Noise Or Undesired Signal Reduction Patents (Class 348/607)
  • Patent number: 8373801
    Abstract: Embodiments for video content source resolution detection are provided. Embodiments enable systems and methods that measure video content source resolution and that provide image-by-image source scale factor measurements to picture quality (PQ) processing modules. With the source scale factor information. PQ processing modules can be adapted dynamically (on a picture-by-picture basis) according to the source scale factor information for better picture quality enhancement. In addition, embodiments provide source resolution detection that is minimally affected by video coding artifacts and superimposed content (e.g., graphics).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Advait Mogre, Darren Neuman, Jaewon Shin, Brian Schoner
  • Patent number: 8363166
    Abstract: A Gaussian filter 2 having a first cutoff frequency extracts a low frequency component signal of a video signal. A subtracter 3 extracts a high frequency component signal by subtracting the low frequency component signal from the video signal. A low pass filter 5 having a second cutoff frequency higher than the first cutoff frequency extracts a lower high frequency component signal, which is a low-frequency-side signal of the high frequency component signal. A multiplier 6 generates a corrected component signal by multiplying the lower high frequency component signal by a predetermined gain G1. An adder 7 adds the corrected component signal to the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
    Inventors: Sachiko Nakatsuka, Kenji Kubota, Hideki Aiba, Junichi Hasegawa, Satoshi Toyoshima
  • Patent number: 8358380
    Abstract: In one method embodiment, receiving a first temporal sequence of video frames, the first temporal sequence corrupted with noise; frame matching the video frames according to a first stage of processing; denoising the matched frames according to a second stage of processing, the second stage of processing commencing responsive to completion of the first stage of processing for all of the video frames, the second stage of processing comprising overlapped block processing; and wherein denoising further comprises accumulating denoised pixels for each iteration of the overlapped block processing in a two-dimensional (2D)+c accumulation buffer, the 2D accumulation buffer corresponding to the denoised pixels corresponding to a reference frame of the video frames, where c comprises an integer number of non-reference frame buffers greater than or equal to zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joel W. Schoenblum, Larry S. McKinney
  • Patent number: 8355451
    Abstract: A method of processing a digital broadcast signal includes Reed-Solomon (RS) encoding enhanced service data for each column of at least one RS frame payload and adding a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) checksum byte at a right end of each row of the at least one RS frame payload to build at least one RS frame and forming data groups including the enhanced service data in the built RS frame and a plurality of known data sequences. Forming the data groups includes mapping the RS encoded enhanced service data into each of the data groups and inserting a place holder for a non-systematic RS parity into each of the data groups. The method further includes deinterleaving data in each of the data groups including the enhanced service data and the place holder and multiplexing the enhanced service data in each of the formed data groups with main service data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Byoung Gill Kim, In Hwan Choi, Kyung Won Kang, Kook Yeon Kwak, Woo Chan Kim
  • Publication number: 20130010197
    Abstract: A shared memory video processor including signal processing circuitry. The signal processing circuitry may enable a noise reducer and a de-interlacer to share access to field buffers in a memory device to store various field lines. Some of the stored field lines may also be shared within the signal processing circuitry. The sharing of some stored field lines reduces overall memory bandwidth and capacity requirements. The signal processing circuitry may be capable of performing multiple field line processing. A set of field line buffers may be provided to store field lines for multiple field segments and may provide the data to the corresponding inputs of the signal processing circuitry. To further reduce storage, some of the field line buffers may also be shared among the signal processing circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Inventors: Sanjay Garg, Bipasha Ghosh, Nikhil Balram, Kaip Sridhar, Shilpi Sahu, Richard Taylor, Gwyn Edwards, Loren Tomasi, Vipin Namboodiri
  • Patent number: 8350966
    Abstract: Two consecutive interlaced video pictures of the same polarity or two consecutive progressive video pictures are read by a video processing system. The video pictures may comprise a current picture and a noise reduced reference picture. Motion and/or motion vectors may be estimated between the current and reference pictures by a motion compensated noise detector and/or a motion compensated temporal filter. A noise level sample may be determined for a pixel in the current picture based on a window of pixel data from the current picture and a window of motion compensated pixel data from the reference picture. One or more of a moving edge gradient value, a moving content value and a determined range of noise level values may be utilized to determine a valid noise sample. Noise level samples may be accumulated and a noise level may be determined for the current picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Sheng Zhong
  • Publication number: 20130002960
    Abstract: A display device includes a display unit including a plurality of pixels, and a signal controller for generating a compensation image data signal for offsetting a difference of a deterioration degree of a pixel from among the plurality of pixels, based on a data accumulation value of an input video signal of the pixel for displaying a normal image to the display unit, wherein the signal controller is configured to generate the compensation image data signal for offsetting a difference between a maximum data accumulation value of a maximum light emitting pixel from among the plurality of pixels and each data accumulation value of remaining pixels from among the plurality of pixels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Inventors: Jae-Woo Ryu, Hyun-Suk Roh
