US5936671A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Object-based video processing using forward-tracking 2-D mesh layers
Assignee: Rakuten Group Inc
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Filing: 1997-07-02
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Granted: 1999-08-10
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Expires: 2017-07-02
Abstract
Abstract The invented method involves the object-based processing of parts of video frames referred to as Video Object Planes using 2-D meshes, wherein the color and shape information associated with the Video Object Planes are assumed to be known at every frame and wherein each video object is processed independently. The invented method more particularly involves utilization of the Alpha Planes, which contain the shape information, in object-based design of an initial 2-D mesh, wherein an Alpha Plane is used to form a constraining polygonal mesh boundary, as well as in object-based tracking of mesh node points, wherein motion vectors of nodes on the mesh boundary are constrained so that these node points always lie along the Alpha Plane boundary, by means of restriction of the search space or back-projection, and mesh-based Video Object Plane mapping takes into account any differences between the mesh boundary and the Video Object Plane boundary. Such invented methods may be computer-implemented or computer-assisted, as by being coded as software within any coding system as memory-based instructions executed by a microprocessor, PC or mainframe computer, or may be implemented in hardware such as a state machine.
Inventors
- 👤 Petrus J. L. Van Beek
- 👤 Ahmet M. Tekalp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 14:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N19/00; H04N19/50; H04N19/503; H04N19/51; H04N19/537; H04N19/54; H04N19/20; H04N19/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for mesh-based representation of the motion of different arbitrary shaped Video Objects, the method comprising the steps of: representing and processing each Video Object independently from other Video Objects with a given Alpha Plane of a Video Object Plane utilized in design of a mesh.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
47 words
A method for mesh-based representation of the motion of different arbitrary shaped Video Objects, the method comprising the steps of: representing and processing each Video Object independently from other Video Objects with a given Alpha Plane of a Video Object Plane utilized in design of a mesh.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for tracking the node points of an object-based mesh, the method comprising the steps of: defining Video Object Plane boundaries by Alpha planes which are known at every frame; and constraining motion vectors of node points on a mesh boundary of the object-based mesh to lie along the Video Object Plane boundary at every frame.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for tracking the node points of an object-based mesh, the method comprising the steps of: defining Video Object Plane boundaries by Alpha planes which are known at every frame; and constraining motion vectors of node points on a mesh boundary of the object-based mesh to lie along the Video Object Plane boundary at every frame.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An improved method for constraining mesh boundary nodes along a Video Object Plane boundary, the improvement comprising restricting search space for new node locations during motion vector estimation such that an order of the nodes along a polygonal mesh boundary is not allowed to change.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
An improved method for constraining mesh boundary nodes along a Video Object Plane boundary, the improvement comprising restricting search space for new node locations during motion vector estimation such that an order of the nodes along a polygonal mesh boundary is not allowed to change.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
63 words
An improvement to video data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane shape, motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvements comprising: Replacing the existing block-based motion data processing by a layer of mesh-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to mesh-based motion data processing criteria.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
An improvement to video data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane shape, motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvements comprising: Replacing the existing block-based motion data processing by a layer of mesh-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to mesh-based motion data processing criteria.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
An improvement to video data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane shape, motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvement comprising: Adding a layer of mesh-based motion data processing to the existing block-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to mesh-based motion data processing criteria; and the block-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to block-based motion data processing criteria.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
79 words
An improvement to video data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane shape, motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvement comprising: Adding a layer of mesh-based motion data processing to the existing block-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to mesh-based motion data processing criteria; and the block-based motion data processing is performed in accordance to block-based motion data processing criteria.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for tracking of the node points along Video Object Plane boundaries for a case I, the method comprising the steps of: assuming the Video Object Plane boundaries to be known at every frame; and constraining motion vectors of nodes along a boundary to lie along a same Video Object Plane boundary at a next frame by restricting search space.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for tracking of the node points along Video Object Plane boundaries for a case I, the method comprising the steps of: assuming the Video Object Plane boundaries to be known at every frame; and constraining motion vectors of nodes along a boundary to lie along a same Video Object Plane boundary at a next frame by restricting search space.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
In connection with a video coding method for tracking node points of a video object plane along the video object plane boundaries known at every frame, the improvement comprising: constraining the motion vectors of nodes along the boundary to lie along the same video object plane boundary at the next frame, thereby restricting the search space in a predefined way.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
60 words
In connection with a video coding method for tracking node points of a video object plane along the video object plane boundaries known at every frame, the improvement comprising: constraining the motion vectors of nodes along the boundary to lie along the same video object plane boundary at the next frame, thereby restricting the search space in a predefined way.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 7, wherein said search space is restricted for those nodes that define the mesh boundary at the next frame that lie at the Alpha plane boundary matching those at the present frame.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
95 words
An improvement to data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvement comprising: adding a layer of mesh-based motion data processing to the existing block-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing distinguishes between a first case I whereby at least one video object plane is defined by chroma-key sequences; processing mesh-based motion data in accordance with mesh-based motion data processing criteria; and processing block-based motion data in accordance with predefined block-based motion data processing criteria.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
95 words
An improvement to data compression methods for processing successive video frames to code video object plane motion and texture where the processing includes block-based motion data processing, the improvement comprising: adding a layer of mesh-based motion data processing to the existing block-based motion data processing, wherein the mesh-based motion data processing distinguishes between a first case I whereby at least one video object plane is defined by chroma-key sequences; processing mesh-based motion data in accordance with mesh-based motion data processing criteria; and processing block-based motion data in accordance with predefined block-based motion data processing criteria.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5719629A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-08-09 | 2003-02-08 | 2003-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-08-09 | 2007-02-08 | 2007-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-08-09 | 2011-02-08 | 2011-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |