Abstract: A receiver is configured to receive video frames. A cadence detector is in communication with the receiver and is configured to analyze a newly received video frame to determine the cadence of the video frames. A frame rate converter is configured to interpolate at least two of the video frames to form output frames in accordance with an interpolation parameter based on the cadence and with a frequency scaling factor. The frequency scaling factor corresponds to the frame rate of the output frames.

Abstract: A field sequence detector determines the field sequence of a series of fields of video by assessing the vertical frequency content of hypothetical de-interlaced images. Hypothetical images are formed from a currently processed field and an adjacent (e.g. previous or next) field. If the vertical frequency content is relatively high (e.g. above ½ the Nyquist frequency for the image), the hypothetical image is assessed to be formed of improperly interlaced fields, belonging to different frames. If the frequency content is relatively low, the hypothetical image is assessed to be properly assembled from fields of the same frame. The field sequence in the series of fields may be detected from the assessed frequency content for several of said series of fields. Known field sequence, such as 3:2 pull-down, 2:2 pull down, and more generally m:n:l:k pull-down sequences.

Abstract: A receiver is configured to receive video frames. A cadence detector is in communication with the receiver and is configured to analyze a newly received video frame to determine the cadence of the video frames. A frame rate converter is configured to interpolate at least two of the video frames to form output frames in accordance with an interpolation parameter based on the cadence and with a frequency scaling factor. The frequency scaling factor corresponds to the frame rate of the output frames.

Abstract: A frame rate converter sequentially buffers video frames in a sequence of video frames in a buffer and interpolates at least two of the plurality of video frames in the buffer based on at least one interpolation parameter, to form interpolated output frames. Conveniently, the interpolation parameter is adjusted with each newly buffered frame in dependence on the current value of the cadence of the frame sequence. In this way, delays associated with cadence detection may be reduced.

Abstract: A video processor, upstream of a frame rate converter determines video attribute data. This attribute data is formatted and passed along a channel to the frame rate converter. The frame rate converter extracts the attribute data from the channel for use in frame rate conversion. The frame rate converter may thus rely on attribute data obtained by the video processor, and need not re-analyze video frames.

Abstract: A field sequence detector determines the field sequence of a series of fields of video by assessing the vertical frequency content of hypothetical de-interlaced images. Hypothetical images are formed from a currently processed field and an adjacent (e.g. previous or next) field. If the vertical frequency content is relatively high (e.g. above ½ the Nyquist frequency for the image), the hypothetical image is assessed to be formed of improperly interlaced fields, belonging to different frames. If the frequency content is relatively low, the hypothetical image is assessed to be properly assembled from fields of the same frame. The field sequence in the series of fields may be detected from the assessed frequency content for several of said series of fields. Known field sequence, such as 3:2 pull-down, 2:2 pull down, and more generally m:n:l:k pull-down sequences.

Abstract: A field sequence detector determines the field sequence of a series of fields of video by assessing the vertical frequency content of hypothetical de-interlaced images. Hypothetical images are formed from a currently processed field and an adjacent (e.g. previous or next) field. If the vertical frequency content is relatively high (e.g. above ½ the Nyquist frequency for the image), the hypothetical image is assessed to be formed of improperly interlaced fields, belonging to different frames. If the frequency content is relatively low, the hypothetical image is assessed to be properly assembled from fields of the same frame. The field sequence in the series of fields may be detected from the assessed frequency content for several of said series of fields. Known field sequence, such as 3:2 pull-down, 2:2 pull down, and more generally m:n:l:k pull-down sequences.

Abstract: A frame rate converter device and method for interpolation during frame rate conversion are disclosed. The method includes, receiving input frames containing film content and video content. The film content exhibits a 3:2 pull-down cadence while video content that does not exhibit such cadence. Consecutive frames Cn and Cn+1 are interpolated to form Fn using the frame rate converter. The frame rate converter further selects as an output frame, either current or previous ones of interpolated frames or input frames. The selection is made so as to reduce both film judder and video judder. The invention is suitable for use on video input frames at 60 frames per second (fps) derived from a 24 fps cinema using 3:2 pull-down, and also blended with 60 Hz overlay video such as subtitle text. The invention can be used to obtain a good overall reduction in both overlay video judder and film judder.

Abstract: A de-interlacer includes recursive motion history map generating circuitry operative to determine a motion value associated with one or more pixels in interlaced fields based on pixel intensity information from at least two neighboring same polarity fields. The recursive motion history map generating circuitry generates a motion history map containing recursively generated motion history values for use in de-interlacing interlaced fields wherein the recursively generated motion history values are based, at least in part, on a decay function.

