Abstract: Refinement of motion block motion vectors to achieve a dense motion field for temporal video signal processing makes use of candidate motion vectors from a parent block and neighboring child block groups to determine the motion vector for a child block within one of the child block groups. The vicinity of each candidate motion vector may be searched to obtain a trial motion vector having a minimum displaced frame difference measure, with the trial motion vector with the minimum displaced frame difference measure from among all the trial motion vectors being the motion vector for the child block. Alternatively each candidate motion vector may be applied to the child block, and the vicinity of the candidate motion vector having the minimum displaced frame difference being searched to obtain the motion vector for the child block.

Abstract: A method, and computer program are provided for adjusting motion estimation video data to remove unwanted data generated by an automatic focusing control (AFC) circuit on the video data recorder. One or more edges or fine points in a sequence of motion compensated images is identified. Difference frames composed of pixel differences are generated from the motion compensated images. The difference frames are examined for evidence of AFC action. In the event AFC action is identified, one or more frames of the sequence of difference frames are filtered to remove the AFC effects. The filtered difference frames are encoded. Identification can be made by detecting a component of oscillation in a comparison of summed pixel differences of a sequence of frames. The difference frames may be filtered by reducing the energy level of one or more of the difference frames or by discarding one or more of the difference frames.

Abstract: In image combining method of phototaking an object to be photographed by using a plurality of image taking systems with portions of fields of view thereof overlapping, and forming combined image information by combining pieces of image information obtained by the image taking systems, coordinates changing processing is performed by using the distance information of an object to be photographed, and image signals output from the respective image taking systems are compensated in accordance with the changed coordinates. One of the compensated image signals is selected with respect to a region where a far-distance portion of the object is concealed by a near-distance object, of the overlapping region of a combined image signal.