Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods of measuring a blockiness level in video data that has been encoded and decoded. In one embodiment, a Q-value is calculated that indicates the blockiness level of a decompressed image. The Q-value can be based on a block map having indicators corresponding to each of a plurality of pixels in an input image, each indicator signaling if a block edge is present at the corresponding pixel location in the input image, and also based on block locations indicative of the alignment block edge locations in the input image. The Q-value can be calculated in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction with respect to the input image. The Q-value is determined based on a flatness measurement of pixel values around certain considered pixels in the input image. The Q-value can be provided to a deblocking filter to improve the performance of deblocking the input image.

Abstract: A system and method of collection motion vectors for motion compensated interpolation of digital video are disclosed. For example, one embodiment includes a method of identifying motion vectors for interpolating a portion of a digital video signal. The method comprises identifying a plurality of motion vectors indicative of differences between first and second frames of a digital video signal, assigning each of the plurality of motion vectors to one of a plurality of clusters, selecting at least one motion vector assigned to each of the plurality of clusters, and generating at least a portion of a third frame based on the at least one motion vector selected for each of the plurality of clusters. Other embodiments include a system and device configured to perform the method.

Abstract: A system and method of collection motion vectors for motion compensated interpolation of digital video are disclosed. For example, one embodiment includes a method of identifying motion vectors for interpolating a portion of a digital video signal. The method comprises identifying a plurality of motion vectors indicative of differences between first and second frames of a digital video signal and projecting each of the motion vectors to a location within a third frame at a time associated with the third frame. The method further includes determining a measure of overlap of each projected location with a portion of a third frame to be interpolated, selecting at least one motion vector based on the measure, and generating at least a portion of a third frame based on the selected at least one motion vector selected. Other embodiments include a system and device configured to perform the method.

Abstract: A system and method which determines an adaptive vertical search range used to provide motion estimation in digital video content are disclosed. In some embodiments, a fixed-size vertical search range for the motion estimation is defined and utilized. A reference frame and target frame are stored in memory, and a block in the reference frame is selected for consideration. An offset value is determined which is indicative of a directional shift of the fixed-size vertical search range and the vertical search range is shifted based on the offset value. A motion vector is then estimated using the shifted vertical search range.

Abstract: A system and method of reducing noise are disclosed. In one embodiment a system comprises an input configured to receive an input image, a filter configured to filter the input image to generate a filtered image, a weight generator configured to generate one or more edge weights related to at least one edge of the input image, a mixer configured to generate an output image based on the input image, the filtered image, and at least one of the edge weights, and an output configured to output the output image.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods of determining block edge location in video. In one embodiment, a system includes a block edge map generator configured to generate a binary block map, the block map having indicators representing the locations of block edges in a first direction, a histogram generator configured to accumulate the indicators to form a block edge histogram, the peaks of the histogram corresponding to block edge locations in the image, a low-pass filter to low-pass filter the block edge histogram and form a filtered histogram, a peak locator configured to identify the peaks of the filtered histogram, and a peak refiner configured to refine locations of peaks located in the filtered block edge histogram based on the identified peaks and peaks in the block edge histogram, the refined peak locations indicative of block edge locations, and further configured to provide block locations.

Abstract: A system and method which determines an adaptive vertical search range used to provide motion estimation in digital video content are disclosed. In some embodiments, a fixed-size vertical search range for the motion estimation is defined and utilized. A reference frame and target frame are stored in memory, and a block in the reference frame is selected for consideration. An offset value is determined which is indicative of a directional shift of the fixed-size vertical search range and the vertical search range is shifted based on the offset value. A motion vector is then estimated using the shifted vertical search range.

Abstract: A system and method which determines an adaptive vertical search range used to provide motion estimation in digital video content are disclosed. In some embodiments, a fixed-size vertical search range for the motion estimation is defined and utilized. A reference frame and target frame are stored in memory, and a block in the reference frame is selected for consideration. An offset value is determined which is indicative of a directional shift of the fixed-size vertical search range and the vertical search range is shifted based on the offset value. A motion vector is then estimated using the shifted vertical search range.

Abstract: A method for detecting a pattern in an image includes defining a set of pixel values in an image using a window and calculating a Fourier transform of the pixel values. In one embodiment, the Fourier transform of the pixel values forms a spectrum. The method further comprises analyzing the spectrum of the Fourier transform to find a peak and analyzing the peak to determine whether the peak is indicative of the presence of a pattern in the image.

Abstract: A system and method for still object detection in digital video data based on normalized cross correlation are disclosed. One embodiment of the method includes providing video data including a sequence of frames. A pair of consecutive frames are selected from the sequence of frames. A pair of groups of pixels are selected from the pair of consecutive frames. The groups are at corresponding positions on the pair of consecutive frames. The video data includes pixel data for each of the pixels. A normalized cross correlation (NCC) operation is conducted on the pixel data of the selected pair of groups of pixels, thereby generating an NCC value. It is determined whether the NCC value is within a predetermined range, thereby providing whether the groups of pixels displays at least a portion of a still object.

