Abstract: A method of reducing ringing artifacts in a compressed digital video signal includes decoding the coded video signal; determining plurality of metric values in a region near at least one pixel, wherein the metric values are greater than a particular value; and applying a deringing method to substantially reduce ringing artifacts near the pixel. An apparatus for selectively deringing a compressed digital video signal includes a decoding device, a metric calculation device and a metric-controlled deringing device, wherein the deringing device reduces ringing artifacts in certain regions of a video frame based on data from the metric calculation device. In accordance with another example embodiment, the metric-controlled deringing device updates the metric data of the frame based on the deringing.

Abstract: Example embodiments are directed to a video image display system that includes a motion estimation circuit (112), a front-end motion compensation circuit (110), and a video signal conversion circuit (134, 136). The motion estimation circuit generates motion vectors as a function of an incoming video signal, the front-end motion compensation circuit receives and processes the incoming video signal as a function of the motion vectors for general video display, and the video signal conversion circuit receives the processed video signal from the front-end motion compensation circuit and generates a display signal for a specific video display as a function of both the processed video signal and the motion vectors. In one implementation, a scaler (120) is implemented to scale the video signal for a particular display type, with components of the motion compensation being implemented for use with the scaler.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for enhancing the quality of a digital video signal uses coding information for use in connection with spatial domain sharpness enhancement algorithms used in multimedia devices. The sharpness of previously encoded or transcoded digital video images is enhanced without enhancing encoding artifacts. The apparatus includes a usefulness metric generator that identifies a limit to the sharpness enhancement of an image that can be applied to a previously coded digital video that represents a sequence of images without enhancing coding artifacts. The usefulness metric generator applies the usefulness metric to at least one sharpness enhancement algorithm. The usefulness metric and the sharpness enhancement algorithm are separate so that the usefulness metric can be used with a variety of video enhancement algorithms.

Abstract: The present application develops a unified metric for digital video processing (UMDVP) to control video processing algorithms. The UMDVP metric is defined based on coding information of MPEG encoded video for each pixel in a frame. The definition of the UMDVP metric includes local spatial features. The UMDVP metric can be used to control enhancement algorithms to determine how much a pixel can be enhanced without boosting coding artifacts. It can also be used to instruct artifact reduction algorithms where and how much reduction operations are needed.

Abstract: A method and system for calculating a UME for each pixel in a frame of video data. A system for enhancing sharpness of a coded digital video signal representative a frame of block-based data is provided, comprising: a system for calculating a UME of each pixel in the frame in accordance with a frame type, wherein the calculating system includes: a mechanism that defines local spatial features in the frame; a mechanism that analyzes block-based motion estimation for the frame; a mechanism that detects a scene change in the frame; and a sharpness enhancer that improves sharpness to a decoded version of the digital video signal based on said UME.

Abstract: The present application is a new approach for jointly controlling resolution or sharpness enhancement and artifact reduction in order to improve picture quality for coded digital video. The present application provides a joint control that is based on a metric, the metric being used to determine which pixel and by how much it is to be enhanced and to determine on which pixel and to what degree to carry out the artifact reduction.

Abstract: A system and method for recording and reconstructing a high definition video on a standard definition compatible medium (e.g., a DVD). A recording system is provided that comprises: a system for scaling down the HD video images to an SD video format; a system for encoding the SD video; a system for generating a fine detail map for each HD video image; and a system for storing the SD video and the fine detail map onto the SD compatible medium.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method of detecting a scene change in video. The method includes a difference being calculated between consecutive frames of the video producing a plurality of difference values. A histogram is taken of the difference values. A scene change is detected if a majority of the difference values in the histogram exceed a predetermined value.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method of detecting a scene change in video. The method includes a difference being calculated between consecutive frames of the video producing a plurality of difference values. A histogram is taken of the difference values. A scene change is detected if a majority of the difference values in the histogram exceed a predetermined value.

Abstract: A control strategy is provided for dynamically encoding multiple streams of video data in parallel for multiplexing onto a constant bit rate channel. The control strategy is a single pass strategy which allows individual encode bit rates to be dynamically adjusted for each video data stream based on part in relative complexity of the multiple streams of video data, as well as fullness of compressed video data buffers and a channel buffer coupled between the encoders and the constant bit rate channel. The control strategy includes encoding the multiple streams of video frames in parallel, and dynamically adapting encoding of at least one stream of the video frames based on relative complexity of the video frames. The bit rate for each stream of video frames is only changed at GOP boundaries, or if a scene change occurs. The calculated bit rate is preferably further modified based upon buffer fullness.

Abstract: A system, (i.e., a method, an apparatus, and computer-executable process steps), providing sharpness enhancement for coded video, in which a usefulness metric, calculates how much a pixel can be enhanced without increasing coding artifacts. The usefulness metric is separate from the enhancement algorithm such that a variety of different enhancement algorithms can be used in conjunction with the metric.

