Abstract: An MPEG video CODEC includes a variable length decoder to a video coder with respect to an MPEG-2 profile. The MPEG video CODEC further includes a controller which controls both a signal sequence and a signal input/output function when a function of the MPEG video CODEC is converted to a decoding-mode and a coding-mode. Accordingly, the MPEG video coder and MPEG video decoder can be embodied as a single system. The MPEG video CODEC comprises a coding/decoding mode generator for detecting whether a mode signal inputted from an input terminal is a coding-mode, or a decoding-mode, and generating a corresponding mode control signal; a coder/decoder selector for selectively converting a routine of a coded bit stream, according to a corresponding mode control signal from the coding/decoding mode generator; and a coder/decoder for selectively coding or decoding a bit stream selected by the coder/decoder selector, and then transmitting the bit stream to a storage element, or to a displayer.

Abstract: Moving picture coding system for coding a series of moving pictures including current and preceding pictures in an intra-picture and inter-picture prediction coding scheme, has a coding device for producing and transmitting coded data of moving pictures, a memory device for storing the coded data, and a detecting device for detecting excess from a predetermined transmission rate of the coded data to be transmitted. When the excess is detected, coded data of the current picture is skipped, but skip information is transmitted instead, and when the skipped current picture falls into a prediction reference picture for a subsequently coded picture, the preceding picture which is not skipped undergoes a prediction coding for transmission.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording digital information comprises recording data generator for producing recording digital information data containing at least one of digital video information data accompanied with first attendant data added thereto and digital audio information data accompanied with second attendant data added thereto, a recording portion operative to record the recording digital information data on a record medium, and a controller operative to set selectively a plurality of recording modes for the recording of the recording digital information data on the record medium carried out by the recording portion. The first and second attendant data contain recording mode data having a code selected to correspond to the recording mode set by the controller.

Abstract: Pixel data is stored and subsequently read from a random access memory of a video decompression processor in a manner that reduces the number of times different rows of the RAM must be addressed in order to retrieve portions of the pixel data therefrom. Pixel data from a video frame is stored in the RAM as a plurality of pages. Each page substantially fills a different row of the RAM and corresponds to a different section of the video frame. A motion vector is decoded to determine the location of a prediction area within the video frame. In the event that the prediction area encompasses more than one of the pages of the video frame, the pixel data is retrieved one page at a time, minimizing the number of row changes required when addressing the RAM to retrieve the data.

Abstract: An electro-optical step-frame camera system in which successive overlapping frames of scene imagery are generated by an electro-optical imaging array, and in which electronic image motion compensation is performed by the array during the generation of at least some of the frames of imagery. The successive frames of imagery are made in a stepping pattern that is repeated in a series of cycles of steps, each step separated by a framing interval in which a frame of imagery is obtained. The stepping cycles of the camera generate sweeping coverage of the terrain of interest. As the velocity to height ratio of the reconnaissance aircraft changes, the stepping cycle and electronic image motion compensation are continually adjusted, so as to ensure maximum scene coverage and preservation of image resolution.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus directed to reducing blockiness resulting from encoding digital video data using, e.g., DCTs are disclosed. An encoder which encodes video signals into a digital video bitstream including information identifying blocky video and instructions for processing the blocky video is also disclosed. A plurality of methods of identifying blocky video in an encoded bitstream by analyzing the encoded bitstream are also disclosed. In addition, various methods of filtering both non-blocky and blocky video, without adversely affecting the non-blocky video, are described.

Abstract: A decoder for a video signal encoded according to the MPEG-2 standard includes a single high-bandwidth memory and a digital phase-locked loop. This memory has a single memory port. The memory is used to hold 1) the input bit-stream, 2) first and second reference frames used for motion compensated processing, and 3) image data representing a field that is currently being decoded. The decoder includes circuitry which stores and fetches the bit-stream data, fetches the reference frame data, stores the image data for the field that is currently being decoded in block format and fetches this image data for conversion to raster-scan format. All of these memory access operations are time division multiplexed and use the single memory port. The digital phase locked loop (DPLL) counts pulses of a 27 MHz system clock signal, defined in the MPEG-2 standard, to generate a count value.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for inspecting the internal surfaces of a pressurized vessel, without disturbing the pressurized environment within the vessel. A specially configured apparatus is inserted through an open bore valve and emulates a chamber having like pressure with the pressurized vessel. A camera housing containing a CCTV camera is inserted through an open bore valve to enable in situ inspection the interior of a pressurized vessel without having to bleed off this pressure. The camera is inserted into the interior from a sealed connector pipe. A camera housing assembly gains entry to a predetermined depth in the vessel by a sealed reach pipe which rotates freely under pressure. A control pipe located axially inside the reach pipe controls camera tilt.

Abstract: A digital audio and video signal recording system and method wherein erasure of a channel has no major effect on adjoining audio signals in the case of high density recording. The same channel of audio signals are recorded arranged in blocks in a direction orthogonal to the helical track of the magnetic tape. There is a possibility of the occurrence of error at the two outside tracks due to narrowing of the tracks at the time of editing of a channel, but preferably an outer code is added to enable erasure correction.

