Genesis Microchip Corporation

Faroudja Laboratories, Inc.

Other

Stmicroelectronics Gmbh

Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Tamiras Per Pte. Ltd., LLC

Peter D Swartz

Yves C Faroudja

Jack J Campbell

Steve Selby

Dong Xu

Yu Tian

Ravi Ananthapurbacche

Andrew MacKinnon

Vatsala Gopalakrishna

Eduardo Rogelio Corral Soto

A video processor includes a spatio-temporal noise reduction controller to determine current and previous image edge slopes and adaptively control a spatio-temporal noise reduction processor to blend current and previous images dependent on the current and previous image edge slope values.

Compression error handling for temporal noise reduction

Motion estimation systems and methods are disclosed. An apparatus may include a processing unit to acquire video images and to arrange the video images into a plurality of sequential video frames, and a motion estimation unit that receives the sequential video frames and determines a set of repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vectors for repetitive pattern content in a first frame. The set of repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vectors may be reduced by sorting the set to eliminate spurious repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vectors. The reduced set may be provided to a second adjacent frame. A method may include acquiring a plurality of sequential video frames having a repetitive pattern content, and determining a set of repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vectors for the repetitive pattern content in a first frame of the sequential video frames. The set of repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vectors may be sorted by determining at least one spurious repetitive pattern neighbor candidate vector. The sorted set may be provided to a second adjacent video frame.

Motion estimation in imaging systems

A television line doubler (interlaced to progressive scan converter) incorporating the following aspects an improved field motion detector which does not treat low frequency vertical transitions as motion; a frame motion detector having an improved ability to differentiate motion from subcarrier signal components; a sawtooth artifact detector; a sawtooth artifact detector in combination with a film pattern detector, such that the artifact detector can take the film pattern detector out of film mode earlier than it would if it only were responsive to a break in the film pattern; tandem field motion detectors; an improved field based film detector; film pattern detectors and motion detectors used therewith which operate by performing end-of-field calculations; the combination of a field motion detector and a frame motion detector such that the frame motion detector provides a motion signal used as a verification by the field motion detector; an improved NTSC film detector requiring a minimum number of NTSC film pattern sequences; and an improved PAL film detector employing a minimum motion threshold detector.

Interlaced video field motion detection

Global-adaptive deinterlacing systems and methods for reducing scintillation and feathering artifacts. Motion adaptive deinterlacing (MADI) local motion quantization thresholds are adaptively adjusted according to the amount of global motion present in the video sequence, thereby minimizing scintillation and feathering artifacts when deinterlacing the fields. A set of global motion scenarios are defined for the purpose of classifying fields, and a number of global motion indicators are used to detect on a field-by-field basis different global motion scenarios.

Global motion adaptive system with motion values correction with respect to luminance level

A multi-function display controller that includes a source detector unit for determining if the source of an input stream is either film originated source originated or video source originated. A source converter unit for converting the input image stream to a common signal processing format is coupled to the source detector unit. Once converted to the common signal processing format, a determination is made if the input image stream is interlaced or non-interlaced (progressive scan). If the input image stream is interlaced, a de-interlace unit converts the interlaced signal to progressive scan using either motion adaptive or motion compensated de-interlacing techniques. It should be noted that in the described embodiment, motion vectors generated for use by the motion compensated de-interlace can be optionally stored in a memory unit for use in subsequent operations, such as motion compensated frame rate conversion or noise reduction (if any).

Single chip multi-function display controller and method of use thereof

A video display system is disclosed. The video display system comprises a display generator for providing a display timing signal and a frame rate converter for receiving input video data, input video timing, and for providing output video data. The system includes a control logic for receiving a frame rate indication signal, the video input timing and the display timing signal. The control logic changes the display frame rate of the display generator in accordance with the native frame rate of the program, and in such a way as to maintain a stable image throughout.

Method and system for changing the frame rate to be optimal for the material being displayed while maintaining a stable image throughout

A television line doubler (interlaced to progressive scan converter) incorporating the following aspects&#x2014;an improved field motion detector which does not treat low frequency vertical transitions as motion; a frame motion detector having an improved ability to differentiate motion from subcarrier signal components; a sawtooth artifact detector; a sawtooth artifact detector in combination with a film pattern detector, such that the artifact detector can take the film pattern detector out of film mode earlier than it would if it only were responsive to a break in the film pattern; tandem field motion detectors; an improved field based film detector; film pattern detectors and motion detectors used therewith which operate by performing end-of-field calculations; the combination of a field motion detector and a frame motion detector such that the frame motion detector provides a motion signal used as a verification by the field motion detector; an improved NTSC film detector requiring a minimum number of NTSC film pattern sequences; and an improved PAL film detector employing a minimum motion threshold detector.

Film source video detection

A television line doubler (interlaced to progressive scan converter) incorporating the following aspects&mdash;an improved field motion detector which does not treat low frequency vertical transitions as motion; a frame motion detector having an improved ability to differentiate motion from subcarrier signal components; a sawtooth artifact detector; a sawtooth artifact detector in combination with a film pattern detector, such that the artifact detector can take the film pattern detector out of film mode earlier than it would if it only were responsive to a break in the film pattern; tandem field motion detectors; an improved field based film detector; film pattern detectors and motion detectors used therewith which operate by performing end-of-field calculations; the combination of a field motion detector and a frame motion detector such that the frame motion detector provides a motion signal used as a verification by the field motion detector; an improved NTSC film detector requiring a minimum number of NTSC film pattern sequences; and an improved PAL film detector employing a minimum motion threshold detector.