  • Publication number: 20130002961
    Abstract: A signal processing device (201) includes noise reduction units (101), cascade-connected to each other, each of which includes: a signal selection section (31) for selecting a representative value from sampled signals obtained from an input signal by sampling a target signal and signals which are away from the target signal by given intervals; a voltage determination section (51), for determining which of a determined representative value and a voltage of the target signal is larger; and a signal output section (61) for increasing or decreasing the voltage of the target signal depending on a result of the determining and outputs the target signal as the output signal. A combination of intervals between the target signal and a the signals excluding the target signal vary from noise reduction unit (101) to noise reduction unit (101). A noise reduction unit on a more upstream side has a larger maximum value of the intervals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2010
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Seiichi Gohshi, Takaji Numao, Takashi Mine
  • Patent number: 8345162
    Abstract: In order to trigger an out of focus alert when the focus level of a video frame meets a focus criteria, a method is performed including the operations of: receiving a video frame, partitioning the video frame into a plurality of blocks, calculating an array of discrete cosine transformation (DCT) coefficients for at least one of the plurality of blocks using a DCT, classifying each of the at least one of the plurality of blocks based on the array of DCT coefficients for that block, calculating a focus level of the video frame from the block classifications, and triggering an out of focus alert if the focus level meets a focus criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Verint Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Fuk Sang Mak, Hing Yip Chung, Tao Luo, Wai Shing Yiu, Chi Kin Lee, Shiu Hang Tsang
  • Patent number: 8345163
    Abstract: Motion blur at a pixel of interest in a video signal is corrected adaptively by detecting a motion vector of the pixel of interest, estimating the direction and magnitude of the motion blur from the motion vector, and filtering the video signal at the pixel of interest. The filtering process uses the pixel values of the pixels in a neighborhood of the pixel of interest, clipped so that they do not differ too greatly from the pixel value of the pixel of interest, and low-pass filtering coefficients selected according to the estimated direction and magnitude. The filtered value is used to calculate a gain factor for correcting the pixel value of the pixel of interest. The strength of the correction is adjusted according to the difference between the pixel value of the pixel of interest and the mean pixel value in its vicinity. The adjustment and clipping prevent overcorrection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Naoyuki Fujiyama, Yoshiki Ono
  • Patent number: 8335392
    Abstract: A method for reducing image artifacts in an image that includes a number of pixels each of which includes at least one video information value, includes generating a plurality of filter coefficients for at least some of the pixels of the image, on the basis of which the video information values of the pixels can be reconstructed. Artifact detection is performed to detect artifact regions within the image. At least some filter coefficients of those pixels that lie within the artifact regions are modified to generate modified filter coefficients. The video information values are synthesized using the filter coefficients, the modified filter coefficients being employed for the synthesis for pixels lying within the artifact regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Entropic Communications, Inc.
    Inventors: Ulrich Niedermeier, Peter Rieder
  • Publication number: 20120314137
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device (101) of the present invention includes an NR circuit (106) for carrying out a signal processing process in which a predetermined noise amount is added to or subtracted from data of a target pixel in accordance with a result of a comparison of signal levels between the target pixel and at least two surrounding pixels which are beside the target pixel, the NR circuit (106) adding or subtracting the predetermined noise amount to or from data of respective pixels adjacent to each other temporally or positionally in respective different signal processing processes. This allows providing a liquid crystal display device having a noise reduction effect. It is thus possible to provide a liquid crystal display device enabling less blur of an image after a noise reduction process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: SHARP KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takaji Numao, Seiichi Gohshi, Takashi Mine
  • Publication number: 20120314130
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems that provide automatic compensation for frequency attenuation of a video signal transmitted over a cable. In accordance with an embodiment, a system includes an equalizer and a compensation controller. The equalizer receives a video signal that was transmitted over a cable, provides compensation for frequency attenuation that occurred during the transmission over the cable, and outputs a compensated video signal. The compensation controller automatically adjusts the compensation provided by the equalizer based on comparisons of one or more portions of the compensated video signal to one or more reference voltage levels. One or more values indicative of one or more levels of compensation provided by the equalizer are stored in memory and/or registers for each time, of a plurality of times. A monitor monitors for changes in the cable and/or the video signal transmitted over the cable based on the stored values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: Intersil Americas Inc.
