Abstract: The prediction error value calculated by a motion estimating portion is used for selecting the frame or field orthogonal transform coding mode. The frame prediction error value EFr and the field prediction error value EFi are calculated by the motion estimating portion and entered into a comparator of an orthogonal transform mode selecting portion which in turn compares them with each other and generates an orthogonal transform mode selecting signal TC. The use of the prediction error values for selecting the orthogonal transform mode makes it possible to reduce the size of the necessary hardware and saves much time of data processing necessary for judgment of the orthogonal transform mode selection.

Abstract: The invention provides a a recording data production apparatus and method, a recording medium reproduction apparatus and method and a recording medium by which interruption of data can be prevented even when reproduction of data is performed in a different order from the order in which the data are recorded. When it is intended to allow reproduction of data in an order of a block A, a block B and a block D or in another order of the block A, a block C and the block D, in order to prevent underflow of data from a buffer memory of a reproduction apparatus, the block B is sectioned into sections B.sub.1 to B.sub.3 and the block C is sectioned into sections C.sub.1 to C.sub.3. Then, the lengths of the sections are set to a predetermined value, and the blocks are arranged in an order of the blocks A, B.sub.1, C.sub.1, B.sub.2, C.sub.3, B.sub.3, C.sub.3 and D. In each section, addresses of a jumping start point and a jumping destination are recorded as control information.

Abstract: A motion picture encoding method and apparatus which divides a previous frame of a motion picture into arbitrary quadrilateral objects, obtains a predictive error through movement trace and prediction for each quadrilateral object; and encodes each quadrilateral object independently by converting the predictive error from a quadrilateral unit into a square object having K.times.K dimensions, where K is an integer.

Abstract: A method and system for estimating the motion within a video sequence provides very accurate estimates of both the displacement vector field, as well as, the boundaries of moving objects. The system comprises a preprocessor (102), a spatially adaptive pixel motion estimator (104), a motion boundary estimator (106), and a motion analyzer (108). The preprocessor (102) provides a first estimate of the displacement vector field, and the spatially adaptive pixel motion estimator (104) provides a first estimate of object boundaries. The motion boundary estimator (106) and the motion analyzer (108) improve the accuracy of the first estimates.

Abstract: To facilitate creating professional poses for a person to be photographed, a posing mask generating system is provided including a microprocessor having a video graphics board therein. The microprocessor also has a memory and a data input and output device. A video camera is interfaced with the video graphics board so that a video image of a model to be photographed can be viewed on a display terminal. Using the data input device, a professional photographer, experienced in posing subjects, enters graphics information into the system which is then overlaid with the video image and appropriately positioned to define a mask or template defining the location for prominent features of the subject within the frame of reference. This is repeated for a number of possible poses, with the graphics information being stored in the memory of the microprocessor.

Abstract: A transformation coding apparatus for transforming blocks of data corresponding to a boundary of an object. The apparatus includes a transformer for transforming an input block and producing transformation coefficients, a transformation coefficient selector for selecting and outputting certain transformation coefficients based on the transformation coefficients and the input block, an inverse transformer for inversely transforming the transformation coefficients selected by the transformation coefficient select means, and outputting a restored block, and an encoder for variable-length-coding the select coefficients selected by the transformation coefficient select means. A repetition controller calculates a mean square error of the input data block and the restored data block, compares, the calculated mean square error with a predetermined reference value, and determines whether to continue selecting coefficients.

Abstract: A video signal processing apparatus for a prompter of the present invention is capable of projecting a picture easy to see without a flicker of an image in the vertical direction during a vertical scrolling operation. An image data of a manuscript is displayed by interlace scanning, and the displayed manuscript is vertically scrolled at various speeds. The control circuit of the apparatus updates the uppermost horizontal line read from the image memory by one every time even field is read if the scrolling speed is 8 sec./screen. The control circuit updates the uppermost horizontal line read from the image memory when one of three consecutive even fields except a predetermined one is read if the scrolling speed is 12 sec./screen. In this manner, the uppermost horizontal line is sequentially replaced in order.

Abstract: An inverse quantizer, for use in an MPEG-2 video signal decoder, provides a 23-bit inverse quantized transform coefficient F in response to 13-bit (2QF+K), according to F=?(2QF+K).times.(W.times.quantizer.sub.-- scale )!/32 wherein QF is a quantized transform coefficient, W is an element of a predetermined weight matrix, and the quantizer.sub.-- scale is an integer ranging from 1 to 112 as given in MPEG-2 scheme. The inverse quantizer comprises a quantizer.sub.-- scale providing block for providing a (7-L)-bit modified quantizer.sub.-- scale and a selection signal based on the quantizer.sub.-- scale; a first multiplier for multiplying the modified quantizer.sub.

Abstract: A decoding speed is improved. A processing method is changed in variable length decoders depending on whether only one piece of data is to be decoded or two or more pieces of data are to be decoded, thereby suppressing an increase in the size of hardware as much as possible and increasing a processing speed. Although irregular data are created in the first cycle when a large scale decoder having a slow processing speed processes data, a delay apparatus delays data which include the irregular data and data which are supplied from the large scale decoder without a delay are filled in the irregular data portion. As a result, the irregular portion of the data is compensated for and a relative delay of the processing is prevented.

Abstract: A compressed motion video code processing circuit and a compressed motion video code processing method are disclaused. The processor decodes a bitstream into a moving picture data sequence and outputts each picture to an outside circuit (e.g., a monitor circuit) according to the original video sequence. That is, the bitstream includes I-pictures, P-pictures and B-pictures, and each pictures are arranged according to a different rule from the original video sequence. When an error is caused in the bitstream, the data of the error portion is replaced by decoded data of corresponding portion in a correction picture which has been decoded and stored. The correction picture is selected, for example, as a picture which has short inter-frame distance from a current picture under decoding.

