Abstract: A motion vector detector includes a processor array having a plurality of processing elements arranged in a two dimensional array. Each of the processing elements includes storage elements for storing search window data of a reference frame and associated template block date of a current frame and a circuit for obtaining an absolute difference of the stored search window data and template data. Each processing element shifts the stored data to an adjacent processing element in a one-way direction on a data transfer path. The processing elements shift the stored search window data while holding the template block data. A displacement vector is calculated in each cycle of the shifting of the search window data by a summation unit receiving outputs of the processing elements in parallel. A comparison unit receives outputs of the summation unit to detect a motion-vector for the template block.

Abstract: An endoscope system according to the present invention includes a plurality of different endoscopes each of which has an illumination optical system for emitting light outward, an observation optical system for forming an optical image of a subject at the distal end of an insertion tube which can be inserted into the subject, and a solid-state imaging device for converting the optical image of the subject formed by the observation optical system into an electric signal, a plurality of different signal processors each of which drives a solid-state imaging device and processes the output signal sent from the solid-state imaging device to provide a video signal, and a plurality of different light sources each of which is compatible with one of the plurality of different endoscopes and supplies light to the illumination optical system. The system expendability is so excellent that the above equipment will be compatible with technologically-upgraded endoscopes, signal processors, or light sources.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting undesired stray light generated in an electronic device, comprising a high sensitive photosensing device for picking up an image of the electronic device which emits the stray light and an image pickup filter for eliminating undesired signal components contained in the sensed output by the high sensitive photosensing device.

Abstract: A scheme is provided for processing previous frame data in a motion compensated digital video system to interpolate pixels used in reconstructing a current video frame. Pixel data from a previous video frame is arranged into sub-blocks containing a plurality N of pixels. The sub-blocks are stored in a memory to enable the retrieval of at least one sub-block per memory access cycle. A plurality M of sub-blocks are retrieved from the memory in response to a displacement vector associated with a portion of a current video frame. M is less than or equal to N and the M sub-blocks are retrieved in no more than M memory access cycles. A subset of pixels is chosen from the selected plurality of sub-blocks for use in interpolating pixels for the current video frame portion. The subset of pixels is processed over no more than N memory access cycles to provide N interpolated pixels for the current video frame portion.

Abstract: A security and surveillance system (10) uses a processor (40) to generate an infrared coded signal for performing a specific function. A detector (12) monitors a zone of surveillance (A) and generates an activation signal in response to the detection of an intruder in the zone. The activation signal triggers the processor (40) to generate an infrared coded signal to perform a specific function corresponding to the triggered zone of surveillance (A). In a specific application, a camera switcher (38) transmits an appropriate camera signal to a television monitor (36) and infrared coded signals generated by the processor (40) control and command the television monitor (36) to display the images from the video camera (20) in response to an intruder detection.

Abstract: In an image coding system, block based motion estimation is used to determine motion vectors for blocks of pixels in a current frame or field. Only a portion of blocks from a predetermined pattern of blocks in a current frame or field are searched for a match with a block of pixels in a previous frame or field over a designated search area. Motion vectors for the blocks of the current frame or field not selected for searching are obtained by interpolation from motion vectors obtained for associated searched neighboring blocks, respectively, or by using the zero motion vector, or by performing a search over a limited range around the position defined by each of the motion vectors from neighboring blocks.

Abstract: An image mapping radiometer mounted on a craft flying an orbit above an object zone. The radiometer includes main optics having in the visible field thereof a unit object zone defined by the swath width over the object zone and a distance in the direction of orbit, and a plurality of linear photoelectic detectors each being assigned to one of a plurality of observation spectral bands and located in the focal plane of the main optics, thereby sequentially imaging the unit object zone. A correcting section has correction optics for projecting a correction pattern onto the photoelectric detectors so as to correct the band-to-band registration, i.e., the positional deviation between the elements of the detectors. A movable mirror is provided for selecting either of the main optics and correction optics. When the correction pattern is projected, a lattice pattern having a pitch different from the element pitch is generated on the light-sensitive surfaces of the detectors.

Abstract: A system for detecting motion in a video image is provided wherein the video image is processed into a statistical array in which the array elements are derived from overlapping portions of the image. The elements of the statistical array are compared with corresponding array elements derived from an earlier image. The overlapping nature of the statistical array elements allows any detected changes in the image to be correlated with a portion of the image that is smaller than the area from which the statistical quantities are derived. Such spatial correlation of detected image changes is accomplished by thresholding and/or Boolean comparisons among the elements of the statistical array. A motion detection system in accordance with this invention can be used with a video multiplexing system so that motion can be detected at a plurality of remote locations.

Abstract: Mineral content in processed ore and coal content in coal slurries are determined using a video system. A video image is taken of a sample, the video image is digitized, and gray levels are assigned to points or areas on the video image. The distribution of the gray levels for the image provides an indication of the purity of the minerals in the ore sample. The mean gray level for the image provides an indication of the mineral content of interest in the sample. The video system should be calibrated using ores that normally occur in the process environment and using samples of controlled moisture content. The video system has particular utility in determining phosphate content and calcium ratio in phosphate ores.

