Camera work detecting method

Abstract

A motion picture image editing method and in particular, a method for detecting such camera works as zooming and panning motions from a motion picture image stored in video tape or the like. In this method, a motion picture image constituted by a plurality of consecutive picture images on every frame basis, and on time series basis and on the basis of a correlation value for a displacement between the frames at a typical point determined for each of small blocks constituting the motion picture image, a motion vector for each of the small blocks is detected. Then a first motion parameter for estimation of a motion of a camera is generated with use of the motion vector detected at corresponding one of the typical points of first one of the frames. Or the first motion parameter for estimation of the motion of the camera is generated with use of a combination of the motion vector and a position vector at corresponding one of the typical points of a second frame inputted previous by one frame to the first frame. Further, the first motion parameters for the respective frames are found, the found first motion parameters are integrated until an integrated value exceeds a predetermined allowable value, and the integrated value is averaged through an integration period to calculate a second motion parameter for determination of the camera motion for the integration period. Finally, the camera motion is detected on the basis of the second motion parameter.