Abstract: The image coding apparatus according to the present invention includes: a similar image search unit 201 which searches at least one second still image which is similar to a first still image; a coding processing unit 202 which generates a predictive image for the first still image using the at least one second still image as the reference image, and codes the difference between the first still image and the predictive image; and a reference image information processing unit 204 which adds information which indicates the location of at least one of the second still image to the bit stream.

Abstract: A video processor according to the invention is dynamically configurable as to the attributes of the video data upon which the processor operates. Some embodiments dynamically configure the processor via a sequence of instructions, where the instructions include information on the attributes of the current video data. Some embodiments include a dynamically configurable adder array that computes difference functions thereby generating error vectors. Some embodiments include a dynamically configurable adder array that computes filtering functions applied to the video data, e.g. interpolation or decimation of the incoming video prior to motion detection. Some embodiments of the invention provide dynamically configurable hardware searches, for example, for detecting motion. Some embodiments of the invention are implemented using an adaptive computing machines (ACMs). An ACM includes a plurality of heterogeneous computational elements, each coupled to an interconnection network.

Abstract: An overall motion detecting device (1) includes a search region variable-shaped motion detector (2) and an overall motion information generator (3). The overall motion information generator (3) controls a surveillance camera (5) which is an external image capturing system and supplies control information of the surveillance camera (5) (such as moving direction, angular speed and focal length) to the search region variable-shaped motion detector (2) as overall motion information (S3). The search region variable-shaped motion detector (2) calculates a motion vector (mv) while renewing, by picture, a search region having a search shape determined by the overall motion information (S3) and a region area suitable for its operational capability.

Abstract: A frame memory holds a reference frame that is to be referenced for motion detection for a target block of a coding target frame in motion images. A motion compensation unit that includes a motion detecting unit and a motion compensated prediction unit. The motion detecting unit detects the motion of said target block by repeated motion estimation with reference to said reference frame stored in said frame memory, and the motion compensated prediction unit performs motion compensation processing for the target block using information on the detected motion. A coding unit that performs coding processing for the subtraction image and the information on the detected motion and thereby creates a coded stream. The motion compensation unit includes a pre-reading memory which stores pixel data beforehand, where said pixel data is part of pixel data in said reference frame, which is to be frequently referenced for motion detection, and which has been transmitted from said frame memory.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a moving image file storage unit operable to store a moving image file; an area selection receiving unit operable to receive a selection of a predetermined area corresponding to one of a plurality of frames forming the moving image file; a template image generating unit operable to generate as a template image an image of the selected area; an image matching unit operable to obtain the frames from the moving image file storage unit, and to match each of the frames against the template image to search for a matching frame containing an image similar to the template image; and a scene change detecting unit operable to detect a start and an end of a scene containing the matching frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a high-speed motion compensation apparatus and method. The high-speed motion compensation apparatus for H.264/AVC includes a bus interface unit for reading a plurality of word addresses from an external storage device, aligning the reference pixels arranged over the plurality of word addresses, temporarily storing the aligned reference pixels, and sequentially outputting the aligned and temporarily stored reference pixels. A buffer unit temporarily stores overlapping reference pixels, which are repeatedly used to generate the sub-pixels, among the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit. An interpolation unit generates first half pixels, second half pixels, first quarter pixels, and second quarter pixels, using the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit. A chroma filter unit generates chrome pixels using the reference pixels output from the bus interface unit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding/decoding an image that divide an image sequence into sub-groups and determine encoding modes applied to bi-directional pictures included in each sub-group using correlations between the bi-directional pictures and reference pictures are provided. The image encoding method includes dividing a group of pictures (GOP) to be encoded according to consecutive B pictures into sub-groups; calculating the correlations between each B picture included in the sub-group and reference picture according to each encoding mode; and applying one of the encoding modes wherein the reference picture having the highest correlation with the B picture are used in each sub-group to encode the image, thereby improving encoding efficiency.

Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, the invention my concern a method including receiving digital images, each image including object pixels and non-object pixels; and filtering the non-object pixels from the object pixels. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method and system for performing motion estimation for a frame associated with a video signal. The method includes receiving at least a reference frame, a first frame, and a second frame, and providing a first plurality of vectors. The first plurality of vectors intersects the first frame within a first block and intersects the reference frame within a first plurality of blocks respectively. Additionally, the method includes determining a second plurality of vectors based on at least information associated with the first plurality of vectors. The second plurality of vectors intersects the second frame within a second block and intersecting the reference frame at a plurality of locations. Moreover, the method includes processing information associated with the plurality of locations, and determining a plurality of search areas corresponding to the plurality of locations in the second frame.

Abstract: A method for determining values of motion vectors includes receiving an irregular pattern of motion vectors for a target image, estimating an initial value for each of the motion vectors, using the motion vectors to generate a tap structure for an adaptive temporal prediction filter, and using the tap structure to re-estimate the value of each motion vector.

Abstract: Apparatuses and techniques relating to encoding a video are provided. An encoding device includes a motion coding module configured to determine a coding block level for processing an image data, and further configured to determine a block formation for a motion coding of the image data according to the coding block level; and a texture coding module configured to determine a block size for a texture coding of the image data according to the block formation to thereby generate a coded bit stream.

Abstract: The method is characterized in that the step for selecting a coding mode from the inter modes and from the intra modes is broken down into two sequential steps, a step for preselecting the intra coding mode for preselecting an intra mode for the current macroblock from the intra coding modes, and a coding decision step, part of the effective coding of the current macroblock for selecting the mode of coding the current macroblock from the inter modes and the preselected intra mode and in that the preselection step for the current macroblock is carried out during the coding decision step for a preceding macroblock.

Abstract: A system and method for rendering images, and performing operations such as windowing and leveling, when the parameters of a client appliance are known and rendering images when the parameters of a client appliance are unknown. The invention also considers the rendering from the client appliance perspective and the server appliance perspective.

Abstract: A system and method for rendering images, and performing operations such as windowing and leveling, when the parameters of a client appliance are known and rendering images when the parameters of a client appliance are unknown. The invention also considers the rendering from the client appliance perspective and the server appliance perspective.

Abstract: A system determines a plurality of frames. The plurality of frames is a subset of a set of frames comprising at least a portion of a video clip. The frames are candidates to represent the set of frames. The system calculates a motion vector for each of the frames within the plurality of frames. The motion vector indicates an amount of motion in each of the frames with respect to at least one other frame from the plurality of frames. The system assesses a strength value for each of the frames. The strength value indicates an assessment of pictorial quality of each of the frames. The system selects a representative frame from the plurality of frames based on the motion vector and strength value. The representative frame indicates a most favorable representation of the plurality of frames.

Abstract: Detects from camera information frames of probable low continuity, such as frames in which a strobe is flashed, and does not use such frames as candidate images for a reference image. As a result, the possibility that the candidate images in the frame memory are images of high continuity with a frame to be encoded increases, enabling efficient motion vector detection and making possible low data-generation-volume encoding.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for decoding a coded video data in a digital broadcast receiver. The method includes: determining a resizing control signal for resizing a received video data; analyzing header information from a decoded video stream and separating and outputting a video data; resizing the separated video data by the resizing control signal and decoding the resized video data into an original pixel data with an original data size by using a variable length table; dequantizing the decoded video data; resizing and converting the dequantized frequency-domain video data into a two dimensional spatial domain video data by the resizing control signal; movement compensating for movement of a movement compensation data corresponding to one of the inverse-transformed video data and the separated video data; and converting outputs of the inverse transform unit and the movement compensation unit into display data for a display unit.

Abstract: Provided is an image coding method for determining one of frame coding and field coding while suppressing increase in the complexity. The image coding method includes: coding a current picture included in the pictures (S100); determining whether a picture next to the current picture is to be coded in frame coding or field coding, depending on motion information that is information for indicating a motion in the current picture (S102); and coding the next picture in frame coding when it is determined in the determining that the next picture is to be coded in frame coding, and coding the next picture in field coding when it is determined in the determining that the next picture is to be coded in field coding (S104).

