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(11)

EP 1 449 357 A1

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(43) Date of publication: 25.08.2004 Bulletin 2004/35 (21) Application number: 01946591.3 (22) Date of filing: 19.06.2001

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7: H04N 5/272 (86) International application number: PCT/US2001/019741 (87) International publication number: WO 2002/104009 (27.12.2002 Gazette 2002/52)

(84) Designated Contracting States: AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE TR Designated Extension States: AL LT LV MK RO SI (71) Applicants: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) 1015 Lausanne (CH) Businger, Peter A. Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 (US)	(72) Inventors: PRANDONI, Paolo 75010 - Paris (FR) VETTERLI, Martin CH-1091 Grandvaux (CH) AYER, Serge CH-1753 Matran (CH) (74) Representative: Reinhard - Skuhra - Weise & Partner  Postfach 44 01 51 80750 München 80750 München (DE)