Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for performing temporal motion vector filtering in digital video are disclosed. A recursive hierarchical process is used to determine a motion vector. In the recursive hierarchical process, a neighborhood of old motion vectors is filtered to generate a first estimated motion vector for an image patch in a pair of two image frames. The filtering process uses multiple vectors in a neighborhood around the old motion vector to improve the prediction of the first estimated motion vector. The temporal vector partitioning process separates motion vectors associated with an object from motion vectors associated with a background before selecting a best motion vector, which improves the selection process. The process also works well in the absence of object/background boundaries, as in this case the outlier (incorrect) vector or vectors will be separated out from the good vectors.

Abstract: Detecting when the on-board power supply is powered on or off by an auto activity detection circuit by determining if the reference clock signal (TCLK) is toggling and if the reference clock signal is toggling, then charging a capacitor to a high voltage in the auto activity detection circuit based on the toggling reference clock signal, and outputting an on-board power supply activity signal based upon the high voltage by the auto activity detection circuit indicative of whether or not the on-board power supply is active.

Abstract: A packet based display interface arranged to couple a multimedia source device to a multimedia sink device is disclosed that includes a transmitter unit coupled to the source device arranged to receive a source packet data stream in accordance with a native stream rate, a receiver unit coupled to the sink device, and a linking unit coupling the transmitter unit and the receiver unit arranged to transfer a multimedia data packet stream formed of a number of multimedia data packets based upon the source packet data stream in accordance with a link rate between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit.

Abstract: Global-adaptive deinterlacing systems and methods for reducing scintillation and feathering artifacts. Motion adaptive deinterlacing (MADI) local motion quantization thresholds are adaptively adjusted according to the amount of global motion present in the video sequence, thereby minimizing scintillation and feathering artifacts when deinterlacing the fields. A set of global motion scenarios are defined for the purpose of classifying fields, and a number of global motion indicators are used to detect on a field-by-field basis different global motion scenarios. The global motion indicators are corrected to reduce Luma dependencies, thereby improving reliability and robustness. Depending on the global motion scenario of a field, the local motion thresholds are adaptively adjusted. The adaptive adjustment of quantization thresholds are optionally also applied to temporal noise reduction and cross-color suppression.

Abstract: System and method for increasing the blue component of white and near white pixels while avoiding hard transitions and without affecting flesh-tone colors. Pixels that are bright enough and fall within a detection area in the UV-plane have their blue components increased and their red components decreased. The detection area is limited to avoid application of blue stretch to flesh-tone colors. A transition boundary is provided around the detection area for gradually decreasing the amount of blue stretch as pixels move away from the boundary of the detection area, thereby avoiding hard transitions between areas that are blue stretched and areas that are not blue stretched.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for camera pan vector estimation, are disclosed. A camera model is provided for representing motion vectors based on a plurality of parameters. A distribution of the motion vectors is generated. A cluster in the distribution of motion vectors is identified. A center of mass of the identified cluster is determined. The camera pan vector is provided based upon the determined center of mass.

Abstract: A processor having a limited amount of local memory for storing code and/or data utilizes a program stored in external memory. The program stored in external memory is configured into blocks which can be loaded individually into the local memory for execution. Queuing the individual blocks of code allows the program to be executed by the processor and also facilitates loading of the subsequent code to the executed. A semaphore system can be utilized to indicate which blocks of local memory are available/unavailable. The system can support the interaction of multiple independent programs in external memory.

Abstract: In a digital display device, a packet based method of driving selected pixel elements by way of associated data latches included in a column driver is disclosed. For each frame lines in a video frame, a number of video data packets are provided directly to the column driver at a link rate and each of the number of data latches are populated with appropriate video data based upon video data packets within a line period ?. Selected pixel elements are driven based upon the video data.

Abstract: According to some embodiments of the invention, a connector is provided for connecting any combination of an analog video source to either an analog display or a digital display or a digital video source to either an analog display or a digital display. Some preferred connectors have a serial differential digital interconnect that is pin/connector compatible with analog VGA or DB15. Some implementations of the invention provide a system and method for determining the inherent digital versus analog capability of a video source and a video display and configuring a connector according to the determination. Some implementations provide real-time display image quality assurance. Some embodiments provide a digital monitor with digital data streams having more than 8 bits per color, e.g., 10 bits or 12 bits per color.