Abstract: A film mode detector detects film mode of a series of fields of video by comparing pixels in a field adjacent the current field, with corresponding pixels directly above and directly below the pixels in an adjacent field. The number of pixels in the adjacent in time to the current field having (or not having) a value approximately between values of the pixels above and below in the current field is assessed. Film mode for a current field may be detected by monitoring the assessment from field to field. Alternatively or additionally, the detector may detect film mode by assessing for each current field, whether a relatively large or relatively small number of pixels in the immediately previous field have values outside a specified distance of values of a corresponding pixel in the immediately subsequent field, for at least a portion of the immediately previous and subsequent fields. Again, film mode may be detected by monitoring this second assessment from field to field.

Abstract: A device and method for interpolation during frame rate conversion are disclosed. The method includes, receiving original frames Fn and Fn+1 to interpolate a new frame Fp between the original frames. The method involves forming candidate motion vectors describing possible motion trajectories for groups of pixels between Fn and Fn+1 respectively, and selecting actual motion vectors from the candidate vectors. Each motion vector is selected with respect to a group of pixel locations in the new frame Fp to be interpolated. The device includes a motion estimator, an interpolator and a correction engine. Motion vectors are computed by the estimator, while the new frame is interpolated by the interpolator using motion compensated interpolation. The motion vectors are further used to identify regions of halo artifacts in the interpolated frame and filtering is applied by the correction engine to reduce the halo artifacts.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip configured to be coupled to a single shared memory including, in combination, a memory access module, at least one video signal processing module, and a frame rate converter, wherein the memory access module is configured to coordinate access to the single shared memory by the at least one video signal processing module and the frame rate converter.

Abstract: A frame rate converter sequentially buffers video frames in a sequence of video frames in a buffer and interpolates at least two of the plurality of video frames in the buffer based on at least one interpolation parameter, to form interpolated output frames. Conveniently, the interpolation parameter is adjusted with each newly buffered frame in dependence on the current value of the cadence of the frame sequence. In this way, delays associated with cadence detection may be reduced.

Abstract: A video processor, upstream of a frame rate converter determines video attribute data. This attribute data is formatted and passed along a channel to the frame rate converter. The frame rate converter extracts the attribute data from the channel for use in frame rate conversion. The frame rate converter may thus rely on attribute data obtained by the video processor, and need not re-analyze video frames.

Abstract: A de-interlacer includes recursive motion history map generating circuitry operative to determine a motion value associated with one or more pixels in interlaced fields based on pixel intensity information from at least two neighboring same polarity fields. The recursive motion history map generating circuitry generates a motion history map containing recursively generated motion history values for use in de-interlacing interlaced fields wherein the recursively generated motion history values are based, at least in part, on a decay function.

Abstract: A field sequence detector determines the field sequence of a series of fields of video by assessing the vertical frequency content of hypothetical de-interlaced images. Hypothetical images are formed from a currently processed field and an adjacent (e.g. previous or next) field. If the vertical frequency content is relatively high (e.g. above ½ the Nyquist frequency for the image), the hypothetical image is assessed to be formed of improperly interlaced fields, belonging to different frames. If the frequency content is relatively low, the hypothetical image is assessed to be properly assembled from fields of the same frame. The field sequence in the series of fields may be detected from the assessed frequency content for several of said series of fields. Known field sequence, such as 3:2 pull-down, 2:2 pull down, and more generally m:n:l:k pull-down sequences.

Abstract: A de-interlacer includes recursive motion history map generating circuitry operative to determine a motion value associated with one or more pixels in interlaced fields based on pixel intensity information from at least two neighboring same polarity fields. The recursive motion history map generating circuitry generates a motion history map containing recursively generated motion history values for use in de-interlacing interlaced fields wherein the recursively generated motion history values are based, at least in part, on a decay function.

Abstract: A film mode detector detects film mode of a series of fields of video by comparing pixels in a field adjacent the current field, with corresponding pixels directly above and directly below the pixels in an adjacent field. The number of pixels in the adjacent in time to the current field having (or not having) a value approximately between values of the pixels above and below in the current field is assessed. Film mode for a current field may be detected by monitoring the assessment from field to field. Alternatively or additionally, the detector may detect film mode by assessing for each current field, whether a relatively large or relatively small number of pixels in the immediately previous field have values outside a specified distance of values of a corresponding pixel in the immediately subsequent field, for at least a portion of the immediately previous and subsequent fields. Again, film mode may be detected by monitoring this second assessment from field to field.

Abstract: A de-interlacer includes recursive motion history map generating circuitry operative to determine a motion value associated with one or more pixels in interlaced fields based on pixel intensity information from at least two neighboring same polarity fields. The recursive motion history map generating circuitry generates a motion history map containing recursively generated motion history values for use in de-interlacing interlaced fields wherein the recursively generated motion history values are based, at least in part, on a decay function.