Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a potential sample at a location interfaced with a first field of the picture by temporal filtering, (B) evaluating a protection condition in a current region around the location after inclusion of the potential sample and (C) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by vertical spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating a significant increase in a vertical activity within the current region due to the potential sample.

Abstract: A method for decoding a digital video bit-stream comprising the steps of (A) receiving the digital video bit-stream having (i) a first portion containing image information and (ii) a second portion containing overscan information and (B) extracting the overscan information from the video bit-stream. The overscan information describes a shape of a overscan region absent from the digital video bit-stream.

Abstract: A method for processing a digital image is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (A) receiving the digital image, the digital image having (i) a Bayer color representation and (ii) two initial dimensions in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction respectively and (B) generating a resample image by down-sampling the digital image in the Bayer color representation such that (i) the resample image has two resample dimensions, (ii) at least one of the resample dimensions is smaller than a respective at least one of the initial dimensions and (iii) the respective at least one initial dimension is a non-integer multiple of the at least one resample dimension.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising (i) a segmentor circuit, (ii) a plurality of encoders and (iii) a multiplexer circuit. The segmentor circuit may be configured to segment a picture into a plurality of strips. Each of the plurality of encoders may be configured (i) to encode respective strips of the plurality of strips in parallel and (ii) to transfer context information with at least one other encoder of the plurality of encoders. The multiplexer circuit may be configured to combine the encoded strips from the plurality of encoders into an encoded bit stream.

Abstract: A video encoder is disclosed that includes an encoder circuit, a quantizer circuit and a control circuit. The encoder circuit may be configured to generate a number of coefficient values in response to a video stream and a number of quantized values. The quantizer circuit may be configured to generate the number of quantized values in response to the coefficient values, two or more quantization dead zones and two or more offsets. The control circuit may be configured to set the two or more quantization dead zones and the two or more offsets to different values. The two or more quantization dead zones and the two or more offsets are independently programmable.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for storing image data comprising a first storage device and a second storage device. The first storage device may be configured to store at least one first pixel from a first field of a frame of the image at a first physical address in the first storage device. The second storage device may be configured to store a second pixel from a second field of the frame of the image at a second physical address in the second storage device. The first and second physical addresses may have the same relative position in an address space of the respective storage devices.

Abstract: A method for classifying a first video type and a second video type in a digital video signal having a series of frames is disclosed. The method generally includes a first step of (A) reading a first set of parameters defining an active portion of a first of the frames. A second step may involve (B) reading a second set of parameters defining an active portion of a second of the frames. A third step includes (C) comparing the first set of the parameters with the second set of parameters to generate a comparison value. As such, (D) if the comparison value is above a predetermined threshold, indicating the first video type and (E) if the comparison value is not above the predetermined value, indicating the second video type.

Abstract: A method for representing a motion for two blocks. The method generally includes the steps of (A) exchanging a particular value of a plurality of values with a memory, each of the values defining which of the two blocks use which of a plurality of motion vectors based upon one of a plurality of prediction types and (B) representing the motion for the two blocks with a group comprising the particular value and up to all of the motion vectors.

Abstract: An apparatus having a buffer and a circuit is disclosed. The buffer may be configured to receive a digital image. The digital image generally has (i) a Bayer color representation and (ii) two initial dimensions in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction respectively. The circuit may be configured to generate a resample image in a signal by down-sampling the digital image in the Bayer color representation such that (i) the resample image has two resample dimensions, (ii) at least one of the resample dimensions is smaller than a respective at least one of the initial dimensions and (iii) the respective at least one initial dimension is a non-integer multiple of the at least one resample dimension.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first circuit, a second circuit and a third circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of first motion vectors and first error scores in response to a search of a macroblock of an image. The search generally includes a range of motion vectors of the macroblock. The second circuit may be configured to generate a plurality of second motion vectors and second error scores for a plurality of sub-blocks of the macroblock in response to a set of discrete candidate motion vectors selected from the plurality of first motion vectors. The third circuit may be configured to segment the macroblock in response to (i) the plurality of first motion vectors and first error scores and (ii) the plurality of second motion vectors and second error scores.

Abstract: A method for encoding video, comprising the steps of (A) detecting repeated fields in a video sequence and (B) generating a first repeated frame from a top field and any adjacent bottom field based upon detection of the repeated fields, wherein the top field and the bottom field are from one film frame.

Abstract: A method of operation for a video camera and the video camera are disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) sensing an optical signal with a plurality of pixels to generate an input signal, wherein the sensing is capable of a pixel reduction by at least one of binning the pixels and skipping some of the pixels and (B) processing the input signal in order to reduce artifacts caused by the pixel reduction to generate an output signal.

Abstract: A method for motion estimating. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a first interpolated block having a sub-pixel resolution in response to a first interpolation process operating on a reference block of a reference frame of a video signal having an integer pixel resolution, (B) generating a motion vector in response to the first interpolated block and a current block of a current frame of the video signal having the integer pixel resolution and (C) generating a second interpolated block having the sub-pixel resolution in response to a second interpolation process operating on the reference block.

Abstract: A device generally having a memory manager and a direct memory access unit. The memory manager may be configured to (i) map a first picture from a video signal among a plurality of picture segments and (ii) generate a list associating each of the picture segments to a plurality of physical pages in a memory. The direct memory access unit may be configured to store the first picture among the physical pages according to the list and the mapping.

Abstract: An apparatus comprising a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a decoded video signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate (i) a first video output signal having a first resolution and (ii) a second video signal having a second video resolution in response to the decoded video signal.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a potential sample at a location interfaced with a first field of the picture by temporal filtering, (B) evaluating a protection condition in a current region around the location after inclusion of the potential sample and (C) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by vertical spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating a significant increase in a vertical activity within the current region due to the potential sample.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) generating a plurality of primary scores by searching along a plurality of primary angles for an edge in the picture proximate a location interlaced with a field of the picture, (B) generating a plurality of neighbor scores by searching for the edge along a plurality of neighbor angles proximate a particular angle of the primary angles corresponding to a particular score of the primary scores having a best value and (C) identifying a best score from a group of scores consisting of the particular score and the neighbor scores to generate an interpolated sample at the location.

Abstract: A method for processing a video bitstream is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining co-located motion information for a plurality of co-located sub-blocks in a co-located macroblock of the video bitstream, (B) storing the co-located motion information for (i) at least a first three of the co-located sub-blocks along a left side of the co-located macroblock, (ii) at least a second three of the co-located sub-blocks along a right side of the co-located macroblock and (iii) less than all of the co-located sub-blocks and (C) inferring current motion information for a current macroblock co-located in a different picture from the co-located macroblock using the co-located motion information that was stored.

Abstract: A method for deinterlacing a picture is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a protection condition by performing a static check on the picture in a region around a location interlaced with a first field of the picture, (B) calculating an interpolated sample at the location by temporal averaging the first field with a second field in response to the protection condition indicating significant vertical activity and (C) calculating the interpolated sample at the location by spatial filtering the first field in response to the protection condition indicating insignificant vertical activity.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for storing image data comprising a first storage device and a second storage device. The first storage device may be configured to store at least one first pixel from a first field of a frame of the image at a first physical address in the first storage device. The second storage device may be configured to store a second pixel from a second field of the frame of the image at a second physical address in the second storage device. The first and second physical addresses may have the same relative position in an address space of the respective storage devices.