Method of generalized content-scalable shape representation and coding
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of content-scalable, shape representation and coding for use on an image object, comprising:
- forming a binary bitmap of the shape of an image object;
dividing the binary bitmap into a macroblock array;
defining important segments of the shape of an image object and defining non-important segments of the shape of the image object, wherein an important segment is a segment that surrounds a portion of the image object to be represented and coded with greater accuracy than an unimportant segment;
coding an important segment with more bits than are used to code a non-important segment;
forming a multi-resolution representation of each macroblock, wherein the multi-resolution representations range from a coarse resolution through successive layers of finer resolutions, and wherein the number of finer resolution representations is controlled for each macroblock on the basis of the visual importance of the region represented by the macroblock.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for content-scalable shape representation is described. In content-scalable shape representation, the more important parts of the image are encoded using a larger number of bits within a single hierarchical layer, or within one or more layers of multiple hierarchical layers. This representation may be used with the framework of a hierarchical vertex-based shape representation technique. The method described herein provides for the representation of shapes either by selected verticles along a contour, or by binary bit maps. The resulting representation facilitates content-scalable coding.
61 Citations
10 Claims
-
1. A method of content-scalable, shape representation and coding for use on an image object, comprising:
-
forming a binary bitmap of the shape of an image object; dividing the binary bitmap into a macroblock array; defining important segments of the shape of an image object and defining non-important segments of the shape of the image object, wherein an important segment is a segment that surrounds a portion of the image object to be represented and coded with greater accuracy than an unimportant segment; coding an important segment with more bits than are used to code a non-important segment; forming a multi-resolution representation of each macroblock, wherein the multi-resolution representations range from a coarse resolution through successive layers of finer resolutions, and wherein the number of finer resolution representations is controlled for each macroblock on the basis of the visual importance of the region represented by the macroblock. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 9)
-
-
6. A method of content-scalable, shape representation and coding for use on an image object, comprising:
-
representing the shape of the image object using plural hierarchical layers, wherein each layer represents the shape of the image object at a different level of accuracy; determining important segments and non-important segments of an image object shape from the image object, wherein an important segment is a segment that surrounds a portion of the image object to be represented and coded with the highest accuracy; defining a contour of interest about the periphery of the important segment and using a relatively larger number of vertices to define the contour of interest; selecting, for important segments of an image object shape, a total number of layers for each segment, and selecting, for non-important segments, a lesser number of layers than for the important segments; selecting a saliency parameter for each layer and for each segment; and coding the important segment of the image object with more bits allocated thereto than to the non-important segments of the image object. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 10)
-
Specification