Implicit arbitrary shape visual objects via MPEG-4 scene description

First, a brief overview of the MPEG-4 standard is presented to highlight the fact that in order to achieve object based functionality, it requires arbitrary shaped visual objects. Next, a number of applications and their requirements are reviewed to determine the need for more than one class of solutions for visual shape representation. Then, a brief review of the solution for shape representation in MPEG-4 version 1 is presented, and, a solution that we have proposed for MPEG-4 version 2 is outlined. Details of our implicit shape coding which uses chromakey in MPEG4 systems scene description (BIFS) are then presented. Implementation of our shape representation in a real-time MPEC-4 player is then discussed. Finally we address the context in which our shape representation can address unique functionalities