Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for improving picture quality by an image displaying apparatus, which includes the steps of eliminating motion judder from an input image by a motion judder elimination part, changing the frame rate of the image rid of the motion judder by a frame rate change part, converting the image of the changed frame rate into a multi-view image involving the images determined in proportion to the number of angles by an image converter, an displaying the multi-view image by a displaying part.

Abstract: A hierarchical motion prediction apparatus and method. The hierarchical motion prediction method splits a current frame and a reference frame into pixel groups, changes a pixel location of each pixel group, and selects one pixel, and thus resolutions of the current frame and reference frame are reduced. A motion vector of a down-sampled current block is obtained based on a down-sampled current frame and reference frame, and is expanded to a motion vector of an original resolution based on a down sampling rate.

Abstract: A method of converting an image rate by using image scaling includes changing a resolution of an input original image sequence and generating a changed resolution image sequence; determining a first motion vector by estimating motion of a first image by using a plurality of images from the changed resolution image sequence; determining a second motion vector by modifying the first motion vector of the first image to correspond to a resolution of an original image of the original image sequence, where the original image corresponds to the first image; detecting characteristic information of the original image; determining a third motion vector corresponding to the resolution of the original image by compensating the second motion vector based on the detected characteristic information; and converting an image rate of the input original image sequence based on the detected characteristic information of the original image and the third motion vector.

Abstract: A method for processing image data corresponding to temporally successive motions of an object, the method including adjusting a range of a first occlusion region which is estimated according to whether position changes occur in sub-blocks forming temporally successive first and second frames among image frames which display the motions of the object, by using Motion Vectors (MVs) mapped to the sub-blocks and detecting a second occlusion region of a third frame which displays the object that moves between the first frame and the second frame, by using the adjusted range of the first occlusion region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for motion estimation (ME) of a video in a video system. The method includes estimating an occlusion area by using a pattern map; removing a motion vector which corresponds to the estimated occlusion area from a motion vector field, and outputting remaining motion vectors as first candidate motion vectors; collecting motion vectors which correspond to an area of interest in the input video, detecting a representative motion vector which represents the collected motion vectors, and comparing the first candidate motion vectors with the representative motion vector removing a first candidate motion vector having a difference in a weight value from the representative motion vector which is greater than a first threshold value and outputting the remaining first candidate motion vectors as second candidate motion vectors; and performing a motion estimation operation by using the second candidate motion vectors.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for motion estimation apparatus in an image processing system are provided. A depth information detector detects depth information relating to an input image on the basis of a predetermined unit. An image reconfigurer separates objects included in the input image based on the detected depth information and generates an image corresponding to each of the objects. A motion estimator calculates a motion vector of an object in each of the generated images, combines the motion vectors of the objects calculated for the generated images, and outputs a combined motion vector as a final motion estimate of the input image.

Abstract: Provided are an image encoding method and apparatus, in which a distribution of difference values included in an image unit is adjusted using a predetermined offset, an image unit including the adjusted distribution of the difference values is divided into an image plane corresponding to upper bits and an image plane for lower bits, and then the image planes are entropy-encoded.

Abstract: A method of converting an image rate by using image scaling includes changing a resolution of an input original image sequence and generating a changed resolution image sequence; determining a first motion vector by estimating motion of a first image by using a plurality of images from the changed resolution image sequence; determining a second motion vector by modifying the first motion vector of the first image to correspond to a resolution of an original image of the original image sequence, where the original image corresponds to the first image; detecting characteristic information of the original image; determining a third motion vector corresponding to the resolution of the original image by compensating the second motion vector based on the detected characteristic information; and converting an image rate of the input original image sequence based on the detected characteristic information of the original image and the third motion vector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding an image, and a method and apparatus for decoding an image. The method of encoding an image includes: classifying pixels forming an input image into a first pixel group in which bit depth of original pixel values is maintained, and a second pixel group in which bit depth of original pixel values is changed; generating a changed input image by changing the bit depth of pixel values of pixels in the second pixel group; and performing motion prediction and compensation on the changed input image.

