Motorola Corporation

Xing Zhang

Jing Wu

Jian Zhang

Reji Mathew

Igor Kharitonenko

Mikhail Shnaider

A method for determining motion vectors in an interlaced video coding system for coding images comprising interlaced odd and even field. The method () includes selecting () a current odd field block and a current even field block that respectively comprise odd and even fields of a selected current image block. Differences are identified () and thereafter, suitable best matching odd and even field matching reference blocks are determined (). From the suitable best matching odd and even field matching reference blocks a reduced field search area is provided () that is used to complete further searching () and selection of field motion vectors (). Pseudo-frame motion vector selection is also conducted () and a preferred motion vector is selected () from either a field motion vector pair or pseudo-frame motion vector.

Interlaced video motion estimation

A method for reducing blurring associated with objects forming part of a grey scale image. The method includes receiving ( ) a set of image pixels and then calculating ( ) a gradient value for each one of the image pixels in the set. A selecting step ( ) selects candidate object edge pixels from the image pixels by comparing the gradient value for each one of the image pixels in the set with a threshold value. A determining step ( ) then determines a distribution of number candidate object edge pixels with specific grey level values. Thereafter, candidate object edge pixels within said distribution that have the same grey level values are identically non-linearly modified at a modifying step

Method for reducing image blurring

An image compression system ( ) having a wavelet transform module ( ) for decomposing an input image subdivided into blocks using a wavelet transformation utilizes a statistics generator ( ) to determine average statistics over several blocks to provide an indication of the activity of a current image block. This activity value is passed to a quantisation control module ( ) which determines quantisation parameters for a quantisation module ( ) which quantises the transform coefficients output from the wavelet transform module ( ). The quantised transform coefficients are the coded for onward transmission or storage by coder ( ). The quantisation control module ( ) also receives bit rate information for the current image block from a rate monitoring module, which determines the bit rate for the current block from a desired bit rate and information on the number of bits used for the previous image block.

Image compression system and method of determining quantization parameters therefor

Apparatus ( ) for compensating for jitter in a digital image forming part of a video sequence of such digital images includes a first motion estimation unit ( ) having an input for receiving sensed image data and an output for providing a first plurality of motion vectors, each corresponding to one of a plurality of image blocks making up the digital image. A jitter estimation unit ( ) determines a jitter vector from the first plurality of motion vectors for the digital image and a jitter compensation unit ( ) adjusts the digital image using the jitter vector to compensate for jitter in the digital image. A second motion estimation unit ( ) provides a second plurality of motion vectors, each corresponding to one of a plurality of image blocks making up the jitter compensated digital image. The second plurality of motion vectors are determined by utilizing the first plurality of motion vectors and the jitter vector. The second plurality of motion vectors can be used in coding the jitter compensated image for storage and/or onward transmission.

Method and apparatus for compensating for jitter in a digital video image

Two document images which have been compressed using the JBIG-2 standard for facsimile applications so as to include a plurality of index numbers, one or more positions in each image associated with the index numbers, and a group symbol for each index number can be merged to form a final composite image. Firstly, two virtual indexed images are formed by patterns of the index numbers at their associated positions in the document images. The patterns of index numbers in the two virtual indexed images are then compared ( ) to determine whether there is correlation between the patterns of index numbers in at least parts of the two virtual indexed images. The two virtual indexed images are then merged ( ), when there is a sufficient correlation, such that the parts that correlate overlap each other to provide a merged virtual indexed image, and then the index numbers in the merged virtual indexed image are replaced ( ) by the corresponding group symbol to provide the final composite image.

Method and apparatus for merging images

A method (,) for automatically focusing an optical instrument (,) having a lens (,) with only two focus positions. The method comprises acquiring a first image (,) when the lens (,) is in a first position (,) and thereafter processing pixel light intensities (,) of part of the image to provide a focus detection value indicative of image blurr. A threshold test (,) is then effected and if the focus detection value is outside a desired range the lens (,) is automatically moved to a second position (,).

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Menai, Australia

Xing Zhang