Video sources from a progressively scanned camera are processed so as to simulate a video source derived from motion picture film. The simulated film source video creates a distinctive 'pseudo-film pattern,' in which at least some of every SDTV video field has no motion or low motion with respect to corresponding picture areas of the SDTV video field paired with it (occasional rare camera-originated scenes result in a field in which the entire picture has high motion, breaking the pseudo-film pattern). Corresponding picture areas within the pairs of fields having no motion or low motion are merged, in the manner in which interlaced fields derived from the same motion picture frame are merged. Corresponding picture areas within the pairs of fields having high motion are subject to interlace-to-progressive scan conversion processing which is not purely a merger of fields. The result, during a pseudo-film pattern, is a progressively-scanned picture tantamount to that produced by the progressively-scanned camera--no motion and low motion portions of the reproduced picture are very sharp and essentially identical to that of the original camera source, whereas high motion portions of the picture will have lower resolution, appearing slightly 'fuzzy.' The resulting psychovisual impression is essentially identical to that of an HDTV system which stays progressive all the way from the source to the display, but at a fraction of the complexity and cost.

High-definition television signal processing for transmitting and

A television line doubler (interlaced to progressive scan converter) incorporating the following aspects--an improved field motion detector which does not treat low frequency vertical transitions as motion; a frame motion detector having an improved ability to differentiate motion from subcarrier signal components; a sawtooth artifact detector; a sawtooth artifact detector in combination with a film pattern detector, such that the artifact detector can take the film pattern detector out of film mode earlier than it would if it only were responsive to a break in the film pattern; tandem field motion detectors; an improved field based film detector; film pattern detectors and motion detectors used therewith which operate by performing end-of-field calculations; the combination of a field motion detector and a frame motion detector such that the frame motion detector provides a motion signal used as a verification by the field motion detector; an improved NTSC film detector requiring a minimum number of NTSC film pattern sequences; and an improved film detector employing a minimum motion threshold detector.

(1) The analog or digital components (such as RGB, Y/I/Q, Y/U/V, Y/R-Y/B-Y, Y/Cr/Cb, etc.) of a compatible standard-bandwidth 2-1 interlaced television signal, an analog signal, such as a standard NTSC or PAL television signal or a standard format digital signal, such as a digital representation of a standard NTSC or television signal or a digital video signal in one of the 2:1 interlaced CCIR 601 hierarchical formats, is converted from interlaced to progressive scan, the progressive scan frame rate corresponding to the interlaced scan field rate and each progressively scanned frame having twice as many scan lines as in each interlaced field, the conversion often referred to as 'line doubling;' (2) the line rate of the progressively scanned signal is increased by interpolation, including appropriate postfiltering (if the line rate of the progressively scanned signal is doubled, the overall effect is often referred to as 'line quadrupling' or 'line tripling' when the progressively scanned signal scan rate is multiplied by 1.5); and (3) the resulting signal is spectrally expanded in the vertical domain. Vertical bandwidth enhancement simulates a wide bandwidth vertical detail signal. The vertical detail signal is self-derived from the processed compatible signal itself.

Nonlinear vertical bandwidth expansion of video signals

Jagged vertical or diagonal transition artifacts in interlaced to line doubled progressive scan converted television signals are detected and areas of the television picture having such artifacts are subjected to vertical averaging such that the resolution of the jagged transitions is reduced, thereby softening, 'greying' or 'fuzzing' the jagged transitions and causing them to appear smooth. Thus, highly contrasted lines appearing in a sawtooth pattern, which are extremely perceptible, are replaced with a flash of what might be characterized as 'fuzziness,' which is not perceptible. The eye no longer perceives the jagged artifacts. Moreover, areas of reduced vertical and horizontal resolution, resulting from the vertical averaging, do not create any new artifacts and are not perceived by the eye. Artifacts are detected by comparing pixels in corresponding positions in the scan lines of the line doubled progressively scanned television signal. The detection scheme looks for sawtooth patterns by determining if there are differences among pixels in more than one set of three adjacent lines. When a sawtooth pattern is detected, the uncorrected signal in the sawtooth region of a scan line is faded to a vertically filtered or averaged signal just prior to the onset of the sawtooth artifact region and then faded back to the uncorrected signal just subsequent to the sawtooth artifact region. The sawtooth correction signal, which controls fading to and from a filtered video signal, is expanded in all directions horizontally and vertically somewhat beyond the region of the detected artifact in order to insure that all of the artifact is suppressed.

Suppression of sawtooth artifacts in an interlace-to-progressive

A motion detector generates a field motion detection signal from information contained in adjacent fields of a two-to-one interlaced format video signal. The motion detector comprises an input for receiving the video signal from a source, a first delay for delaying the video signal at the input by one field period less one half of one scanning line period and for providing a first delayed output, a second delay for delaying the video signal at the input by one field period plus one half of one scanning line period and for providing a second delayed output, a first subtraction circuit for subtracting the first delayed output from the video signal to provide a first difference, a second subtraction circuit for subtracting the second delayed output from the video signal to provide a second difference, and a comparison circuit for comparing the first difference with the second difference and for putting out a selected one thereof having a lesser absolute magnitude as the field motion detection signal. A film mode sequence pattern interruption detector using the motion detector is also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Peter D Swartz