Abstract: A controller, for use in a video signal encoding system, decides an inter/intra mode, a field/frame DCT mode and a quantization parameter, wherein the video signal contains a multiplicity of GOP's, each of the GOP's being classified into three types of frames, each of the frames being divided into a multiplicity of macroblocks.

Abstract: In a video disk recording/playback device for converting a digital video signal or the like into high-efficiency coded data and recording the coded data on a video disk, or for restoring high-efficiency coded data recorded on the video disk and reproducing an output image, wherein said digital video signal is composed of a succession of video signals of a plurality of frames and including an I picture encoded within a frame, a P picture interframe coded by forward motion compensation with reference to said I picture and/or another P picture, and a B picture interframe coded by motion compensation in both directions with reference to said I and/or P pictures temporally preceding and succeeding the B picture, there are further provided a means for recording in an image information table set up on said video disk all of the start addresses of coded data representing selected images such as images to be retrieved and the start addresses of data containing information required for reproducing the coded data.

Abstract: An optical disk comprises at least one video title set where data is to be recorded, and a video manager for recording management information for managing the video title set. The video title set includes VTSTT.sub.-- VOBS where data is recorded, VTSM.sub.-- VOBS where at least one video title set menu, which is to be used at the time of checking and selecting contents of various kinds of data recorded in the VTSTT.sub.-- VOBS, and corresponds to the contents, is recorded, and VTSM.sub.-- PGCI.sub.-- UT where the recording position of the video title set menu in this VTSM VOBS is recorded for the content of each data corresponding the video title set menu. The video manager comprises VMGM.sub.-- VOBS where a video manager menu corresponding to the management information is recorded and VMGM.sub.-- PGCI.sub.-- UT where the recording position of the video manager menu in this VMGM.sub.-- VOBS is recorded for the content of each data corresponding to the video manager menu.

Abstract: Each of element processors arranged in correspondence to pixels of a template block and a search window block respectively includes an A register and a B register provided in parallel with each other for storing search window block pixel data respectively, and a T register for storing template block pixel data. Motion vector evaluation value calculation is performed through a first one of the A and B registers and the pixel data stored in the T register, while operated data is transferred to the second one of the A and B registers from the first one of the A and B registers in parallel with the calculation operation, for storing head search window block pixel data of a next search window. A motion vector is detected at a high speed in excellent coding efficiency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for encoding of digital video signals in the form of video clips (A,B) to enable them to be seamlessly joined without requiring reset of a decoder to a starting state. The system uses an encoder having a coding stage and an encoder buffer, and comprises successively encoding the pictures of a clip according to a predetermined coding scheme (suitably according to MPEG standards), reading the encoded pictures into the buffer, and subsequently reading the encoded clip out of the buffer at a substantially constant bit rate. To enable simple joining of the clips, a predetermined encoder buffer occupancy (B.sub.ic) is specified with a controllably varied target number of bits being used to encode a picture. The targeting produces an encoder buffer occupancy substantially equal to the predetermined buffer occupancy (B.sub.ic) at the moment the last picture of the segment has been read into the buffer.

Abstract: A method for obtaining spectral radiation data for points in a field of view utilizes a broad band variable filter to produce different intensity distributions on a photocell array. The array is in the focal plane of a camera and photocell locations correspond to points in the field of view. The variable filter has a sequence of optical train elements comprised of a first linear polarizer, a body of optically active material, a retarder and a second linear polarizer. A series of radiance measurements are taken at each photocell of the array and at least one of the optical train components is repositioned between measurements. For each photocell, a collection of photocell values is stored in a computer memory and is converted to a system of linear equations. Intensities for spectral components of light incident thereon are derived for each photocell. The method can be used to create a two-dimensional intensity map for the pixel array for each wavelength measured.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus for coding a moving picture and a moving picture decoding apparatus for decoding a coded moving picture are provided. The moving picture coding apparatus is operative to divide a picture signal of a picture frame of N pixels.times.M lines (horizontal N pixels, vertical M lines) to be coded between a first picture portion serving as the inside picture portion having picture frame of N.sub.1 pixels.times.M.sub.1 lines (N.sub.1 .ltoreq.N, M.sub.1 .ltoreq.M) and a second picture portion serving as picture portion outside the first picture portion to divide the first and second picture portions in independent predetermined divisional units comprised of a plurality of pixels, and to add peculiar discrimination codes to headers of divisional units in transmitting coded information of predetermined divisional units belonging to the second picture portion.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for reordering frames in MPEG coder/decoder, in which input image frames of a displaying order are transformed to a transmitting order, and conversely, transmitted order to the displaying order, for coding and decoding by dividing image frame data into I-pictures, P-pictures, and B-pictures, comprise the steps of: determining whether current input image frames are B-pictures or not, and by-passing to an outer frame buffer if determined to be B-pictures; inputting line-scanned pixel data for B-pictures and storing the line-scanned data into a slice buffer in slice units; reading the stored data from the slice buffer and storing the read data into an inner frame buffer in macro block (MB) units; determining whether the processed slice is the last frame or not and repeating the previous steps, if not; and repeating the above entire steps for the next picture if the processed slice is the last frame.

