Abstract: In a video encoder a prediction signal at a bit resolution of P is subtracted from an input signal received at a bit resolution of P+?, where P is typically 8 bits, and P+?, 10 bits. A transform is then performed on the result, the output of which transform being at a bit resolution of at least P+?. The transformed signal is quantised, and the quantised signal used to form the prediction signal. The quantised signal is then coded for downstream delivery. At a decoder, the process is inverted, preserving the extra ? bits input to the encoder.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing endodontic instruments are provided. Methods relate to milling a blank with a cutting process to shape the instrument. Instruments so produced are also provided.

Abstract: A device for dispensing a material from a container The present invention relates to a device for batch-dispensing a material from a container, such as pulverulent or granular material, for example dental powder such as glass ionomer, said device comprising at least one displaceable being member displaceable between a first position and a second position, and having at least one cavity being alternately emptied and filled from said container upon displacement of said displaceable member.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dispensing cartridge, particularly for dental impression materials, formed from a plastic material having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, and comprising a metal reinforcement tube.

Abstract: Block matching is a robust and simple method of motion estimation for television pictures. One important parameter in block matching is the block size. Large blocks give more reliable motion estimation than small blocks, particularly in the presence of noise on the input picture, but they produce a coarser motion vector field. However, if the motion estimation is being used for motion compensated interpolation, for example the upconversion between 50 and 100 Hz display rates, the effects on picture quality of wrong vectors for whole blocks, and also of vectors that do not correctly follow the boundaries of moving objects, can be severe. According to the invention, large block (LB) matching is combined with the performance of more localized motion vectors to get pixel motion vectors. For any pixel, the motion vector will be one of four possibilities; the vector calculated for the block containing the pixel and the vectors (V1, V2, V3, V4) of the nearest blocks horizontally, vertically and diagonally.

Abstract: A device for estimating motion between a current image and a previous image by block matching, the images being split into blocks. The device includes a processing circuit for each candidate motion vector and at least one memory. Each processing circuit calculates errors between a block of the current image and the block designated by a respective candidate motion vector in the previous image. The processing circuit successively receives pixels of the current image according to a line scan at a first input and corresponding pixels of the previous image identified by the associated candidate motion vector at a second input. The processing circuit calculates partial sums at the end of line of each block of the current image corresponding to accumulated errors for this block. The processing circuits further include an output for delivering the partial sums and a third input for receiving the partial sums.

Abstract: Block matching is well known as a robust and intuitively simple method of motion estimation for television pictures. However, when the purpose of the motion estimation is to provide accurate interpolation between images, conventional block matching suffers from the problem that the blocks are situated in the original fields rather than in the fields to be interpolated, leading to possible errors in the calculated motion field. The invention uses two-sided block matching. The search window is shared between the two input fields so that the candidate motion vectors related to be candidate pixel blocks all pass through the same points in the field to be interpolated. Thus, the "current block" becomes a notional area in the field to be interpolated, and each of the two search windows extends to half the maximum motion vector in each direction. Each motion vector points forward to the forward field by half its value and backward to the backward field by half its value.

Abstract: Motion vectors resulting from block matching are corrected for periodic structures by taking a more reliable vector from an edge of a moving object containing the periodic structure. This is done by calculating and comparing different error combinations to identify periodic structures and replacing a current motion vector with one of an adjacent pixel block either from the block to the left or from the block above, which ever yields the smaller error in the current block, or by taking a combination (e.g., mean) of both vectors. Advantageously, artifacts such as phase reversal of information in interpolated fields due to the presence of an erroneous vector in a periodic structure are reduced and very little additional processing is required after the block matching itself.

Abstract: An appearance of a double image around moving objects may be reduced or removed by generating motion compensated 100 Hz fields with the objects in correct positions. When, however, the results of this technique are applied to motion compensated upconversion, objects or parts of the picture which fall outside the range of measurable velocities appear on the upconverted display with a very strong double image, resulting from the display of information in the wrong temporal position generated by uncompensated or `fallback processing`. The subjective strength of the double image may be reduced by low pass filtering in a horizontal direction the components in the new fields of the upconverted signal which cause this double image.

Abstract: Motion compensated video output signal (SO) produced by a soft switching or "fading" (SSW) between the a motion compensated interpolation (MCI) and a "fallback" mode (FFI) (e.g., intra-field), controlled by a "measure of confidence" (CF) in the reliability of the estimated motion vector. The confidence measure includes the following two components, namely: (i) a "basic confidence measure" (e.g., a block based, minimum motion estimation error (BME) and (ii) a measure based on the motion velocity or "speed" of movement of the motion vector or its horizontal (MVX) and vertical components (MVY).

Abstract: A method for signal equalization/ghost cancellation with an equalizing filter includes synthesizing a first equalizing filter function (LMS 1) with N (an integer) taps and associated coefficients. The respective coefficients are adjusted to minimize the error between a received reference signal output by the synthesized equalizing filter function and a non-distorted reference signal. The adjusted coefficients are evaluated to determine P (an integer) groups of M (an integer) taps and associated coefficients which contribute to said synthesized equalizing filter function according to a predetermined criterion and wherein P times M is less than N. A second equalizing filter function is synthesized corresponding to the first equalizing filter function with coefficients other than the P groups of M coefficients set to zero, and the P groups to M coefficients are adjusted to minimize the error.

Abstract: For improving motion portrayal and reducing undesirable artifacts, e.g., double images and "mouse teeth" structure, each pixel of intermediate fields in a field rate up-conversion system is determined from nearby pixels in the existing fields using an adaptive linear filtering method (or apparatus) which provides: calculation of sums of differences (one or more for each pixel involved in the adaptive filter); calculation of basic coefficients (one for each pixel involved in the adaptive filter); one-dimensional median filtering of the coefficients; two-dimensional linear filtering of coefficients; normalization of coefficients; calculation of main interpolated pixel values; and correction of interpolation in the case of fast motion.

Abstract: A noisy input signal x is filtered with a restoration filter of median type to generate a filtered input signal y. The sum of the absolute differences between filtered and unfiltered signal is calculated for each position of a sliding window within the input signal representing a local estimate of the noise, and is combined with a global measure of the input signal noise to compute two coefficients a and b which are respectively applied to the unfiltered and filtered signal to generate the output signal z=a*x+b*y which is both globally and locally adapted to the structure of displayed images. Advantageously different kinds of filters operate in parallel, whereby the kind of filter elected is locally adapted to the picture activity.

Abstract: A method of measuring noise in a television signal includes the steps of storing an estimated noise value N. The activity values A of blocks of pixels are measured and periodically compared with the estimated noise value N. A first correction value C.sub.v1 is added to the estimated value when A>N and a second correction value C.sub.v2 is subtracted from the noise value N when A.ltoreq.N. The second correction value C.sub.v2 is substantially greater than the first correction value C.sub.v1.

Abstract: Extra lines (Yout) for display be progressive scanning are obtained by adaptive interpolation from the original (interlaced) lines. The original lines are left untouched. Each interpolated pixel is the result of a soft switch (456,461,462) between pure interframe interpolation (452), which is the more suitable for areas without moving detail, and interpolation (451) using the Diag-3W algorithm, which is the more suitable for moving areas. The soft switch coefficient (S) is calculated using a normalized comparison between two estimates (E.sub.v,E.sub.t) of the likely error resulting from each of the two kinds of interpolation. To limit the occurrence of wrong decisions due to noise or to certain structures in the picture, the decision is spread horizontally, vertically and temporally, but only over a very small area so that the decision remains local to the pixel (X) being interpolated.