Abstract: An image frame interpolation method and apparatus for determining an object and a background according to a degree of similarity between corresponding areas of a first image frame and a second image frame used for interpolation in every predetermined data unit of a third image frame interpolated between the first image frame and the second image frame and interpolating an object area of the third image frame by using object areas existing in original image frames.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating an interpolated frame are provided. The method includes: generating a motion vector for generating a third frame by performing motion estimation based on first image data and second image data, the first image data being a portion of image data of a first frame and the second image data being a portion of image data of a second frame; restoring the image data of the first frame based on the first image data and the image data of the second frame based on the second image data; and generating the third frame by performing motion compensation based on at least one of the restored image data of the first frame and the restored image data of the second frame and the generated motion vector.

Abstract: Provided is a method for encoding and decoding a motion picture frame, which achieve natural picture conversion of frames near an Instantaneous Decoding Refresh-I (IDR-I) frame. The decoding method includes: decoding a first frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed last among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed before an IDR-I frame is displayed; decoding the IDR-I frame; decoding a second frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed first among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed after the IDR-I frame is displayed; and maintaining a reference frame stored in a buffer, for decoding the first frame until the second frame is decoded. Therefore, by allowing frames near an IDR-I frame to access reference frames stored in a buffer, natural picture conversion is possible, and accordingly smooth picture conversion without flickering is possible.

Abstract: An image converting method and apparatus therefor for performing resolution conversion or performing frame rate conversion, by sharing at least one motion vector for a current frame, are provided. The image converting method includes estimating at least one motion vector for a current frame of an image sequence; and performing at least one of conversion of resolution of the current frame based on the at least one motion vector and conversion of a frame rate of the image sequence based on the at least one estimated motion vector.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a prediction mode which is used during encoding of a current block is provided. In the method and apparatus, a prediction mode candidate group to be used for the current block is determined based on a prediction mode for a block positioned at the same location on a reference picture as a location of the current block encoded, predictive coding is performed on the current block by using predictive modes included in the prediction mode candidate group. Thus, image prediction efficient is improved, and the time and number of calculations required for prediction mode determination are reduced.

Abstract: Provided are an image encoding method and apparatus, in which a distribution of difference values included in an image unit is adjusted using a predetermined offset, an image unit including the adjusted distribution of the difference values is divided into an image plane corresponding to upper bits and an image plane for lower bits, and then the image planes are entropy-encoded.

Abstract: Provided is a method for encoding and decoding a motion picture frame, which achieve natural picture conversion of frames near an Instantaneous Decoding Refresh-I (IDR-I) frame. The decoding method includes: decoding a first frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed last among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed before an IDR-I frame is displayed; decoding the IDR-I frame; decoding a second frame which is a P frame that is to be displayed first among a plurality of P frames that are to be displayed after the IDR-I frame is displayed; and maintaining a reference frame stored in a buffer, for decoding the first frame until the second frame is decoded. Therefore, by allowing frames near an IDR-I frame to access reference frames stored in a buffer, natural picture conversion is possible, and accordingly smooth picture conversion without flickering is possible.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding and/or decoding an image are provided. The method of encoding an image includes: generating a prediction block that is an intra or inter prediction value of a current block; calculating a color difference between the current block and the generated prediction block; and, encoding the current block by adjusting a quantization step, based on the calculated color difference. In this way, color distortion in a restored image that can occur when a color of a current block is incorrectly predicted can be prevented.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for encoding and/or decoding an image are provided, in which motion estimation and compensation are performed by using a reference background image and a reference object image extracted from an input image frame. In the method and apparatus, a background image of each of input image frames is used, and a background area which any one image frame lacks is updated by using a background image of another image frame. In this way, a reference background image is generated and stored, and an object image in each image frame is stored as a reference object image. Then, by using the stored reference background images and reference object images, motion estimation and compensation are performed, thereby increasing encoding efficiency.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for coding a moving picture frame to reduce flickering. The method includes generating an inter-reconstructed image by performing interprediction on a moving picture frame to be coded, generating an intra-reconstructed image by performing intraprediction on the moving picture frame, generating a first difference image between the inter-reconstructed image and the intra-reconstructed image, and generating a second difference image by adding the first difference image and an intra difference image generated during the intraprediction.