Abstract: In a data-compression of a moving picture employing MPEG system, the quantization step used for quantizing coefficients of frequency components obtained in DCT (discrete cosine transform), is determined on a first frame of the moving picture, and is used for all the frames of the moving picture. A frame is processed by first run of data-compression. Code volume is allotted for each block in accordance with data obtained by the first run of data-compression, and in second run of data-compression, Huffman coding is discontinued when generated code volume of a block becomes larger than the code volume allotted to the block. When generated code volume of a frame is smaller than the target code volume of a frame, the surplus target code volume is added to a target code volume of a succeeding frame.

Abstract: A system has been invented which produces images comparable to those produced by video cameras. This BEAMFORMED TELEVISION uses a transmitting array, a receiving array, and signal processing equipment to form interactive beams. The transmitting array system provides the capability to resolve the scene in one dimension and the receiving array system provides the capability to resolve the scene in the other dimension. High resolution is achieved with large arrays using unconventional spatial sampling methods with interaction between the two arrays to suppress grating lobe effects. The arrays are long in one dimension and narrow in the other. Grating lobe positions are adjusted by adjusting the transducer spacing such that the combined system response excludes grating lobe effects. Directional transducers are used to provide additional attenuation of grating lobes.

Abstract: A personal surveillance system having a video camera and an audio microphone in a single package sufficiently small to be worn as a badge, lapel pin, or similarly small accessory. The audio/video package is coupled to a transmitter for transmitting an audio and video signal to a remote station. The remote station comprises a video cassette recorder responsive to a signal for recording that is generated on a continuous basis by the audio/video package in a signal band that is filtered before recording.

Abstract: A detection signal of an image pickup device is inputted to a gate circuit to open the gate circuit by a gate signal from a drive-signal generating circuit during a period of time of a phase regulating signal section of a drive signal, to thereby output the detection signal during the period of time, to a reference reset generating circuit. The reference reset generating circuit generates a reference reset signal on the basis of the detection signal during a period of time of the inputted phase regulation signal section. The reference reset signal and a basic clock signal are inputted to a timing-pulse generating circuit for generating various kinds of timing pulses which are used in an image-pickup-signal processing circuit for processing in signal the image pickup signal.

Abstract: An inventive apparatus determines true motion vectors between a current and its previous frames for feature points selected from the previous frame wherein a selected feature point is surrounded by its neighboring four feature points to form a previous rhombus having a set of four triangles based on the selected feature point. A motion vector displacement generator gives a predetermined N number of displacements to an initial motion vector for its corresponding feature points to thereby produce a subset of N candidate motion vectors and a motion prediction block provides a current rhombus corresponding to the previous rhombus by the initial motion vectors, wherein the current rhombus has N sets of four triangles due to the N candidate motion vectors.

Abstract: A method of coding a digital video signal and apparatus therefor receives the digital video signal and executes a first compression step in which a frame of the signal is coded using a correlation within the frame. A second compression step is then executed in which a frame of the signal is coded using a correlation between the frame and another frame of the signal. Selection processing is then carried out by which the output of one of the first and second compression steps is selected as an input frame of the video signal such that the output of the second compression step is utilized for at least two continuous frames of the video signal and the output of the first compression step is utilized for a single frame between two continuous frames of the video signal.

Abstract: A contour restoration circuit comprises an input terminal, a plural of delay circuits connected to the input terminal in series, a maximum value detection circuit, a minimum value detection circuit, a mean value calculating the mean value from the maximum and minimum values, a subtractor for subtracting the mean value from the input video signal, a gain controller for the subtracted signal, an adder for adding the gain controlled signal to the input video signal and an output terminal.

Abstract: An apparatus for decoding a plurality of video signals each encoded by one of intra-coding (I), predictive-coding (P) and bidirectionally-predictive coding (B). Errors in the encoded video signals are detected and determined to be either correctable or uncorrectable. The errors determined to be correctable are corrected, whereupon the encoded video signal or signals containing the corrected error or errors are decoded. The encoded video signal or signals having one or more errors determined to be uncorrectable are replaced by one of the previously decoded video signals.

Abstract: Video encoder and decoder, provided with a motion compensator for motion-compensated video coding or decoding in which a picture is coded or decoded in blocks in alternately horizontal and vertical steps. The motion compensator is provided with addressing means (160) and controlled multiplexers (111-119) for refreshing a search area memory (101-109) at each step, in conformity with the direction of the step.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining motion vector for pixels of a current frame which includes a number of processing blocks comprises a motion estimator for providing motion vectors for the pixels in the current frame, a median filter for providing filtered motion vectors of the pixels, a majority detector for obtaining a first and a second major vectors corresponding to the pixels of a processing block, a controller for generating a control signal, a vector selection block for providing an output motion vector from the first and second major vectors which yields a motion compensated processing block having a less error function, and a switch responsive to the control signal for selecting a motion vector for each processing block from the output motion vector and a motion vector of the pixel located at the center of each processing block.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus by which a panorama image is produced with a high degree of accuracy from an image signal are disclosed. An image signal produced by a CCD imaging element is recorded onto a video tape by way of a camera signal processing circuit, a recording signal processing circuit, a recording/reproduction amplifier and so forth. Meanwhile, a microcomputer calculates of a motion vector of an image from the output of a motion vector detector to which the image signal from the CCD imaging element is inputted, and controls a video subcode processor so that motion vector information may be recorded onto the video tape. The motion vector information is reproduced from the video tape together with the image signal, and a plurality of images are formed from the thus reproduced image signal and joined together in accordance with the motion vector information to produce a panorama image.