1. An apparatus, comprising:
an encoder for encoding an image block by determining a motion estimation predictor for the image block using motion information previously generated from an element other than said encoder, and using the motion estimation predictor in a motion estimation process to generate a motion vector for the image block, wherein the motion estimation predictor is used in place of at least one predictor otherwise used in the motion estimation process, the at least one predictor being any of a search window predictor, a temporal predictor, and a block type predictor.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the other element from which the motion information is previously generated is a pre-processing element.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said encoder is configured as a transcoder, and the motion information is derived from a received bitstream to be transcoded.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said encoder also uses the motion information to determine a motion vector refinement process.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said encoder applies one or more thresholds to the motion information to terminate the motion estimation process.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said encoder scales the motion information according to a temporal distance between a current picture that includes the image block and a reference picture used for the motion estimation process.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said encoder generates the motion estimation predictor using the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said encoder omits the at least one predictor from the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
9. A video encoding method, comprising:
encoding an image block by determining a motion estimation predictor for the image block using motion information previously generated from an element other than an encoder that performs said encoding step, and using the motion estimation predictor in a motion estimation process to generate a motion vector for the image block, wherein the motion estimation predictor is used in place of at least one predictor otherwise used in the motion estimation process, the at least one predictor being any of a search window predictor, a temporal predictor, and a block type predictor.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the other element from which the motion information is previously generated is a pre-processing element.
11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is implemented in a transcoder, and the motion information is derived from a received bitstream to be transcoded.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein said encoding step also uses the motion information to determine a motion vector refinement process.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein said encoding step applies one or more thresholds to the motion information to terminate the motion estimation process.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein said encoding step scales the motion information according to a temporal distance between a current picture that includes the image block and a reference picture used for the motion estimation process.
15. The method of claim 9, wherein said encoding step generates the motion estimation predictor using the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said encoding step omits the at least one predictor from the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
17. An apparatus, comprising:
a transcoder for encoding an image block in accordance with a second video coding format,
wherein said transcoder reduces a complexity of a motion estimation process used to encode the image block in accordance with the second video coding format by determining a motion estimation predictor for the image block using motion information from a received bitstream corresponding to a first video coding format, wherein the motion estimation predictor is used in place of at least one predictor otherwise used in the motion estimation process, the at least one predictor being any of a search window predictor, a temporal predictor, and a block type predictor.
18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said transcoder comprises a decoder for decoding the received bitstream corresponding to the first video coding format.
19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said transcoder also uses the motion information to determine a motion vector refinement process.
20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said transcoder applies one or more thresholds to the motion information to terminate the motion estimation process.
21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said transcoder scales the motion information according to a temporal distance between a current picture that includes the image block and a reference picture used for the motion estimation process.
22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said transcoder generates the motion estimation predictor for the image block using the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said transcoder omits the at least one predictor from the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first video coding format corresponds to one of a first video coding standard or a first video coding recommendation, and the second video coding format corresponds to one of a second video coding standard or a second video coding recommendation.
25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the motion information is previously generated from an element other than said transcoder.
26. A video transcoding method, comprising:
transcoding an image block to encode the image block in accordance with a second video coding format,
wherein said transcoding step reduces a complexity of a motion estimation process used to encode the image block in accordance with the second video coding format by determining a motion estimation predictor for the image block using motion information from a received bitstream corresponding to a first video coding format, wherein the motion estimation predictor is used in place of at least one predictor otherwise used in the motion estimation process, the at least one predictor being any of a search window predictor, a temporal predictor, and a block type predictor.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said transcoding step comprises decoding the received bitstream corresponding to the first video coding format.
28. The method of claim 26, wherein said transcoding step also uses the motion information to determine a motion vector refinement process.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein said transcoding step applies one or more thresholds to the motion information to terminate the motion estimation process.
30. The method of claim 26, wherein said transcoding step scales the motion information according to a temporal distance between a current picture that includes the image block and a reference picture used for the motion estimation process.
31. The method of claim 26, wherein said transcoding step generates the motion estimation predictor for the image block using the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein said transcoding step omits the at least one predictor from the Enhanced Predictive Zonal Search Algorithm.
33. The method of claim 26, wherein the first video coding format corresponds to one of a first video coding standard or a first video coding recommendation, and the second video coding format corresponds to one of a second video coding standard or a second video coding recommendation.
34. The method of claim 26, wherein the motion information is previously generated from an element other than a transcoder that performs said transcoding step.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of heating a dental material contained in a package, comprising exposing the package to heat generated by an exothermic chemical reaction.
2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said step of exposing the package to heat includes inducing an exothermic chemical reaction within a heat pack.
3. A method as in claim 2, wherein said step of exposing includes physically contacting the package and said heat pack.
4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said exothermic chemical reaction results from the mixture of iron powder, water, a salt, activated charcoal, vermiculite and air.
5. A method as in claim 2, wherein said heat pack is in the shape of an envelope, such that the package may be placed within the envelope.
6. A heat pack for heating a packaged dental material comprising a fabric enclosing a mixture of ingredients which can be induced to react to produce heat.
7. A heat pack as in claim 6, wherein said fabric is configured to receive the packaged dental material.
8. A heat pack as in claim 7 wherein said fabric is in the shape of an envelope having an open end for receiving the packaged dental material.
9. A heat pack as in claim 6, further comprising a temperature indicia.
10. A heat pack as in claim 9 wherein said indicia is in the form of a label affixed to said fabric.
11. A heat pack as in claim 6, wherein said fabric is caused to produce an indicia upon reaching a predetermined temperature.