of the reference picture thus found.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are presented for reducing the computational complexity of coding mode decisions by exploiting the correlations across spatially and/or temporally close coding mode decisions. A mode decision for a current macroblock is based on the mode decisions of spatially and/or temporarily close macroblocks.

Abstract: Provided is a multi-screen display capable of displaying more images with no sense of discomfort by using multi-screen display while reducing a load on the decoding processing of encoded image contents. The multi-screen display for displaying a plurality of images composed of encoded data including mixed pictures (I, P, B) on a single screen comprises a highlight screen determining section for specifying a screen in which a highlight image out of the images is displayed every predetermined time and a load reducing section for reducing the processing load in a decoding processing section on images other than the image displayed on the screen determined by the highlight screen determining section by deleting the picture (B). With this, a highlighted image is displayed while being changed for each predetermined time, whereby the line of sight of the user can be so navigated as to face a smooth image.

Abstract: A method of representing at least one image comprises deriving at least one descriptor based on color information and color interrelation information for at least one region of the image, the descriptor having at least one descriptor element, derived using values of pixels in said region, wherein at least one descriptor element for a region is derived using a non-wavelet transform. The representations may be used for image comparisons.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a mixed area in frames. An object extracting unit extracts a foreground object from an input image and generates an area-specified object formed of the foreground object and a value indicating that the foreground object belongs to a background area. A motion compensator compensates for the motion of the area-specified object based on a motion vector and positional information thereof. A subtracting unit subtracts the pixel value of a pixel belonging to a foreground object of a current frame from the corresponding pixel of the foreground object of a preceding frame, so as to obtain a frame difference between the pixels belonging to the foreground area. A threshold-value processor detects a mixed area based on the difference.

Abstract: In an encoding method of moving pictures which generates a predictive picture for a current picture based on a reference picture and a motion vector, a macroblock is divided into subblocks. In each of the plurality of subblocks, an initial value of the motion vector is set and an evaluated value E on a difference between the current picture and the reference picture is calculated along a steepest descent direction to determine the minimum value. Then, the smallest evaluated value is selected among the minimum values obtained on the plurality of subblocks to determine the motion vector based on the pixel position of the smallest value.

Abstract: Improved techniques for transmission and display of video data are described. A point of sale terminal includes a processor, memory and software executed by the processor to create frames of data and to analyze the frames of data to create differential data defining differences between preceding and succeeding frames of data. The differential data can be applied to the preceding frames to construct the succeeding frames. At least one frame is transmitted to an external video interface using an external connection such as a universal serial bus port. Differential data is also transmitted to the external video interface. The differential data is applied to the frame which has been transmitted in order to create succeeding frames. The frames of video data are displayed using a display connected to the video interface.

Abstract: In a method for producing a data stream of code words of variable lengths which are divided up into a plurality of sets of code words, wherein a raster having segments is specified for the data stream, wherein two adjacent raster points define a segment, code words of the first sets are written into the data stream starting at raster points. Subsequently, code words of the second set are written into the data stream pursuant to a predetermined assignment rule, wherein each code word of the second set is assigned to a different segment. Entire code words or parts of code words which cannot be written according to their assignment, are stored and entered into the data stream in further attempts, wherein the assignment by a predetermined regulation is changed from attempt to attempt. This procedure is analogously repeated for any further set which may be present.

Abstract: In a method for adaptive synchronization of a data sink device to a data source device coupled by a USB, data is received and stored in a buffer of the sink device at an average data rate representative of the data rate of the source device. A data level for the buffer is determined based on input packet size and output packet size. An accumulated data level for the buffer is compared with a threshold level. A clock frequency for the sink device is corrected when the accumulated data level exceeds the threshold level.

Abstract: An MPEG-encoded video signal includes groups of pictures (GOPs), each GOP having an intraframe coded (I) picture and a series of predictively encoded (P) pictures and bidirectionally predictively encoded (B) pictures. Usually, the GOP structure IBBPBBP . . . is used. However, in order to embed a watermark in the MPEG-encoded video signal, the MPEG encoder is forced to produce a GOP structure which does not normally occur, e.g., a GOP including a BPP sequence. Different symbol values can be assigned to different positions of the BPP sequence in the GOP.