Abstract: A single camera autostereoscopic video device including an array of cylindrical lenses. The device includes a single inlet objective having a single optical axis. The lens array is positioned substantially in the image focal plane of the entrance objective and has a focal length such that for an image area equal to the pitch of the lenses constituting the array, the image of the entrance pupil of the inlet objective has a nominal width equal to the pitch. The device also includes a transfer optical system and an image sensor. The transfer optical system directs the light rays which emerge from the lens array onto the image sensor. The image of the lens array in the transfer optical system being such that the pitch of the lenses of the lens array corresponds therein to an integer number of image points (pixels) of the image sensor.

Abstract: An image data decoding and displaying apparatus is equipped with a decode map set for storing decoded data for every frame into an empty areas in a memory. This set contains a plurality of maps each describing a memory area for a frame. A map is changed by a unidirectional counter for every start of a decode operation in frames. A display map set is also provided with a bidirectional counter. Normally, these two counters are incremented every time a frame is decoded and displayed, respectively, so the same maps are referred to from decode operation and display operation. In the display operation, bidirectional counter is decremented by one if data is not decoded in time for display, so that a map for an immediately preceding picture is referred to. In such a case, the previous picture is displayed twice in place of the current picture. Display transition from the current picture to the previous one is performed smoothly changing maps consistently for these pictures.

Abstract: A method of correcting picture steadiness errors (or film weave correction) in telecine scanning is proposed, in which, in a first step, at least one sample area of the picture contents of the video signal obtained by film scanning is determined by way of structure recognition, this sample area corresponding to a curvature in the picture contents. In a second step, it is checked, by way of comparison, whether the determined sample areas are recognizable in a search area of the sequential frame. In a third step, motion vector signals are generated when the sample areas are recognized again in the sequential frame, these motion vector signals defining the direction of motion and the extent of deviation of the position of the determined sample area from the position of the recognized sample area. In a fourth step, parameters of a transform function are determined by the motion vector signals.

Abstract: A video decoding and display system uses temporal post-processing to smooth motion in a displayed moving image. The temporal post-processing uses motion vectors each of which indicates visually similar areas in first and second frames to generate interpolated motion vectors which match areas in an interpolated frame to visually similar areas in the first and second frames. In one embodiment, each component of each motion vector is divided by two and used to generate an interpolated frame half way between the first and second frames. Display of the first and second frames are delayed so that the interpolated frame is displayed at a time half way between the display times of the first and second frames.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for interpolating image lines from ultrasonically obtained scanlines of an image region. The interpolated lines are preferably formed one-quarter and three-quarters of the distance between each pair of received scanlines by combining weighted samples of the adjacent scanlines in proportion to their distances from the interpolated lines. The received scanlines are preferably formed by a beamformer which samples the received lines at quadrature phases of the scanhead center frequency and filters the samples by combining successive samples of a related phase. The image lines are scan converted by computing a grid of weighted values between each pair of image lines, and using the closest value for each pixel in the ultrasound image.

Abstract: A video apparatus with image memory function has a memory of three ports (one for write, two for read), memory read control units corresponding to two independent read ports and adapted to read a desired area (first area) from a first read port and an area (second area) which contains the first area and is wider than the first area from a second read port, and a memory write control unit. With this construction, an input video signal is written to the memory, starting with a write head address designated by the memory write control unit, the first and second fields to be read during the next field are determined during the period of vertical blanking, a next write head address is determined to be after the first area, and a signal of the first area is delivered as an output video signal.