Abstract: This invention relates to a coding method for motion-image data and others effective in a special interactive environment for transmitting motion-image data with information concentrated on only a partial region of a display image as in a two-way interactive system implementing real-time two-way interaction. The coding method involves dividing an image frame forming motion-image data into a plurality of rectangular regions, and grouping each of these rectangular regions into a preset ROI and a non-ROI. These rectangular regions are sequentially compressed so that a code length of a rectangular region grouped into the ROI is larger than a code length of a rectangular region grouped into the non-ROI, thereby generating coded data of each image frame.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of adaptively selecting an optimal pixel block within an image frame. The method comprises the activity of selecting an optimal block size for fast and accurate motion estimation. The traditional block is extended into an overlapped region to form an extended pixel block. Statistical region information of the non-overlapped region and the overlapped region of the respective extended pixel block is then measured. The optimal block, either the standard (or smaller size) non-overlapped block or the boundary extended overlapped block, is then selected in response to the measured statistical region information.

Abstract: A capsule camera apparatus includes a swallowable housing, a light source within the housing, a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a view of the camera illuminated by the light source, a a motion detector that detects a motion of the housing the first digital image and the second digital image, and a motion evaluator that selects a disposition of the second digital image, based on a metric on the motion. The disposition may include writing the second image into an archival storage or providing the second digital image to the outside by a wireless communication link.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a moving picture coding device which performs a motion-compensated prediction for moving picture data in macroblocks, applies discrete cosine transform and quantization to a prediction error obtained by the motion-compensation prediction to obtain a quantization coefficient, and applies variable-length-coding to the quantization coefficient together with a motion vector to be obtained by the motion-compensation prediction, when controlling each coding mode of target macroblocks for the variable-length-coding in response to a picture type, the coding device determines whether the quantization coefficient is not smaller than a threshold if the picture type is a B, performs motion detection processing only by frame prediction if the quantization coefficient is not smaller than the threshold, performs the motion detection processing after conventional frame/field prediction determination if the quantization coefficient is smaller than the threshold, and skips coding processing of the

Abstract: A device includes a coder or a codec configured for interleaved image data utilizing diamond shaped blocks for motion estimation and/or motion compensation and utilizing square or orthogonal transforms of residual data. In various embodiments, the decoder may be configured, among others, to perform de-blocking on edges of the diamond shaped blocks and/or data padding at boundaries of the image data. Additionally a method is proposed in which at least one of a transform and quantization process to be applied to de-multiplexed data is modified. One application is to combine left and right stereoscopic images, interleaved in a checkerboard manner.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for capture control of video data from a capsule camera system having an on-board storage or wireless transmission. The capsule camera system moves through the GI tract under the action of peristalsis and records images of the intestinal walls. For some periods of time, the capsule camera system may move very slowly and there are little differences in the image data between different frames. These frames can be designated for discard to conserve storage space or conserve power. A capsule control processing unit is incorporated to evaluate motion metric based on image data associated with a current frame and a previous frame. A decision is made based on a profile of the motion metric to select an operation mode from a group comprising Capture Mode and Conservation Mode. The capsule camera system is then operated according to the selected operation mode.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for cost calculation in decimal motion estimation are provided. The method comprises the following steps. Firstly, perform interpolation on a current block to get an interpolation result of a position corresponding to a decimal motion vector. Secondly, calculate a cost according to data at integer point positions of a reference frame corresponding to the current block and the decimal motion vector, and according to the interpolation result.

Abstract: Methods and systems for spatial data encoding and decoding are described. A tile may be designated within a source frame. The tile may be divided into at least one bit area. A particular message bit value of a message may be accessed. A statistical property calculation may be performed on a pixel variable value of available pixels within the tile. A pixel variable value of pixels in the particular bit area of a target frame may be shifted to encode a particular message bit. A particular pixel variable value of a particular pixel of the plurality of pixels may be shifted by a shift value. The shift value may be in accordance with the statistical property calculation, the particular message bit value, and a particular modulation pattern value of the plurality of modulation pattern values for the particular pixel within the particular bit area.