Abstract: Improved human-like realism of computer opponents in racing or motion-related games is provided by using a mixture model to determine a dynamically prescribed racing line that the AI driver is to follow for a given segment of the race track. This dynamically prescribed racing line may vary from segment to segment and lap to lap, roughly following an ideal line with some variation. As such, the AI driver does not appear to statically follow the ideal line perfectly throughout the race. Instead, within each segment of the course, the AI driver's path may smoothly follow a probabilistically-determined racing line defined relative to at least one prescribed racing line.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for encoding and decoding video subframes (e.g., lower-resolution video) with a DVC video coder are disclosed. The disclosed embodiments allow a DVC video coder to efficiently code a subframe. The disclosed encoder embodiments redistribute blocks of data from a subframe to correspond with the staggered locations used for video segment creation. This separates video segments at the DVC coder output into two groups—those largely or completely composed of subframe data, and those containing discardable data. The present invention allows a DVC coder to be used efficiently for several different video resolutions, or in a low-resolution system.

Abstract: A system and method allow for the detection, segmentation and analysis of regions of motion. The system and method use a motion history image generated by observing an object over a given period of time. The motion history image contains numerous regions captured at different time intervals. In one method, the most recent region(s) are located and adjacent older regions are labeled with a unique identifier to perform a down fill operation. Each down fill operation can identify a single motion contained in the motion history image. If a down filled region of the motion history image contains more than one movement, separate up fill operations can be performed to help separate the movements. Each up fill operation begins at a set of oldest or lowest value regions and progresses toward the most recent region. The down fill and up fill operations can be combined to provide an image mask(s) to separate the multiple motions from the motion history image.

Abstract: A region extraction apparatus for extracting a desired region from a moving image, includes a region specifying unit for specifying contour points of a region which is to be extracted, a template creating unit for creating a template of the region which is to be extracted based on the contour points of the region specified by the region specifying unit, a template matching unit for matching the template created by the template creating unit and the moving image, and a template correcting unit for correcting the template depending on a matching result obtained by the template matching unit.

Abstract: Motion-compensated hybrid codecs are used in data compression for moving picture sequences. By virtue of the regular insertion of intraframe-coded pictures, these compression methods enable access to any desired individual pictures in the entire bit stream or the playback of the bit stream from virtually any desired location. A disadvantage is the high bit outlay necessary for intraframe-coded pictures. In a feedback loop, a codec usually contains a simulation of the receiver-end decoder, whose coding errors can thus also be taken into account by the encoder. According to the invention, an attenuation element is inserted into this feedback loop. The coding and the receiver-end decoding of intraframe-coded pictures becomes superfluous.

Abstract: A technique for locating objects within an image is disclosed. In one embodiment, the technique is realized by obtaining an image and then identifying an object within the image based upon an orientation of the object within the image. The image can be a representation of a plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged in a plurality of columns and rows, and wherein at least some of the plurality of pixels are enabled to represent the object.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding, illustratively, a video information stream to produce an encoded information stream according to a group of frames (GOF) information structure where the GOF structure and, optionally, a bit budget are modified in response to, respectively, information discontinuities and the presence of redundant information in the video information stream (due to, e.g., 3:2 pull-down processing).

Abstract: That is, a hierarchical coding of an image data is generated. An image data of a second hierarchy is formed, having a number of pixels which is smaller than that of an image data of a first hierarchy. The image data of the second hierarchy is corrected to generate a corrected data. The image data of the first hierarchy is predicted in accordance with the corrected data and a predicted data of the first hierarchy, having a plurality of predicted pixels, is generated. Predictive error of the predicted data of the first hierarchy is calculated with respect to the image data of the first hierarchy. The suitability of the corrected data is determined in accordance with the predicted error. A difference data, between the image data of the first hierarchy and the predicted data of the first hierarchy, is generated in accordance with the determined suitability. The difference data has a plurality of difference values. The corrected data and the difference data are output as the coded image data.

Abstract: A method for generating a stream of image data which is to be transmitted via a data channel, in particular a mobile radio channel. In this method, the images are divided into a quantity of macroblocks. In addition, the image information elements are divided into classes of information elements of the same kind. The image data of at least a portion of the classes are inserted into the stream by macroblocks. In a deviation from the proposed H.263 standard, the image data in each macroblock which have a fixed word length, in particular the DQUANT and INTRADC values, are combined into a class (ADMIN+DC-INTRA) provided for them, and are inserted consecutively into the stream with no variable-length image data being transmitted between them. A method for analyzing a stream of data is also provided.