Stmicroelectronics S.a.

Nxp B.v.

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Stmicroelectronics (grenoble 2) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (research & Development) Limited

Stmicroelectronics France

St-ericsson Sa

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Callahan Cellular LLC

Oct Circuit Technologies International Limited

Arnaud Bourge

Olivier Pothier

Victor Macela

Alain Bellon

Tarek Lule

Gregory Roffet

Antoine Drouot

Manu Alibay

Jorge Caviedes

Stéphane Auberger

Brian Douglas Stewart

Yann Le Maguet

Anthony Morel

Ed Hawkins

Adrien Graton

Joël Jung

Gwladys Hermant

Jôel Jung

Luis Ignacio Escobar Sanz

Tanguy Le Dauphin

Chandan Siyag

Françoise Groliere

Sanz Escobar

In an embodiment an apparatus includes a scanning photographic sensor configured to acquire an image, according to an integration time of the sensor, of a scene illuminated with periodically emitted light pulses by a source, so that the image has a regular succession of bands with different luminosities when the integration time of the sensor is different from a period of the light pulses, a processor configured to generate a signature vector representative of the regular succession of bands with different luminosities being present in the image acquired by the photographic sensor, wherein the signature vector is independent of a reflectance of an objects of the scene and of a level of light in the scene, determine a frequency of the bands in the image on basis of the generated signature vector and determine the period of the pulses of the source on basis of the determined frequency of the bands in the image, and a controller configured to adjust the integration time of the photographic sensor so that the integration time is a multiple of the determined period of the light pulses of the source.

Apparatus including a photographic sensor

The method of determination of a depth map of a scene comprises generation of a distance map of the scene obtained by time of flight measurements, acquisition of two images of the scene from two different viewpoints, and stereoscopic processing of the two images taking into account the distance map. The generation of the distance map includes generation of distance histograms acquisition zone by acquisition zone of the scene, and the stereoscopic processing includes, for each region of the depth map corresponding to an acquisition zone, elementary processing taking into account the corresponding histogram.

Method and apparatus for depth-map estimation of a scene

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, where each of the plurality of pixels includes a photodiode. The image sensor is configured to capture images of a scene exposed with a flickering light source by for each of the plurality of pixels, acquiring a value representative of a light level at a corresponding pixel by gradually varying a value of sensitivity of the corresponding pixel.

Image capture method adapted to sparkling light sources and image sensor

Image capture method adapted to flickering light sources and image sensor

A system has an array of pixels including a plurality of active pixels and a plurality of dark reference pixels and processing circuitry coupled to the array of pixels. The processing circuitry sequentially computes, for each of a plurality of pairs of sets of dark reference pixels of the plurality of dark reference pixels, absolute differences in dark signal levels of the pair of sets of dark reference pixels. The absolute differences in dark signal levels are accumulated and a noise level of the dark reference pixels of the array of pixels is estimated based on the accumulated absolute differences. The system may be employed in, for example, a back-up camera of an automobile or a mobile phone.

Method and device for estimating noise level of dark reference rows of an image sensor

An electronic device includes a SPAD array and readout circuitry coupled thereto. The readout circuitry generates a depth map having a first resolution, and a signal count map having a second resolution greater than the first resolution. The depth map corresponds to distance observations to an object. The signal count map corresponds to intensity observation sets of the object, with each intensity observation set including intensity observations corresponding to a respective distance observation in the depth map. An upscaling processor is coupled to the readout circuitry to calculate upscaling factors for each intensity observation set so that each distance observation has respective upscaling factors associated therewith. The depth map is then upscaled from the first resolution to the second resolution based on the respective upscaling factors.

Electronic device with an upscaling processor and associated method

An electronic device includes a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array and readout circuitry coupled thereto. The readout circuitry generates a depth map having a first resolution, and a signal count map having a second resolution greater than the first resolution. The depth map corresponds to distance observations to an object. The signal count map corresponds to intensity observation sets of the object, with each intensity observation set including intensity observations corresponding to a respective distance observation in the depth map. An upscaling processor is coupled to the readout circuitry to calculate upscaling factors for each intensity observation set so that each distance observation has respective upscaling factors associated therewith. The depth map is then upscaled from the first resolution to the second resolution based on the respective upscaling factors.