Abstract: A system and method of reducing noise are disclosed. In one embodiment a system comprises an input configured to receive an input image, a filter configured to filter the input image to generate a filtered image, a weight generator configured to generate one or more edge weights related to at least one edge of the input image, a mixer configured to generate an output image based on the input image, the filtered image, and at least one of the edge weights, and an output configured to output the output image.

Abstract: A method and a system is provided for deinterlacing interlaced video containing an interlaced image field f including scan lines of multiple pixels. Such deinterlacing involves detecting the one or more edge directions in the image field f using principal component analysis (PCA), and performing spatial interpolation to reconstruct a missing pixel value in the image field f substantially along each of the one or more detected edge directions.

Abstract: A system and method which determines an adaptive vertical search range used to provide motion estimation in digital video content are disclosed. In some embodiments, a fixed-size vertical search range for the motion estimation is defined and utilized. A reference frame and target frame are stored in memory, and a block in the reference frame is selected for consideration. An offset value is determined which is indicative of a directional shift of the fixed-size vertical search range and the vertical search range is shifted based on the offset value. A motion vector is then estimated using the shifted vertical search range.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods of measuring a blockiness level in video data that has been encoded and decoded. In one embodiment, a Q-value is calculated that indicates the blockiness level of a decompressed image. The Q-value can be based on a block map having indicators corresponding to each of a plurality of pixels in an input image, each indicator signaling if a block edge is present at the corresponding pixel location in the input image, and also based on block locations indicative of the alignment block edge locations in the input image. The Q-value can be calculated in a vertical direction and a horizontal direction with respect to the input image. The Q-value is determined based on a flatness measurement of pixel values around certain considered pixels in the input image. The Q-value can be provided to a deblocking filter to improve the performance of deblocking the input image.

Abstract: Embodiments include systems and methods of determining block edge location in video. In one embodiment, a system includes a block edge map generator configured to generate a binary block map, the block map having indicators representing the locations of block edges in a first direction, a histogram generator configured to accumulate the indicators to form a block edge histogram, the peaks of the histogram corresponding to block edge locations in the image, a low-pass filter to low-pass filter the block edge histogram and form a filtered histogram, a peak locator configured to identify the peaks of the filtered histogram, and a peak refiner configured to refine locations of peaks located in the filtered block edge histogram based on the identified peaks and peaks in the block edge histogram, the refined peak locations indicative of block edge locations, and further configured to provide block locations.

Abstract: A method of image restoration in an image processing system is provided. An observed image of an original image, wherein the observed image comprises multiple samples, is received. For a selected sample from the multiple samples, a subset of the multiple samples is selected, wherein said subset includes the selected sample. Image restoration to restore an original image sample from the selected sample is performed as a function of said subset of multiple samples, and not the entire observed image. A novel image restoration method which requires shorter length FFT calculation in the image restoration process is utilized, wherein the resulting restored image maintains the same quality as the result from conventional approaches.

Abstract: An image processing system provides image enhancement and anti-clipping units. The anti-clipping unit for image sharpness enhancement, operates such that any shoot artifacts in the enhanced image that go beyond pixel value lower/upper bounds are properly adjusted back within the lower and upper bounds, without causing prominent edge jaggedness artifacts in the final resulting output image.

Abstract: A line thinning algorithm (LTA) for a grayscale input image, wherein the LTA is a separable algorithm that performs on each row of input grayscale image sequentially from top to bottom and subsequently on each column from left to right, independently. The LTA is very robust to the noise and is capable of thinning lines even in noisy image areas. The level of thinning is fully adaptive to the transition range and dynamic range locally in each line segment. Furthermore, the LTA for a black line can be easily generalized for a white line counterpart by simply switching the sign of one parameter DELTA from positive to negative without changing other aspects of the LTA.

Abstract: A video scaling process system, wherein the high frequency components of the input video sequence are compensated for, prior to video scaling. The video scaling system includes a pre-compensator for compensation of the high frequency components of the input video sequence, and a video scaler. The pre-compensator includes a high frequency component extractor, a noise detector and a shoot suppressor. The high frequency component extractor extracts the high frequency compensation component from an input video sequence. The noise detector adjusts the gain of the compensation to avoid the enhancement of the noise component. The shoot suppressor further adjusts the gain of the compensation to avoid shoot artifacts. The adjusted high frequency compensated video is added back to the input video. The pre-compensated video sequence is then passed through a video scaler to obtain the scaled video. As such, the sharpness of the scaled video is maintained or even enhanced.

Abstract: A system and method of collection motion vectors for motion compensated interpolation of digital video are disclosed. For example, one embodiment includes a method of identifying motion vectors for interpolating a portion of a digital video signal. The method comprises identifying a plurality of motion vectors indicative of differences between first and second frames of a digital video signal, assigning each of the plurality of motion vectors to one of a plurality of clusters, selecting at least one motion vector assigned to each of the plurality of clusters, and generating at least a portion of a third frame based on the at least one motion vector selected for each of the plurality of clusters. Other embodiments include a system and device configured to perform the method.