CODING ALGORITHM WITH REGION-BASED MOTION COMPENSATION

This paper describes a region-based coding algorithm developed by Thom son Multimedia and submitted to MPEG-4 tests of November 1995 and Janu ary 1996. In this algorithm, the segmentation into regions is based on an advanced motion analysis, successively achieving a multiresolution motion held estimation and a segmentation based on a Markovian statis tical approach, which insures a good temporal coherence of segmentatio n maps and an identification of covered areas. Moreover, the accurate motion description allows an intermediate frames interpolation which c an increase the displayed frame rate. Simulation results and MPEG-4 te sts of January 1996 have shown that the algorithm is as efficient as b lock-based coding algorithms like MPEG-1 or H.263 for the compression functionality, while offering temporal scalability by higher frame rat es. Moreover, description of the scene in coherent motion regions may be seen as an intermediate step toward object-based functionalities.