Abstract: An image distribution apparatus divides image data of a single frame into a plurality of blocks, orthogonally transforms the blocks and calculates transformation coefficients, quantizes the calculated transformation coefficients, codes the quantized transformation coefficients, and distributes the coded image data. The image distribution apparatus acquires the quantized transformation coefficients, stores the acquired transformation coefficients in a storage unit, calculates differences between the transformation coefficients of a first frame and the transformation coefficients of a second frame stored in the storage unit in a unit of block, counts blocks whose difference values calculated above are equal to or greater than a predetermined value as changing blocks of the first frame, and determines that the first frame has changed when the counted number of blocks is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

Abstract: Decoding a multiview video signal comprises receiving a bitstream comprising the multiview video signal encoded according to dependency relationships between respective views, and view-dependency information representing the dependency relationships in a two-dimensional data structure; extracting the two-dimensional data structure and determining the dependency relationships from the extracted data structure; and decoding the multiview video signal according to the determined dependency relationships.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus, a method, and a medium for displaying contents according to motions by identifying the direction of a sensed motion and moving the content region in a direction opposite to the identified direction or moving the background region in the identified direction. The apparatus including a motion sensing unit to sense a motion; a display control unit to adjust a position of an image region with reference to a direction of the sensed motion; and a display unit to display a content and a background according to the adjusted position, wherein the image region comprises a content region having the content and a background region having the background.

Abstract: It is an object to provide an image processing apparatus and an image processing program in which motion information detected from an image is used for a different image processing corresponding to image information so that the detected motion information capable of easily synchronizing the image with the motion information to reduce a circuit scale is shared in a signal processing requiring a plurality of motion information. Motion information is detected by a motion detecting portion (102) from an image signal input to an image acquiring portion (101) and an image signal stored in a memory (104), a noise is reduced by a noise reducing portion (103) using the motion information which is detected, a moving object is detected by a motion detector portion (105), and an interlace progressive conversion is carried out in an IP converting portion (106), and furthermore, an image is coded in a coding portion (107).

Abstract: In this invention, even if final code data is to be generated by selectively discarding code data for each bitplane, errors due to bitplane rounding down operation can be suppressed from being gradually accumulated in predicted data such as P- and B-pictures, thereby preventing a deterioration in image quality. For this purpose, a block segmentation unit (31) segments an input frame into a plurality of blocks, and supplies the respective blocks to a difference computing unit (32). The difference computing unit (32) outputs the blocks to a DWT unit (33) without any change when the intra-frame coding mode is set. When the inter-frame coding mode is set, the difference computing unit (32) outputs the result obtained by computing a difference from predicted data from a motion compensation unit (42) to the DWT unit (33).

Abstract: An apparatus and method for spatially predicting image data, an apparatus and method for encoding image data, an apparatus and method for compensating for spatial prediction of image data, and an apparatus and method for decoding image data. The spatial prediction apparatus of image data includes: a spatial prediction unit performing a spatial prediction of pixel values of a current block using pixel values of blocks adjacent to an upper row of the current block. A pipeline process is possible when the spatial prediction is performed, thereby performing real time encoding and decoding.

Abstract: A method of performing adaptive temporal prediction includes receiving a target image, wherein a position of an object in the target image is different from a position of the object in a reference image, using a boundary of the object to generate an irregular pattern of target image motion vectors, using the target image motion vectors to partition the target image into area of influence cells, wherein each area of influence cell contains a unique one of the target image motion vectors, and generating a prediction of the target image by applying an adaptive area of influence filter to the area of influence cells.

Abstract: A method of compressing video data having at least one frame having at least one block and each block having an array of pixels is provided. The method transforms the pixels of each block into coefficients and creates an optimal transmission order of the coefficients. The method also optimizes the speed of processing compressed video data by partitioning the data bitstream and coding each partition independently. The method also predicts fractional pixel motion by selecting an interpolation method for each given plurality or block of pixels depending upon at least one metric related to each given block and varies the method from block to block. The method also enhances error recovery for a current frame using a frame prior to the frame immediately before the current frame as the only reference frame for lessening quality loss during data transmission. Enhanced motion vector coding is also provided.