Abstract: A TV camera work control apparatus using a tripod head so as to accurately select a plurality of given shooting positions and conditions. A transparent touch panel divided into a plurality of touch inputting portions is used to control the position and the shooting operation of a TV camera. The touch panel is disposed on a monitor screen. When a shooting position is selected by pressing one of the divided touch inputting portions, a shooting operation such as panning, tilting, zooming and focusing is controlled. The zooming operation may be controlled by the magnification which is proportional to the pressure applied to the touch inputting portion or the time for which the touch inputting portion is pressed. It is possible to the current operation parameters are corrected with reference to the preceding operating state, when a signal is input again from one of the touch inputting portions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for enhancing the clarity of and the diagnostic information in real-time B-mode and M-mode ultrasound displays including a beamformer for acquiring ultrasound receive signals for each ultrasound scan line of a two-dimensional image and processing the receive signals for each ultrasound scan line into detected and filtered video signals for storage in scan line acquisition memory with programmable dynamically variable non-linear filters for processing the video signals with continuously and automatically varying filter responses over a range of low and high pass responses followed by scan converting and display of the non-linearly processed video signals. The non-linear filters may process video signals in range along each ultrasound scan line or azimuthally along multiple ultrasound scan lines of a two-dimensional B-mode image.

Abstract: An image input apparatus has a video camera which photographs an object placed on a stage of the apparatus and which outputs a video signal for reproducing an image of the object on a screen of an external device, such as a monitor. The operator can designate a selected part of the reproduced image by displaying an arrow mark on the image. Display position of the arrow mark is designated by operating cursor keys of a control panel of the image input apparatus while referring to the monitor. The display position is entered in the form of a pair of coordinate values of X-Y coordinates which are defined on the screen. In accordance with the coordinate values, data for displaying the arrow mark as a dot pattern is read from a memory in synchronism with the video signal and mixed with the video signal.

Abstract: In a method of setting flat elements in relation to a reference device, in particular stamping dies or the like, and for aligning embossing blocks relative to an embossing original outside a stamping machine by means of a camera and picture screen associated therewith, the camera position is set over a holding frame and a marking at one side of the holding frame and displaced until the image of the camera on the picture screen is coincident with a line of a reticle, whereafter the camera is moved over a second marking, which is approximately aligned with the first marking, at the other end of the holding frame and then the rear part of the holding frame is displaced at a right angle to the first direction of travel until the image of the second marking on the picture screen is coincident with that reticle line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of classifying the pixels of an image belonging to a sequence of moving images, as well as to a method of temporal interpolation of images using this classification. The method of classifying the pixels of an image t(j+1) pertains to temporal projection of the field of motion of an image t(j) belonging to a sequence of moving images, with the pixels of the image t(j) being defined by a motion vector and by a tag belonging to a class such as "normal", "occluding" or "appearing". The method is characterized by the fact that, before projection, all pixels of t(j) are tagged "appearing", and then, during the temporal projection, the tagging is modified as a function of the tagging of the pixels of t(j) in such a way as to obtain a tagging according to the same above classes (i.e., normal, occluding, or appearing).

Abstract: A motion picture coder for coding plural macro blocks of motion picture data based on a standardizing system is disclosed. The coder comprises first and second pipe-lined processors executing different coding processes respectively, both of which are separated from one another so as to accomplish a parallel operation thereof. The first processor executes a motion vector detection for a second macro block, an inter-frame addition for a first macro block and an inter-frame difference for the first macro block. The second processor executes a discrete cosine transform for the first macro block, a quantization for the first macro block, an inverse quantization for the first macro block, an inverse discrete cosine transform for the first macro block and a loop filtering for the second macro block.

Abstract: An object tracking apparatus and method of a camcorder which can detect the travelling object and can automatically track the object for shooting by utilizing infra-red incident upon light receiving element from the object.Two embodiments of the object tracking apparatus and method thereof can detect the moving direction of an object so that the shooting direction of a camcorder can be caused to change by comparing mutually the changing electrical signals as the output of a photoelectric converter which converts the light incident from the object to electrical signals changes according to the movement of an object.

Abstract: A quantization control circuit determines an optimum scaling factor for quantizing orthogonal transformation coefficient data that correspond to a predetermined time period of a digital video signal. A first scaling factor is determined from the orthogonal transformation coefficient data as a function of whether a bit rate determined by quantizing the orthogonal transformation coefficient data using an initial scaling factor is greater than a target bit rate. A corrected scaling factor is determined by calculating second scaling factors that are each derived from the first scaling factor. Error values are calculated from the second scaling factors using the orthogonal transformation coefficient data, and the second scaling factor that corresponds to the minimum error value is selected as the corrected scaling factor.

Abstract: When an image motion vector is to be detected, correlation calculations are performed by a correlation calculation circuit (12) and the motion vector is detected from the result. At this time, the video signal undergoing correlation calculations has a half-line deviation between the fields in the vertical direction caused by interlace. Then, the detected motion vector contains an error of half a line derived from the above deviation. Therefore, a motion vector correction circuit (14) corrects the error by adding to or subtracting from the motion vector derived by the motion vector detection circuit (13) a predetermined number corresponding to half a line. Further, a vertical-direction interpolation circuit (31) is provided to produce a vertical-direction interpolation signal for a video signal. One of video signals performed with correlation calculations in a correlation calculation circuit (33) is always the video signals interpolated in the vertical direction. Thereby the above described error is corrected.

Abstract: A motion compensation technique for color video signals involves deriving at least one principal component from the video signals by means of a hotelling transform circuit and a matrix, and applying motion compensation to an interpolator (or to a compressor/decompressor) on the basis of the derived principal component. The technique avoids the need to provide three separate compensation circuits for each of the video signals while ensuring that optimum use is made of the color information in the video signals.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for encoding and decoding data in a video processor system wherein image data values represent a plurality of successive images. A current image is stored into a block of memory locations and later read from the block of memory locations, encoded and transmitted. In addition to being transmitted, the encoded data values are also decoded in order to provide companded image values. The companded image values are then stored into the same block of memory locations as the current image. The data values representing the current image are simultaneously read from the memory block while the companded values are being stored into the same memory block under the control of a number of pointers and a number of synchronization flows. Additionally, the companded data values are simultaneously read from the same memory block for the purpose of performing motion estimation.