Sony Corporation

Kouichi Uchide

Kazunori Yasuda

Tsuyoshi Oda

A method and an apparatus for recording, and reproducing data in which compression-coded moving picture signals can be continuously reproduced irrespective of the amount of information generated. When recording data obtained by compression-coding a moving picture signal of a fixed period of time on a recording medium, only writing to an FIFO buffer memory is effected and reading to the recording medium is inhibited for a fixed period of time from the output start of the data and, after the fixed period of time has elapsed, the writing of the compression-coded data to the FIFO buffer memory is continued and, at the same time, the data written to the FIFO buffer memory is read out at a data rate which is not lower than the data rate for the writing to packetize the data, the data thus packetized being recorded on the recording medium.

Method of and apparatus for data recording, method of and apparatus for

A method of and apparatus for data recording and a method of and apparatus for data reproduction, are provided in which compression-coded moving picture signals can be continuously reproduced irrespective of the amount of information generated. When recording data obtained by compression-coding a moving picture signal of a fixed period of time on a recording medium, only writing to an FIFO buffer memory is effected and reading to the recording medium is inhibited for a fixed period of time from the output start of the data and, after the fixed period of time has elapsed, the writing of the compression-coded data to the FIFO buffer memory is continued and, at the same time, the data written to the FIFO buffer memory is read out at a data rate which is not lower than the data rate for the writing to packetize the data, the data thus packetized being recorded on the recording medium.

A method of detecting a motion in image information includes a step of determining differential processing data by way of full search block matching, a step of processing a differential, and a step of generating differential processing data. The step of processing a differential includes a step STg1 for electing a motion vector, a step STg2 for establishing an area according to the selected motion vector, and a step STg3 for effecting full search block matching using the established area. The step of generating differential processing data includes a step STh1 for searching for a reverse region with an obtained motion vector, a step STh2 for calculating addresses of all macroblocks in the reverse region, a step STh3 for registering the differential processing data, a step STh4 for deciding whether one image frame is finished or not, a step STh5 for deciding whether there is a scene change or not, and a step STh6 for deciding whether a processing sequence is finished or not. The above method is capable of detecting an accurate motion in a short period of time, thereby increasing the efficiency of encoding image information.

Method of and apparatus for detecting a motion of image information,

Apparatus for detecting a motion vector and encoding picture signals. Where a motion vector is obtained by block matching employing a luminance pattern obtained by eliminating dc components from a luminance signal of a picture, and thus containing only ac components, is compared to a motion vector obtained by block matching employing a luminance signal of a picture. An optimum motion vector obtained based upon the result of comparison is employed as a true motion vector for variable length encoding the picture signal. In this manner, a correct motion vector may be detected and employed for variable length coding even in cases where the average luminance of the picture on the screen is varied significantly.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Kouichi Uchide