Coding for content: enhanced resolution from coding

This paper describes a new video coding algorithm [Kermode 1994] that extends the traditional hybrid transform coding techniques used in MPEG in two ways. First, pictures are analyzed and segmented into a number of regions roughly corresponding to the background and any moving foreground objects. These regions are then encoded independently from one another thereby incorporating degree of useful content into the encoded representation beyond the pictures themselves. Second, the new algorithm also stores the background regions from several frames which can then be used to construct an artificial image at a higher resolution than that of the original background. Furthermore, both of these features are implemented at no overall cost in compression efficiency. In fact the new algorithm still outperforms MPEG, even for particularly degenerate sequences where the underlying assumption used for segmentation is broken