Abstract: A multi-function display controller that includes a source detector unit for determining if the source of an input stream is either film originated source originated or video source originated. A source converter unit for converting the input image stream to a common signal processing format is coupled to the source detector unit. Once converted to the common signal processing format, a determination is made if the input image stream is interlaced or non-interlaced (progressive scan). If the input image stream is interlaced, a de-interlace unit converts the interlaced signal to progressive scan using either motion adaptive or motion compensated de-interlacing techniques. It should be noted that in the described embodiment, motion vectors generated for use by the motion compensated de-interlace can be optionally stored in a memory unit for use in subsequent operations, such as motion compensated frame rate conversion or noise reduction (if any).

Abstract: An over-sampled sequence detector operates on sampled data and tracks the detection reliability of the sampled data. The detector separately analyzes sample sequences for different sampling phases and then picks a sample sequence that allows for the most reliable detection. For the different sampling phases, the detector inspects some amount of look-behind and look-ahead information in order to improve upon simple symbol-by-symbol detection. The over-sampled information is used to further improve detection performance.

Abstract: In a digital display device, a packet based method of driving selected pixel elements by way of associated data latches included in a column driver is disclosed. For each frame lines in a video frame, a number of video data packets are provided directly to the column driver at a link rate and each of the number of data latches are populated with appropriate video data based upon video data packets within a line period ?. Selected pixel elements are driven based upon the video data.

Abstract: System and method for automatic fault-testing of a logic block and the interfaces of macros with logic gates inside a chip, using an at-speed logic-BIST internal to the chip. Following an initialization of internal storage elements, a set of test signals are generated and processed by the logic block. The output of the logic block is accumulated into a signature and compared to a reference signature to detect faults. Testing can be performed on an ATE (Automatic Test Equipment) using a simple test vector, or can be performed by a field engineer on the actual board comprising the chip.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing Hsync and Vsync signals in graphic controllers to avoid a false reading of pulses caused by glitches. The apparatus and method involve detecting when the synch signal crosses the threshold for the first time. When this occurs, the output of the detection circuit is held for the predetermined period of time, even if subsequent transitions across threshold occur during this period. After the predetermined period expires, the output is released and may assume the same state as the input sync signal at that time. In this manner, a misinterpretation of the resolution format caused by the reading of a “false” pulse caused by a glitch on a sync signal can be avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing a video signal includes means for receiving the video signal, means for analyzing the video signal based upon a user supplied set of instructions, means for processing the video signal in accordance with the analysis, and means for outputting the processed video signal.

Abstract: At a receiver incoming coded OFDM Symbol Data are passed through a Coarse Symbol Timing Synchronization module to determine the approximate start of the symbol. In one embodiment this is accomplished through correlation. The symbol is then passed through an FFT (2K or 8K, depending on the mode desired by the receiver). Since the Coarse Symbol Timing Synchronization module only determines an approximate start point of the symbol, a process of fine synchronization is used to adjust this approximate start point and determine a more accurate start point of the symbol. In this manner, the receiver is enabled to process COFDM symbols in DVB-T transmissions (where the symbols include a cyclic prefix to overcome echoes). One output of an FFT operation is magnitude. Magnitude is used for Channel Estimation (or Channel Correction). Another output of an FFT operation is phase discontinuity or rotations. Phase discontinuities are used in a fine synchronization process to determine the number of phase discontinuities.

Abstract: Determining a horizontal resolution and a phase of an analog video signal arranged to display a number of scan lines each formed of a number of pixels is described. A number of initialization values are set where at least one of the initialization values is a current horizontal resolution and then a difference value for each immediately adjacent ones of the pixels is determined. Next, an edge flag value based upon the difference value is stored in at least one of a number of accumulators such that when at least one of the accumulators has a stored edge flag value that is substantially greater than those stored edge flag values in the other accumulators, then the horizontal resolution is set to the current resolution.

Abstract: Systems and methods for creating virtual stop-off points in a movie title, where the viewer can explore interesting content using zoom, pan and gamma controls are provided. Methods include creating an interest point from one or more digital video titles. Systems include a composer for creating interest points in a video and a viewer for manipulating and displaying the interest points.

Abstract: A method of overdriving LCD panels to improve LCD pixel response time is described that does not rely upon conventional use of overdrive look up tables. The method is based upon modeling the LCD pixels as linear second-order dynamical systems that leads to simple runtime calculations requiring but a small number of stored panel specific constants.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for reducing mosquito noise in an image frame of a video signal. A window of the image frame is provided. The window includes a plurality of pixel values. One of the pixel values is selected from the pixel values in the window to define a modified window of pixel value differences. A local mean (DC) value is computed based on the pixel value differences. A mosquito noise reduction value is also computed based on the pixel value differences. An artifact attenuation factor is computed as a function of a dynamic range measure of the pixel value differences. A weighted sum of the mosquito noise reduction value and the local mean value, applying the artifact attenuation factor, and the selected pixel value, is computed to generate a modified pixel value.