For an MPEG coding scheme, the encoder can do more than video compression. In this paper, a novel MPEG codec embedded with scene-effect information detection and insertion is proposed to provide more functionality at the decoder end. Based on the macroblock (MB) type of information that is generated simultaneously in the encoding process, a single-pass automatic scene-effect insertion MPEG coding scheme can be achieved. Using the USER/spl I.bar/DATA of picture header, the video output bitstreams by our method still conform to the conventional MPEG decoding system. The proposed method provides a solution toward upgrading the existing MPEG codec with low complexity to accomplish at least two major advantages. Precise and effective video browsing resulting from the scene-effect extraction can significantly reduce the user's time to look up what they are interested in. For video transmission, the bitstreams containing scene-effect information can obtain better error concealment performance when scene changes are involved. Compared with the gain it achieves, the payout of our algorithm is very worthy with comparatively small efforts.

In this paper, the impact of scene change on the conventional error concealment method is addressed and a novel error concealment method is proposed to improve the insufficiency of the conventional temporal error concealment algorithm due to the occurrence of scene change. Combining with the low complexity scene change detection algorithm using macroblock type information, the corrupt blocks resulting from bit errors are concealed either temporally or spatially depending on whether or not an abrupt scene change is found. In the case of gradual scene change, a novel error concealment method of interpolation and extrapolation is proposed to utilize the linear property of gradual scene change sequence, and effectively reduce the concealment error in comparison with the conventional algorithm. A great improvement of about 3 to 5 dB PSNR on average and 6 to 8 dB in some cases is obtained with very little memory and computation overhead.

For video scene analysis, the wipe transition is considered most complex and difficult to detect. In this paper, an effective wipe detection method is proposed using the macroblock (MB) information of the MPEG compressed video. By analyzing the prediction directions of B frames, which are revealed in the MB types, the scene change region of each frame can be found. Once the accumulation of the scene change regions covers most of the area of the frame, the sequence will be considered a motionless wipe transition sequence. Besides, uncommon intracoded MB of the B frame can also be applied as an indicator of the motion wipe transition. A very simple analysis based on small amount of MB type information is sufficient to achieve wipe detection directly on MPEG compressed video. Easy extraction of MB type information, low-complexity analysis algorithm and robustness to arbitrary shape and direction of wipe transitions are the great advantages of the proposed method.

We propose an effective and efficient wipe detection method based on the macroblock information of the MPEG compressed video. Two types of wipe transitions are taken into consideration. By analyzing the prediction directions of B frames, which are revealed in the MB types, the scene change region of each frame can be found. Once the accumulation of the scene change regions covers most area of the frame, the sequence will be considered a wipe transition sequence. Besides, uncommon intra-coded MBs of the B frame can also be applied as an indicator of the wipe transition. A very simple analysis based on small amount of MB type information is sufficient to achieve wipe detection directly on MPEG compressed video.

Efficient indexing methods are required to handle the rapidly increasing amount of visual information within video databases. Video analysis that partitions the video into clips or extracts interesting frames is an important preprocessing step for video indexing. We develop a novel method for video analysis using the macroblock (MB) type information of MPEG compressed video bitstreams. This method exploits the comparison operations performed in the motion estimation procedure, which results in specific characteristics of the MB type information when scene changes occur or some special effects are applied. Only a simple analysis on MB types of frames is needed to achieve very fast scene change, gradual transition, flashlight, and caption detection. The advantages of this novel approach are its direct extraction from the MPEG bitstreams after VLC decoding, very low complexity analysis, frame-based detection accuracy and high sensitivity.