Electronic device with an upscaling processor and associated methods

A method for detecting faces in an image having a plurality of picture elements, each having a plurality of color components in a predetermined color space, includes determining an extended range for color component values, in the color space, in which a skin tone area is likely to be detected, defining intervals for the color component values, in the color space, covering at least part of the extended range, and scanning each of the intervals to detect a skin tone area. If a skin tone area is detected, the method includes selecting the intervals in which a skin tone area is detected, defining candidate limited ranges for color component values, in the color space, from the selected intervals, performing face detection on a skin tone area in at least some of the candidate limited ranges, and selecting a chosen candidate limited range based on the number of faces detected.

Face detection method

The present invention relates to a method of storing pictures in a memory, a picture being divided into data blocks, said method comprising the step of: computing a transform of an input data block for producing a transformed data block comprising a set of n transformed elements, where n is an integer, entropy coding m first transformed elements of the transformed data block for producing an encoded data block, where m is an integer lower than n, computing a cost function on the basis of a weighted sum of a distortion value between the input data block and the encoded data block and a power consumption required for reading or writing the encoded data block in the memory, iterating the entropy coding and cost function computing steps for different values of m, and storing in the memory the encoded data block corresponding to the value of m that minimizes the cost function.

Method of storing pictures in a memory using compression coding and cost function including power consumption

The present invention relates to a method of and a device for decoding a set of encoded frames at a first resolution (SD) so as to produce a set of output frames at a lower resolution (QCIF). Said device comprises: a partial decoding unit (DECp) for producing a first residual error field at a second resolution lower than the first one and a second residual error field at a third resolution lower than the first one based on the encoded frame; &#x2014;a first predicting unit (PRED) for producing a first motion-compensated field based on the first residual error field, on a first reference field (Fix) and on a second reference field (Fix); a first adder for combining the first residual error field with the first motioncompensated field so as to obtain a next first reference field (Fiy); &#x2014;a second predicting unit (PRED) for producing a second motion-compensated field based on the second residual error field, on the first reference field and on the second reference field; a second adder for combining the second residual error field with the second motioncompensated field so as to obtain a next second reference field (Fiy), the next second reference field corresponding to an output frame.

Device for producing progressive frames from interlaced encoded frames

The present invention relates to a method of encoding a sequence of pictures, a picture being divided into blocks of data, said encoding method comprising the steps of:&#x2014;computing a residual error block from a difference between a current block contained in a current picture and a candidate area using of a prediction function,&#x2014;computing an entropy of the residual error block,&#x2014;computing an overall error between said current block and said candidate area,&#x2014;estimating a power consumption of a video processing device adapted to implement said prediction function,&#x2014;computing a rate-distortion value on the basis of the entropy, the overall error and the estimated power consumption of the video processing device,&#x2014;applying the preceding steps to a set of candidate areas using a set of prediction functions in order to select a prediction function according to the rate-distortion value.

Method of video encoding for handheld apparatuses selecting best prediction function according to optimal rate-distortion value

The invention relates to a method of measuring blocking artefacts on the basis of video data encoded in accordance with a block encoding technique. This method comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform () of a first row of a first block of encoded video data, suitable for supplying a value of a first virtual border pixel (vep). It also comprises a step of computing a monodimensional inverse discrete transform () of a first row of a second block of encoded video data, the second block being adjacent to the first block, suitable for supplying a value of a second virtual border pixel (vep). Finally, the method comprises a step of computing () a blocking artefact level (VEP-L) on the basis of an absolute value of the difference between the values of the first and second virtual pixels. This method finds its application, for example, in video encoders, decoders and transcoders.

Method of measuring blocking artefacts

The present invention relates to a method of down-sampling data values. A first set of data values comprise a central data value and peripheral values of original data spatially surrounding the central data value. The central and peripheral values are compared to determine whether any differences exceed a threshold. Whenever a difference does exceed a threshold, a clipped value based upon the central data value replaces the corresponding peripheral value, thereby producing a second set of data values.

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Paris, France

Arnaud Bourge