Abstract: The invention relates to a surveillance system having an image recording means for recording optically distorted images and having a transmission means for transmission of image information from the image recording means to a reproduction means which reproduces, in an undistorted form, image details of the images which have been recorded with optical distortion. In this connection, it is provided that the transmission means is designed for detail transmission of distorted images and for joint transmission of additional information, which allows image detail distortion to be corrected, in order to allow distortion correction in the reproduction means.

Abstract: A method for motion estimation and for motion compensated interpolation. By taking a source of video data into account, a size of update vectors to be employed for determining spatial prediction vectors is set in accordance with a detected source mode. By selecting an appropriate update vector size, accuracy of predicted motion and consequently, a picture quality of motion compensated interpolated images can be increased considerably.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation. As an additional candidate vector to be selected during motion estimation, a line or column vector is calculated representing predominant motion in a respective line or column of blocks of a video image. Such a line and column motion vector enables a more accurate determination of motion of larger image objects and a correspondingly improved interpolation in television receivers or video encoders.

Abstract: The invention relates to a surveillance system comprising an image recording unit for recording optically distorted images and a transmission unit for transmitting the image information from the image recording unit to a reproduction unit that reproduces the images previously recorded as optically distorted images as undistorted images. According to the invention, the transmission unit is configured to transmit image details of distorted images and to transmit at the same time additional information allowing restitution of the image details, thereby allowing a restitution in the reproduction unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation. For this purpose, the prediction quality of a motion vector estimate is evaluated twice, namely by comparing the prediction quality with respect to the two previous fields individually and combining both calculated error values into a single error value for selecting the best motion vector estimate from a plurality of candidate vectors. In this manner, the determination of the real motion of an image object is improved by eliminating false estimates which are not detectable by only referencing a single previous image.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation and in particular for a motion compensated interpolation. By taking the source of the video data into account, the size of update vectors to be employed for determining spatial prediction vectors is set in accordance with the detected source mode. By selecting an appropriate updata vector size, the accuracy of the predicted motion and consequently, the picture quality of motion compensated interpolated images can be increased considerably.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation and in particular for a motion compensated interpolation. By taking the source of the video data into account, a spatial offset for selection of a temporal prediction vector is set in accordance with the detected source mode. By selecting an appropriate offset from the current block position in a previous field, the accuracy of the predicted motion and, consequently, the picture quality of motion compensated interpolated images can be increased considerably.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation. As an additional candidate vector to be selected during motion estimation, a line or column vector is calculated representing predominant motion in a respective line or column of blocks of a video image. Such a line and column motion vector enables a more accurate determination of motion of larger image objects and a correspondingly improved interpolation in television receivers or video encoders.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved method for motion estimation. For this purpose, the prediction quality of a motion vector estimate is evaluated twice, namely by comparing the prediction quality with respect to the two previous fields individually and combining both calculated error values into a single error value for selecting the best motion vector estimate from a plurality of candidate vectors. In this manner, the determination of the real motion of an image object is improved by eliminating false estimates which are not detectable by only referencing a single previous image.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved estimation of motion vectors, especially for use in motion compensated interpolation for rate up-converters. As conventional motion estimation algorithms fail to provide accurate estimations for those blocks positioned at the borders of the active image, the present invention determines those blocks which may suffer from defected motion vectors and replaces these vectors by a column or a line motion vector determined based on the previous image. In this manner, a reliable motion estimation is enabled for all blocks of an image, and a degradation of interpolation algorithms at the borders of the active image can efficiently be prevented.

Abstract: A memory interface connecting a single data bus to a parallel configuration of plural uniform memory units is provided. The memory interface is capable of reading/storing a subsequence of data items from a sequence of consecutive data items within a single memory access cycle, wherein the width of a subsequence corresponds to the width of the data bus. Each data item of a subsequence is read from/stored in a different one of the plural uniform memory units, and the memory interface controls individual access to each of the plural uniform memory units in accordance with an access request for a particular subsequence of data items.