Abstract: A motion compensation image processing apparatus and method for generating motion vectors that represent image motion between a pair of input images from which an output image is derived by motion compensated interpolation. A plurality of motion vectors are generated for each pixel of the output image and it is determined whether respective test blocks of each of the pair of input images, pointed to by each of the plurality of motion vectors, lie partially outside their respective input images. If one or both of the test blocks lies partially outside its respective input image, the degree of correlation between the test blocks is detected by performing a first correlation test on parts of the test blocks lying inside their respective input images. However, if both of the test blocks lie wholly inside their respective input image, the degree of correlation between the test blocks is detected by performing a second correlation test.

Abstract: Pairs of temporally adjacent input images are interpolated to produce motion compensated images using motion vectors generated from said but not all of the pairs of input images from which the output images are interpolated.

Abstract: In, for example, a motion compensated video standards converter wherein blocks in a first field or frame of a video signal are each compared with a plurality of blocks in the following field or frame of the video signal for deriving motion vectors representing the motion of the content of respective blocks between the first field or frame and the following field or frame, and wherein a correlation surface is generated for each block in the first field or frame, the correlation surface representing the difference between the content of the first block in the first field or frame and the content of each block in the following field or frame with which it has been compared; the minimum difference represented by the correlation surface and differing from the next smallest difference represented by the correlation surface by more than a predetermined threshold value is found to derive a motion vector, the number of motion vectors so derived is averaged (62) over a predetermined number of fields or frames, and the