Abstract: The apparatus for video inspection of the interior surface of tubular goods, includes: an elongated mounting plate having a first and a second end; a first compartment at the first end of the mounting plate which has a light transmissive window facing the second end of the mounting plate; a second compartment at the second end of the mounting plate which has a light diffusing window facing the first end of the mounting plate; a video camera having a wide angle lens in the compartment; a light source in said second compartment; a first prism disposed in front of said lens; and, external means for monitoring and recording camera output.The wide angle lens in combination with the prism provides for a dual field of view, part of which is transmitted through the prism for viewing a small circumferential area opposite the inclined side of the prism, and, part of which constitutes a peripheral view of nearly the entire circumference, "C", of the tubular received directly by the lens.

Abstract: In block based video compression, a frame is divided into blocks which define a tiling pattern. The tiling pattern is varied from frame-to-frame to prevent an accumulation of errors which tend to appear at tile edges and can increase over time when using block-based compression. In a preferred embodiment, a normal frame is padded by a border all around the normal frame size. The padding is operable to extend any blocks around the periphery of the image frame which might be smaller in dimension than the standard blocks, such as those within the interior of the frame, such that they can be treated by the block-based compression systems as full size blocks.

Abstract: For concealing channel errors in an image signal divided into a multiplicity of blocks of M.times.N pixels, M and N being positive integers, a lost region is detected, wherein the lost region is of a polygonal form having a plurality of sides and includes one or more connected lost blocks, each lost block containing a channel error. And then, a reference region of pixels including a plurality of groups of first and second pixels, each group of first pixels being adjacent to a side of the lost region and each group of second pixels being adjacent to a first group of pixels is found. Thereafter, edge pixels having non-zero valued edge magnitudes, an edge magnitude for a pixel representing differences between pixels residing adjacent to the pixel among pixels within the reference region are determined. And each edge point representing an edge pixel having a largest edge magnitude among the edge pixels included in groups of first and second pixels for a side of the lost region is detected.

Abstract: Methods for compressing digital video signals that fully utilize temporal compression techniques. Each of the methods disclosed compresses digital video signals not only in the spatial domain, as with current implemented MPEG compression methods, but also in the temporal domain. A group of video signals is input to a signal compressor (16). The signal compressor (16) performs discrete cosine transforms in both the spatial and temporal domain. The transformed data is then input into a three-dimensional quantization matrix (18), where rate and distortion optimization parameters are calculated for compression purposes. In a first method, rate-distortion performance and transmission order are optimized for the quantized, three-dimensional transform coefficients. In a second method, rate-distortion performance is optimized for the quantized, three-dimensional transform coefficients.

Abstract: Conventional MPEG decoders require about 16 Mbits of external memory to contain the input buffer, the two usual reference frames, and the B-information. As proposed earlier, about 2,8 Mbit in memory capacity can be saved by omitting the storage of B-information. The system, provides a further exchange between memory capacity and internal processing, to effect MPEG decoding, with only one reference frame stored in memory. All B and P information required for the reconstruction of display information which cannot directly be retrieved from memory is decoded instantaneously. Three decoding sub-steps are provided, a first decoding sub-step for the macroblock parameters, a second decoding sub-step for the picture elements according to a decoding-on-the-fly principle, and a third decoding sub-step for updating of the earlier reference frame after decoding of a later reference frame.

Abstract: Methods for compressing digital video signals that fully utilize temporal compression techniques. Each of the methods disclosed compresses digital video signals not only in the spatial domain, as with current implemented MPEG compression methods, but also in the temporal domain. A group of video signals is input to a signal compressor (16). The signal compressor (16) performs discrete cosine transforms in both the spatial and temporal domain. The transformed data is then input into a three-dimensional quantization matrix (18), where rate and distortion optimization parameters are calculated for compression purposes. In a first method, rate-distortion performance and transmission order are optimized for the quantized, three-dimensional transform coefficients. In a second method, rate-distortion performance is optimized for the quantized, three-dimensional transform coefficients.