Abstract: A circuit that is easily configured to convert from a progressive scan image, e.g., at a resolution of 1280.times.720, to an interlaced image scan, e.g., at an interlaced resolution of 1920.times.1080 (1920.times.540 per field), or visa-versa. One arrangement of the circuit employs multiplexers so that the two conversion modes share the available hardware. The circuit is only marginally more complex than a circuit that can only do the conversion in one direction. The quality of the progressive-to-interlace conversion is acceptable for high-end interlaced display systems and the quality of the interlace-to-progressive conversion is at least high enough for "mid-range" progressive display systems.

Abstract: In a video coding/decoding system, a high-resolution reference image having pixels in closer relation is produced by applying the interpolating operation of a luminance value to a reference image. In the matching process for motion estimation, when the luminance value of a point lacking a pixel in the reference image becomes required, the luminance value of a pixel at a point nearest to the high-resolution reference image is approximated without computing the interpolation. As a result, the number of times the interpolation of the luminance value is computed can be reduced, thereby reducing the circuit scale or the processing time. Also, the horizontal and vertical components of the motion vector of each pixel used for synthesizing a predicted image are defined to assume only a value equal to an integer multiple of 1/d1 and 1/d2 (d1 and d2 being position integers) of the distance between adjacent pixels.

Abstract: A method for prediction a discrete cosine transform (DCT) coefficient is provided. In the prediction method, DC coefficients of adjacent blocks are used. For selecting a DC coefficient to be used for the prediction, the maximum and the minimum among the DC coefficients of the adjacent blocks are selected, and then the maximum or minimum value which is closest to the current DC coefficient is used for the prediction value for the current block. Therefore, prediction performance for DC/AC coefficients can be improved in a DCT domain.

Abstract: A projection type display device comprising a light source for irradiating a light valve, a light valve wherein pixels are arranged in delta matrix, each pixel containing color pixels for the three primary colors and a composite color of red (R), green (G) and blue (B) being displayed on each pixel, a projection lens for projecting the visual images formed on the light valve by receiving the light emitted from the light valve, and a screen including a lenticular lens which has a periodic structure in one direction and on which projected images are formed, which is characterized in that, given the pitch PL of the periodic structure of the lenticular lens and the pitch P of the projected image on the lenticular lens in the direction corresponding to the periodic structure, the pitches PL and P satisfy the equation (1) below when 0.41<m1<0.57,(P/PL).multidot.m1=n+1/2 (provided, n is a natural number).

Abstract: An image signal encoding system which is capable of correctly encoding an editing image signal before and after switching points of a first input dynamic image signal and a second input dynamic image signal. The image signal encoding system selects, as an editing image signal, one of the first and the second input dynamic image signals, each of which has serial image plane frames to encode the editing image signal. A switching signal is produced which is used to select as the editing image signal one of the first and second input dynamic image signals. An image encoder encodes the editing image signal, using spatial correlation, an initial image plane frame of the editing image signal after a switching time point of selection of the first and second input dynamic image signals.

Abstract: A system for enhancing the television presentation of an object that can display the object even if the object is not visible to a camera. The system determines whether the object is visible to the camera broadcasting the event. If the object is not visible to the camera, the video image captured by the camera is edited to show the object, not show the object or enhance the video in a different manner. The object is placed in the captured video image at the position the object would be in the camera's field of view if there was no barrier between the object and the camera.

Abstract: A method and a system for producing stereoscopic 3-dimensional images from a single motion picture video film having a plurality of frames containing successive images which are produced from a single video camera in motion. The motion picture video film is produced by displacing the camera along an axis with a viewing axis of the camera oriented substantially perpendicular to the axis of displacement of the camera. Images of the motion picture video film are overlaid or alternated in a synchronized fashion and separated by a time sequence to produce video signals of composite images capable of producing 3-dimensional images which can be viewed on a screen with eyeglasses having lenses conditioned to view separate ones of the overlaid or alternating images, simultaneously, whereby a viewer person can observe a depth of field in the composite images.

Abstract: A horizontal period counter 3 determines one bit period of bi-phase codes by measuring the period of a horizontal scan line immediately preceding one containing bi-phase codes to be decoded. An edge pulse generator 6 generates edge pulses at rising and falling edges of inputted bi-phase codes. A compensating pulse generator 7 is triggered by the edge pulse and generates a compensating pulse in a predetermined period, which is shorter than one bit period of the bi-phase codes and longer than one half bit period, according to one bit period that has been determined. A rise judging circuit 11 generates sampling pulses by superimposing compensating pulses on the edge pulses. The bi-phase codes are decoded according to the sampling pulses.

Abstract: An adaptive blocking coding system selects an effective blocking of an input image signal to be encoded in accordance with the correlation between fields, even if motion is detected between the fields. The blocking patterns include an individual field blocking, a non-interlace blocking, a split blocking and an inverted split blocking. Further, the coding system searches for motion from both odd and even fields of a frame for producing a motion compensated prediction signal in order to provide high-efficient coding.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of compressing a video signal transmission band and a device therefor which can transmit video without any distortion by selecting only the low frequency components of a video signal with most of the information in a block for digital transmission and extracting DC components from this block thereby performing the compression of the transmission band. The method according to the present invention involves a sub-block determining step for determining a sub-block by separating a low frequency area with respect to horizontal, vertical, and temporal (time) axes, an encoding step for decimating respectively the horizontal and vertical axes to 1/M, generating a band compressing block and finally extracting the DC components, and a decoding step for interpolating the DC components to M times after the encoding step and restoring the block in which the DC components were extracted.