Abstract: The method described enables a high accuracy of motion measurement to be achieved with simple circuitry and overcomes some of the most important sources of error introduced in other systems. Many of the previous techniques may be extended by using a hierarchical technique to improve the accuracy or resolution of a simple estimator e.g. hierarchical block matching or successive approximate gradient systems. The invention described in this patent introduces novel techniques of weighted-sample area matching, effectively giving soft boundaries to the picture areas used to assess motion within a picture, and/or with a technique of adjusting the picture resolution between successive stages of motion measurement. The combination of these techniques reduces many of the limitations of previous techniques.

Abstract: A video signal encoding apparatus performs the quantization based on a predetermined quantizer scale, so the picture quality of an encoded video signal can be maintained. The video signal encoding apparatus sequentially stores an input video frame signals and converts a stored video frame signal from the spatial domain into the frequency domain to provide transform data and quantizes the transform data based on a predetermined quantizer scale to provide quantized transform data. The video signal encoding apparatus statistically codes the quantized transform data to produce an encoded video frame signal and temporarily stores the encoded video frame signal in order to transmit the encoded video frame signal at a constant transmission rate and provides a control signal to thereby enable a video frame signal, being stored at the moment when the transmission of the encoded video frame signal is completed, to be transformed.

Abstract: There is provided a coding apparatus comprising: a block dividing section for dividing one picture of an input image signal into (n) blocks; (n) coding sections for coding the image data of each of the (n) blocks; and a control section for dividing one picture of the input image signal into (m) blocks so as to exist over the (n) blocks and for controlling an amount of codes which are generated from each of the coding section every (m) blocks.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, or image encoding and decoding apparatus having a circuit for dividing a screen into sub-areas to conduct an encoding or decoding operation for each sub-area includes an image dividing circuit for dividing an input image into sub-areas each having a predetermined contour, sub-encoders for encoding the sub-areas respectively related thereto, a code integrating circuit for integrating the codes of the respective sub-areas, and a shared memory for storing images locally decoded by the sub-encoders.

Abstract: Data decoded by a decoding section (101) are compressed by a compressing section (102) and then stored in a forecast/display frame memory section (103). The data in the forecast/display frame memory section (103) which are required to decode the other frames in the decoding section (101) are expanded and supplied to the decoding section through an expanding A section (104). The decoding section (101) uses the data restored by the expanding operation to decode the image data subjected to the forecast encoding operation. On the other hand, the display frame is subjected to the expanding operation at an expanding B section (105) after it has been read out from the forecast/display frame memory section (103), the expanded display frame then being output and supplied to a display device. Thus, the data stored in the forecast/display frame memory section (103) can be compressed to reduce the size of memory capacity.

Abstract: Data which has been decoded by a decoding portion 101 are compressed by a compressing portion 102 and stored in a prediction/display frame memory portion 103. From the data stored in the prediction/display frame memory portion 103, any data required for decoding other frames in the decoding portion 101 are decompressed through a decompressing A portion 104 and supplied to the decoding portion 101. Alternatively, data to be displayed is read from the prediction/display frame memory portion 103, decompressed at a decompressing B portion 105 and supplied to a display apparatus. Writing to and reading from the above-mentioned prediction/display frame memory portion 103 is controlled by an address controlling portion 106. Since compressed data are stored in the prediction/display frame memory portion 103, the memory capacity can be decreased.

Abstract: A motion compensation processor reads a small regions at the center portion of a forward reference region and a small region at the center portion of a backward reference region preliminarily assigned thereto and determines a coding type. Another motion compensation processor reads a small region at the left side of the forward reference region and a small region at the right side of the backward reference region and determines a coding type. A further motion compensation processor reads a small region at the left side of the forward reference region and a small region at the right side of the backward reference region and determines a coding type. By this parallel processing is enabled to obtain a prediction block having high similarity to a current block more efficiently than the prior art and facilitate realization of a bidirectional predicting system.

Abstract: An image display to display a 2-dimensional image and a beam deflector to deflect the lights from the pixels constructing the image of the image display are provided. The beam deflector is arranged closely in front of the image display. A plurality of 2-dimensional images of different visual directions are sequentially displayed in the image display. The light from each pixel is deflected by the beam deflector synchronously with the display of the 2-dimensional image so that the light from each pixel is directed to the region in which the visual point has been set in order to obtain each image. The switching operation in this instance is executed at a high speed.

Abstract: A coding apparatus for reduction and variable-length-coding of digital image data, wherein the image data is once variable-length-coded to obtain a variable length coded data. The variable length coded data is coded again to produce an amount of data. The amount of data is used to select an optimum quantization level. The variable length coded data is then coded again with the optimum quantization level to maximize a recording density of the twice coded data on a recording medium.

Abstract: Provision is made of a video signal editing apparatus wherein even if coded video signals subjected to inter-frame coding are connected and edited, no disturbance occurs in the video signal obtained as a result. Therefore, when connecting coded video signals in each of which one B-frame and I-frame constitute a GOP in that order, if the B-frame comes at the end of a coded video signal, the signal is divided adding to it up to the I-frame of the same or subsequent GOP. Further, if the B-frame comes at the start of a coded video signal, the signal is divided adding to it up to the B-frame or I-frame of the same or previous GOP, then these coded video signals are connected.