Motion vector estimation and detection of covered/uncovered image parts

Abstract

In a method of detecting covered and uncovered parts in an image to be interpolated between neighboring previous (I) and next (III) input images, backward motion vectors from the next input image to the previous input image, and having corresponding backward estimation errors, and forward motion vectors from the previous input image to the next input image, and having corresponding forward estimation errors, are determined, uncovered and covered parts are detected in the neighboring previous and next input images, respectively, in the thus detected uncovered parts, uncovered parts in the image to be interpolated are detected by determining second backward estimation errors by comparing both neighboring previous and next input images when partially shifted over the backward motion vectors to a temporal location of said image to be interpolated, and by comparing the second backward estimation errors to a threshold, and in the thus detected covered parts, covered parts in the image to be interpolated are detected by determining second forward estimation errors by comparing both neighboring previous and next input images when partially shifted over the forward motion vectors to a temporal location of the image to be interpolated, and by comparing the second forward estimation errors to the threshold.