Abstract: In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of and system for improving temporal consistency of an enhanced signal representative of at least one frame using a sharpness enhancement algorithm with an enhancement gain are provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving the enhanced signal comprising at least one frame, obtaining an enhancement gain for each pixel in the frame, retrieving an enhancement gain value of each pixel in a reference frame from a gain memory using motion vectors, identifying if the frame is an I, P or B frame type and determining an updated enhancement gain for an I frame type by calculating a gain map for use in the sharpness enhancement algorithm. The updated enhancement gain of each pixel is equal to enhancement gain previously determined for use in the sharpness enhancement algorithm.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a method of and a system for enhancing image quality of a coded digital video signal representative of at least one frame in a digital video system are provided. The method comprises the steps of creating a usefulness metric identifying a limit to sharpness enhancement to be applied to the coded digital video signal, defining local spatial features in the frame, and identifying a frame type for the frame. The usefulness metric created in the creating step is: UME = 1 - M * ( 1 + q_scale N ) 2 * q_scale num_bits max ? ( q_scale num_bits ) wherein UME is the usefulness metric, q_scale is a quantization scale for a macroblock, num_bits is a number of bits to encode a luminance block, max is a function representing a maximum value for the frame, and M and N are scaling factors.

Abstract: A control strategy is provided for dynamically encoding multiple streams of video data in parallel for multiplexing onto a constant bit rate channel. The control strategy allows individual encode bit rates to be dynamically adjusted for each video data stream based in part on relative complexity of the multiple streams of video data, as well as fullness of compressed video data buffers and a channel buffer coupled between the encoders and the constant bit rate channel. The control strategy includes analyzing the multiple streams of video to determine relative complexity thereof, encoding the multiple streams of video frames in parallel, and dynamically adapting encoding of at least one stream of the video frames based on the relative complexity of the video frames. The bit rate for each stream of video frames is only changed at GOP boundaries, or if a scene change occurs. The calculated bit rate is preferably further modified based upon buffer fullness.

Abstract: A control strategy is provided for dynamically encoding multiple streams of video data in parallel for multiplexing onto a constant bit rate channel. The control strategy is a single pass strategy which allows individual encode bit rates to be dynamically adjusted for each video data stream based on part in relative complexity of the multiple streams of video data, as well as fullness of compressed video data buffers and a channel buffer coupled between the encoders and the constant bit rate channel. The control strategy includes encoding the multiple streams of video frames in parallel, and dynamically adapting encoding of at least one stream of the video frames based on relative complexity of the video frames. The bit rate for each stream of video frames is only changed at GOP boundaries, or if a scene change occurs. The calculated bit rate is preferably further modified based upon buffer fullness.

Abstract: A method and system for calculating a UME for each pixel in a frame of video data. A system for enhancing sharpness of a coded digital video signal representative a frame of block-based data is provided, comprising: a system for calculating a UME of each pixel in the frame in accordance with a frame type, wherein the calculating system includes: a mechanism that defines local spatial features in the frame; a mechanism that analyzes block-based motion estimation for the frame; a mechanism that detects a scene change in the frame; and a sharpness enhancer that improves sharpness to a decoded version of the digital video signal based on said UME.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to method of detecting a scene change in video. The method includes a difference being calculated between consecutive frames of the video producing a plurality of difference values. A histogram is taken of the difference values. A scene change is detected if a majority of the difference values in the histogram exceed a predetermined value.

Abstract: A system and method for recording and reconstructing a high definition video on a standard definition DVD. A recording system is provided that comprises: a system for scaling down an HD video to an SD video format; a system for encoding the SD video; a system for extracting enhancement information from the HD video; and a system for storing the SD video and the extracted enhancement information onto the SD compatible medium. A playback system is provided for reconstructing the HD video image from the standard definition SD format recording, comprising: a system for extracting and decoding SD data from the recording; a system for extracting enhancement information from the recording; a system for de-interlacing the decoded SD data; and a system for up-scaling and post-processing the decoded SD data with the enhancement information to generate the HD video image.

Abstract: In accordance with the present invention a method of and a system for enhancing image quality of a coded digital video signal representative of at least one frame in a digital video system are provided. The method comprises the steps of creating a usefulness metric identifying a limit to sharpness enhancement to be applied to the coded digital video signal, defining local spatial features in the frame, and identifying a frame type for the frame.

Abstract: In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of and system for improving temporal consistency of an enhanced signal representative of at least one frame using a sharpness enhancement algorithm with an enhancement gain are provided. The method comprises the steps of: receiving the enhanced signal comprising at least one frame, obtaining an enhancement gain for each pixel in the frame, retrieving an enhancement gain value of each pixel in a reference frame from a gain memory using motion vectors, identifying if the frame is an I, P or B frame type and determining an updated enhancement gain for an I frame type by calculating a gain map for use in the sharpness enhancement algorithm. The updated enhancement gain of each pixel is equal to enhancement gain previously determined for use in the sharpness enhancement algorithm.