Abstract: A system for selectively handling information. In an example embodiment, the system includes a first mechanism for processing information pertaining to one or more sub-blocks of a macroblock in a first stream and a second stream, and outputting a first processed stream and a second processed stream in response thereto. A second mechanism selectively combines information in the first processed stream and the second processed stream and provides an updated version of the first stream or the second stream to the first mechanism in response thereto. In a more specific embodiment, the first mechanism includes a processor, such as in intra 4×4 search, module, that processes a sub-block of a macroblock by performing intra prediction for the sub-block. The processor is adapted to process sub-blocks of a macroblock in parallel, such as in a pipelined fashion or via separate engines capable of operating in parallel.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for efficiently compressing three-dimensional stereoscopic images are provided. The apparatus and method include a search for Global motion between left and right images input through two image input units mounted in a mobile communication terminal. The images are arranged and a difference between the two images is computed. The images are compressed using the difference between the two images and a reference image. Accordingly, because the left and right images are similar, a computation amount can be reduced since the global motion is computed only once.

Abstract: An image processing unit for computing a sequence of output images on basis of a sequence of input images, comprises: a motion estimation unit for computing a motion vector field on basis of the input images; a quality measurement unit for computing a value of a quality measure for the motion vector field; an interpolation unit for computing the output images by means of interpolation of pixel values of the input images, on basis of the motion vector field; and control means to control the interpolation unit on basis of the quality measure. The quality measurement unit is arranged to compute the value of the quality measure on basis of a maximum difference between neighboring motion vectors. If the value of the quality measure is lower than a predetermined threshold, then a motion compensated interpolation is performed, else a non-motion compensated interpolation is performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for capture control of video data from a capsule camera system having an on-board storage or wireless transmission. The capsule camera system moves through the GI tract under the action of peristalsis and records images of the intestinal walls. For some periods of time, the capsule camera system may move very slowly and there are little differences in the image data between different frames. These frames can be designated for discard to conserve storage space or conserve power. A capsule control processing unit is incorporated to evaluate motion metric based on image data associated with a current frame and a previous frame. A decision is made based on a profile of the motion metric to select an operation mode from a group comprising Capture Mode and Conservation Mode. The capsule camera system is then operated according to the selected operation mode.

Abstract: Disclosed are a moving-picture compression encoding apparatus comprising a motion-compensated predicting unit that includes a first cost calculator for generating cost values based upon difference information indicative of differences between prediction signals generated by a prediction signal generator and a moving-picture signal input to the moving-picture compression encoding apparatus; a preliminary selector for preliminarily selecting a plurality of blocks based upon the cost values and outputting the blocks to a second cost calculator; the second cost calculator for generating new cost values by applying a frequency conversion to the difference information regarding the block sizes that have been output from the preliminary selector; and a block size selector for selecting an optimum block size based upon the cost values resulting from the frequency conversion.

Abstract: A data compressor for compressing a data signal and a corresponding data decompressor are disclosed. The data compressor comprises: compression circuitry for compressing said data signal using a plurality of variable length compression codes; a digital code select signal generator for generating a digital code select signal from an indicator signal indicative of a preferred compression distribution, a frequency of said digital code select signal being higher than a frequency of said indicator signal and an average value of said digital code select signal corresponding to an average value of said indicator signal; said compression circuitry being responsive to said digital code select signal to select between one of said plurality of compression codes in dependence upon a current value of said digital code select signal and to compress said data signal using said selected compression code.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and apparatus for encoding video signals using prediction information of an intra mode block of a sub-layer and decoding the encoded video data accordingly. The method encodes a video signal in a scalable MCTF scheme to output a bit stream of an enhanced layer, and simultaneously encodes the video signal using a pre-determined method to output a bit stream of a base layer. When the video signal is encoded in the MCTF schemes, an image block included in an arbitrary frame of the video signal is coded as an intra mode using pixels adjacent to the image block, on the basis of prediction information of the corresponding block coded as the intra mode, the corresponding block being included in a bit stream of the base layer and corresponding to the image block.

Abstract: Introducing a further prediction stage, namely a prediction of the motion vectors or the prediction error of the first prediction stage, does indeed at first increase the encoding or compression effort and, correspondingly, also the decoding or decompression effort, but the prediction proposed here leads to a significant improvement of the compression gain in relation to the effort in most graphics model sequences due to the uniformity of the motion.

