MPEG-4 Authoring Tool Using Moving Object Segmentation and Tracking in Video Shots

An Authoring tool for the MPEG-4 multimedia standard integrated with image sequence analysis algorithms is described. MPEG-4 offers numerous capabilities and is expected to be the future standard for multimedia applications. However, the implementation of these capabilities requires a complex authoring process, employing many different competencies from image sequence analysis and encoding of audio/visual/BIFS to the implementation of different delivery scenarios: local access on CD/DVD-ROM, Internet, or broadcast. However powerful the technologies underlying multimedia computing are, the success of these systems depends on their ease of authoring. In this paper, a novel Authoring tool fully exploiting the object-based coding and 3D synthetic functionalities of the MPEG-4 standard is described. It is based upon an open and modular architecture able to progress with MPEG-4 versions and it is easily adaptable to newly emerging better and higher-level authoring and image sequence analysis features.