Abstract: In a picture reading apparatus according to this invention, in the pre-scan, an approach is employed to control a CCD line sensor 5 and a film carrying roller 103 so that plural pictures recorded on an optical film 1 are read at a predetermined sampling rate in order from the latest frame to generate frame position data indicating position of left and right ends of frame, etc. Further, in the main scan, an approach is employed such that, in controlling the CCD line sensor 5 and a film carrier 100 so that plural pictures recorded on the optical film are read at a sampling rate higher than the predetermined sampling rate in order from the oldest frame, the reading start and end timings of the CCD line sensor 5 are controlled on the basis of frame position data obtained by the pre-scan. As a result, in this picture reading apparatus, it is possible to precisely obtain picture data of picture of frame in the state where no positional shift takes place.

Abstract: A transform coder wherein different segments of signal samples to be transmitted to a receiver are encoded using different coding transforms. In order to avoid problems encountered with signal samples forming the transition between successive segments an intermediate transform is used for such transition. This has conventionally required significant transmission overhead, because the selected intermediate transform matrix must be transmitted to the receiver to enable it to decode the transitional signal samples. The invention instead provides weighting factors to indicate the extent to which frequency spectra of the basis functions of the intermediate transform resemble the frequency spectra of the basis functions of the transforms used for the adjoining signal segments. The inverse of the intermediate transform can then be calculated by the receiver from the weighting factors.

Abstract: A difference vector determination element used in an apparatus for coding motion vector includes register memories (PMV) of which number is equal to sum of maximum transmission numbers N and M of forward predictive and backward predictive motion vectors. Motion vector counter counts the number of transmission of motion vectors to output a motion vector count signal. Register index designation signal generator designates indices of (1.about.N (N+1).about.(N+M)) in order of transmission of forward predictive or backward predictive motion vectors on the basis of attached information such as motion compensation mode, prediction type, and picture structure, etc. of motion vector, and the motion vector count signal from the motion vector counter to allow switch to perform switching operation, thus allowing register memories (PMV) and motion vectors to have one-to-one correspondence relationship.

Abstract: A coding data is performed in decoding by a stream decoding circuit, an IDCT circuit and an MC circuit. An AGU stores decoding data from the MC circuit to a memory. Regarding the decoding data of a B picture, the AGU writes only the decoding data which are necessary for image display, to a B picture region. Thus, a room occurs in a memory capacity. It is possible to hold the decoding data of the B picture through 2 field periods of time. It is possible to read twice the same decoding data, for display processing. Thus, frame interpolation processing is made possible, and it is possible to obtain a magnified image having high image quality.

Abstract: A transcoder for the conversion of video signals between a first and a second coding scheme employing motion compensation comprises a decoder (28) for decoding a received data stream encoded according to a first coding scheme and an encoder (30) for encoding a data stream from the decoder into a data stream according to a second coding scheme. The decoder (28) extracts motion vectors from the received data stream and passes them (42) to the data stream of the encoder, so avoiding the recalculation of the motion vectors. Drift compensation means (52-64; 70-78) may be provided to compensate for any resulting drift after a picture frame.

Abstract: A method for coding moving pictures using motion compensation for prediction has a step of producing motion vectors for a macroblock in a previous frame, the macroblock corresponding to a macroblock to be coded in a current frame, a step of motion-compensating the macroblock in the previous frame by using the produced motion vector to generate a motion compensated macroblock, a step of calculating a prediction error from the motion compensated macroblock and the macroblock to be coded in the current frame, a step of deciding whether the macroblock to be coded in the current frame is a significant macroblock or a non-significant macroblock by comparing the calculated prediction error with a threshold value, a step of coding the macroblock to be coded in the current frame when the macroblock is decided as the significant macroblock, and a step of transmitting only the produced motion vector when the macroblock is decided as the non-significant macroblock.

Abstract: Methods and systems for compressing data representing a video sequence having a plurality of image frames include obtaining a plurality of basis image frames which represent an anticipated range of motion of at least one object in the video sequence and an actual current image frame and a previous image frame of the at least one object. A plurality of feature points of the at least one object are located in each of the plurality of basis image frames, the previous image frame, and the actual current image frame. A mathematical transformation which maps locations of the feature points in each of the plurality of basis image frames and the previous image frame to locations in the actual current image frame is determined. The mathematical transformation is then encoded for transmission.

Abstract: A method of error-free, simple programming of a data decoder for the purpose of recording desired data programs is achieved when a data guide table, generated at the transmitter end, for programming the recording, and a data status table for signaling the data programs currently running are evaluated. In addition to date, time, broadcasting company, identifying number and length of the files, the data guide table contains information on the hardware and software configurations, which is required for receiving, for decoding and for outputting the desired data program, and further information for automatically reloading software possibly missing at the receiver end. In this way, it is possible as early as during programming of a data program to carry out a check of the system configuration required at the receiver end and to output an error message or warning to the user if his own system is not suitable for receiving, decoding or outputting the desired data program.

Abstract: A vanity console is provided with a housing having a mirror mounted therein made of a material providing both reflectivity and transmissivity characteristics. A source of illumination such as a peripheral fluorescent tube extends behind the outer periphery of the mirror and directs light through the two-way mirror for use of the vanity mirror in low ambient light conditions. The mirror preferably is shaped to conform to the shape of a user's face. In one embodiment of the invention, positioned centrally behind the mirror is a video image source, such as an LCD display, which is supplied with video information from a variety of sources such as vehicle mounted cameras that the vanity console can serve the function of video imaging as well.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus which includes at least two sensors whose overlapping fields of view are matched by sectorization. Sensor signal output processing of a high resolution sensor and a low resolution sensor provide a detection device which achieves a substantially higher performance over devices which only logically combine the outputs of two individual detectors. In a particular embodiment, the high resolution sensor senses a visible wavelength, such as by video camera, and the low resolution is an infrared thermal sensor.