Abstract: A method of image processing, the method comprising receiving an image frame including a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including an image information, conducting a first extraction based on the image information to identify foreground pixels related to a foreground object in the image frame and background pixels related to a background of the image frame, scanning the image frame in regions, identifying whether each of the regions includes a sufficient number of foreground pixels, identifying whether each of regions including a sufficient number of foreground pixels includes a foreground object, clustering regions including a foreground object into at least one group, each of the at least one group corresponding to a different foreground object in the image frame, and conducting a second extraction for each of at least one group to identify whether a foreground pixel in the each of the at least one group is to be converted to a background pixel.

Abstract: Described herein is a rate controller in a video system. The rate controller is comprised of a complexity estimator, a quantization level selector, a complexity generator, and a complexity estimate updater. The complexity estimator generates a complexity metric estimate. The quantization level selector sets a quantization level based on the complexity metric estimate. The complexity generator generates an actual complexity metric. The complexity estimate updater generates an updated complexity metric estimate based on a difference between the complexity metric estimate and the actual complexity metric.

Abstract: A video decoder cache used for motion compensation data may be dynamically reconfigured. In some embodiments, it may be reconfigured on picture or frame boundaries and in other embodiments it can be reconfigured on sequence boundaries. The cache may be flushed on each boundary to enable such reconfiguration.

Abstract: In a method of detecting motion of a particular part from a sequence of successive input images, motion vectors of a plurality of parts of the input images are detected by tracking feature points in the successive input images, the motion of the particular part is detected by processing the motion vectors. The motion detection is performed by producing a histogram of the motion vectors, detecting a peak corresponding to the particular part from the histogram; classifying feature points into a class of feature points belonging to the peak detected in the histogram processing step and a class of the other feature points, and calculating motion of the particular part by analysing the motion vectors belonging to the peak detected in the histogram processing step. The histogram processing step includes detecting the peak corresponding to the particular part on the basis of the class information defined for feature points.

Abstract: A motion detection apparatus detecting motion in an image may include a black-and-white signal motion detector, a first color signal motion detector, a second color signal motion detector, and a final motion flag output unit. The motion detection apparatus may output a final motion flag in accordance with whether there is motion in a black-and-white image, whether there is first color motion in a color image, and whether there is second color motion in the color image. The motion detection apparatus may control a threshold value used to determine whether there is motion in an image in the present frame in response to accumulated information about whether there has been motion in the image for a predetermined past frame through to the previous frame.

Abstract: An image transmission apparatus comprises an outline extraction processor, a selector, and a transmission module. The outline extraction processor extracts an outline of a specific-type image element in each of the image frames and to create outline data, based on image data representing the image frames. The selector selects the image data or the outline data for each image frame for transmission to an external receiving device. An image processing apparatus in another embodiment comprises an outline extraction processor, a scene change determination module, and a clipping processor. The scene change determination module determines that a scene change is occurred between two image frames when an amount of change between the outlines in the two image frames exceeds a prescribed threshold value.

Abstract: A method for processing a plurality of motion vectors is disclosed. The method includes determining a number of different block sizes in the video frame; and, performing a variable block size motion vector process if the number of different block sizes in the video frame is greater than one, the variable block size motion vector process comprising constructing a pyramid of motion vectors from the plurality of motion vectors, the pyramid having at least a first layer and a second layer of motion vectors, each of the first and second layers having a set of motion vectors based on a particular block size. An apparatus for performing the inventive method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a storage means for storing a decoded image, which is obtained by encoding pictures constituting a frame sequential, in which pictures of a first image and a second image each having a disparity are alternately arranged, and performing local decoding, as a reference picture which is referenced when a predicted image is created for use in temporally later predictive encoding; and a storage control means for performing storage control to control the storage of the reference picture in the storage means such that, from among the pictures which are encoded temporally earlier than a current picture in encoding process which is a picture to be encoded, and are capable of becoming reference pictures, a picture which is a picture of an image at the same viewpoint as the current picture in encoding process from among the first image and the second image and is closest to the current picture in encoding process in a display order is stored in the storage means.