Patents by Inventor Frederick Walls

Frederick Walls has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8817878
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for motion estimation around a fixed reference vector using a pivot pixel approach may include pivoting each of the plurality of pixels in an output picture to perform a sub-pixel search in a plurality of directions around a reference vector. A plurality of cost values may be calculated for performing motion compensation for a plurality of pixels in the output picture along a plurality of directions around the reference vector. A motion vector may be generated corresponding to the least calculated cost for each pixel in the output picture based on the calculated plurality of cost values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Richard Hayden Wyman
  • Patent number: 8355442
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for automatically turning off motion compensation when motion vectors are inaccurate may include determining quality of a plurality of generated motion vectors. The interpolation of a plurality of output pictures may be controlled based on the determined quality. A plurality of original input pictures may be interpolated when the determined quality of the plurality of generated motion vectors is below a threshold value. A plurality of motion compensated pictures may be interpolated when the determined quality of the plurality of generated motion vectors is above a threshold value. A reduced interpolation mode may be utilized if a generated cut-off value is less than an entry threshold value and/or above an exit threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Frederick Walls
  • Patent number: 8345148
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for inverse telecine and scene change detection of progressive video may include determining a cadence, for example, 3:2 or 2:2 pulldown, and phase of received progressive input pictures. A difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures may be determined. The motion compensation of a plurality of output pictures may be controlled based on the determined cadence, phase and difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures. The system may be enabled to determine repeated pictures and scene changes. The motion compensation of output pictures may be stopped during detected scene changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Richard Hayden Wyman
  • Publication number: 20090115909
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for motion estimation around a fixed reference vector using a pivot pixel approach may include pivoting each of the plurality of pixels in an output picture to perform a sub-pixel search in a plurality of directions around a reference vector. A plurality of cost values may be calculated for performing motion compensation for a plurality of pixels in the output picture along a plurality of directions around the reference vector. A motion vector may be generated corresponding to the least calculated cost for each pixel in the output picture based on the calculated plurality of cost values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Richard Hayden Wyman
  • Publication number: 20090115908
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for automatically turning off motion compensation when motion vectors are inaccurate may include determining quality of a plurality of generated motion vectors. The interpolation of a plurality of output pictures may be controlled based on the determined quality. A plurality of original input pictures may be interpolated when the determined quality of the plurality of generated motion vectors is below a threshold value. A plurality of motion compensated pictures may be interpolated when the determined quality of the plurality of generated motion vectors is above a threshold value. A reduced interpolation mode may be utilized if a generated cut-off value is less than an entry threshold value and/or above an exit threshold value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventor: Frederick Walls
  • Publication number: 20090115845
    Abstract: Certain aspects of a method and system for inverse telecine and scene change detection of progressive video may include determining a cadence, for example, 3:2 or 2:2 pulldown, and phase of received progressive input pictures. A difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures may be determined. The motion compensation of a plurality of output pictures may be controlled based on the determined cadence, phase and difference between two or more consecutive received progressive input pictures. The system may be enabled to determine repeated pictures and scene changes. The motion compensation of output pictures may be stopped during detected scene changes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Richard Hayden Wyman
  • Patent number: 7397515
    Abstract: In a video system, a method and system for cross-chrominance removal using motion detection are provided. A luma motion detector in a motion adaptive deinterlacer may be used to determine a chroma current motion for a pixel in a video frame. The chroma current motion may be modified, based on a chroma motion mechanism comprising of an edge detection, a back-off, and a motion biasing, when the output pixel is found to be in a static chroma area of the video frame. A static chroma threshold parameter may be used to determine whether the output pixel is in a static chroma area. A cross-chroma reduction determined based on the current chroma motion, may be blended in the motion adaptive deinterlacer with a spatial average approximation of the output pixel to remove the cross-chrominance from the output chroma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2008
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Jason Demas
  • Publication number: 20080018790
    Abstract: System and methods for processing signals in a television system are disclosed and may include measuring relative power of RF carriers over a full bandwidth of one or more received TV channels. The method may also include determining based on the measured relative power, whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without demodulating the received TV channel. It may be determined whether the one or more received TV channels includes a digital component or an analog component without synchronizing and/or decoding the one or more received TV channels. The method may further include tuning to the one or more received TV channels. It may be determined whether an applied power gain for the one or more received TV channels is a maximum power gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Inventors: Jorge Wong, Donald McMullin, Frederick Walls, Thomas Spieker
  • Publication number: 20050179818
    Abstract: A method and system is provided, which may detect digital QAM, VSB and analog TV signals in a faster and more efficient manner than conventional systems. The system and method may be deployed in, for example, cable TV set-top boxes, cable TV modems and television set receivers, which may be coupled to a cable TV or off-the-air terrestrial network. Power measurements of the RF carriers found in a cable TV channel may be utilized to determine whether a digital QAM signal, digital VSB signal, or an analog signal is present in a TV channel. In this regard, it is not necessary for a receiver to demodulate, lock, synchronize, decode and/or validate any video or audio information or digital bit stream in order to detect digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals, or not signal at all. Accordingly, the process of detecting digital QAM, digital VSB and analog TV signals is shortened and simplified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2004
    Publication date: August 18, 2005
    Inventors: Jorge Wong, Donald McMullin, Frederick Walls, Thomas Spieker
  • Publication number: 20050168650
    Abstract: In a video system, a method and system for cross-chrominance removal using motion detection are provided. A luma motion detector in a motion adaptive deinterlacer may be used to determine a chroma current motion for a pixel in a video frame. The chroma current motion may be modified, based on a chroma motion mechanism comprising of an edge detection, a back-off, and a motion biasing, when the output pixel is found to be in a static chroma area of the video frame. A static chroma threshold parameter may be used to determine whether the output pixel is in a static chroma area. A cross-chroma reduction determined based on the current chroma motion, may be blended in the motion adaptive deinterlacer with a spatial average approximation of the output pixel to remove the cross-chrominance from the output chroma.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2004
    Publication date: August 4, 2005
    Inventors: Frederick Walls, Jason Demas