    Inventors: David W. Ritter, Kathryn M. Tucker
  • Patent number: 8330868
    Abstract: An image quality adjusting circuit in an image processing apparatus is provided with a line memory unit, a delay circuit unit, a first to fourth filter processing circuits, and an adder. In the delay circuit unit, delay circuits are arranged in a matrix form. Delay circuits arranged in a horizontal direction receive an image data directly or via line memories. The image quality adjusting circuit each perform filter processing on the received image data signals lying in a horizontal direction, in a vertical direction, in a down-right direction, and in a down-left direction. The image quality adjusting circuit performs addition of the image data on a focus pixel and the filter-processed data, and thus performs edge correction processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Takahiro Suzuki, Masahiko Kato
  • Patent number: 8325279
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method, device and computer-program product for suppression of undesired temporal variations, notably flicker, in a sequence of video frames. Histogram-based and similar approaches generally do not remove all flicker. Features that are resolved only in portions of the flicker cycle will manifest themselves as residual flicker. This effect is near-universal in bright regions of a scene. The inventive solution is a mapping that aims to resolve in the output only those features that are resolved in all frames of the flicker cycle. Use of time-maximal quantile values may preserve non-resolution of such image features that are unresolved due to intermittent bright saturation. Thus, in one embodiment, a reduction of resolution is attained by means of a pixel-value mapping based on selecting, over a time window, maximal and minimal quantile values, with maximal values being used for bright spatial regions and minimal values for dark spatial regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Willem Bastiaan Kleijn, Bjoern Volcker
  • Patent number: 8319897
    Abstract: A noise reduction method for reducing noise in an input video signal to output an output video signal includes the steps of generating a motion-compensated reference video signal from the output video signal; delaying the output video signal to generate a non-motion-compensated reference video signal; mixing the motion-compensated reference video signal with the non-motion-compensated reference video signal to generate a reference video signal; subtracting the generated reference video signal from the input video signal to generate a differential signal; compensating the differential signal to generate a noise reduction signal; and subtracting the noise reduction signal from the input video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Kimura, Masami Ogata, Yosuke Yamamoto, Hisafumi Motoe
  • Patent number: 8310596
    Abstract: A pre-processing of video data before coding and transmission, for a method for noise reduction in High-Density video images. A low implementation-complex filter filters raw pixel data output of a video camera with a low pass property for both spatial and temporal noise and the filter is adapted based on the high frequency content of the picture, leaving most of the image content unaffected by the filtering process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Gisle Bjontegaard
  • Patent number: 8310592
    Abstract: A signal processing circuit includes an interpolation filter for outputting an interpolation value of signal levels at positions of ¼ phase and ¾ phase between two original pixels of the input digital image adjacent in the predetermine direction; a phase shift circuit for outputting signal value of each of the two original pixels by shifting the phases of the signals of the two original pixels in the predetermined direction to ¼ phase and ¾ phase, respectively, between the two original pixels; a edge detection circuit for detecting a edge portion of the image from a signal level change of a plurality of pixels including the two original pixels of the input digital image in the predetermined direction; and a first signal selection circuit for outputting the output of the phase shift circuit when the edge is detected, and outputting the output of the interpolation filter when no edge is detected, based on the result of detection by the edge detection circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Noriaki Wada
  • Publication number: 20120281145
    Abstract: The current application is directed to reducing the implementation cost of least squares (LS) channel estimation in a digital communications receiver. An inverse correlation matrix is compressed on a per-diagonal basis for low cost storage in the receiver. The inverse correlation matrix is decompressed and utilized online on a per-diagonal basis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2012
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Raúl Alejandro Casas, Stephen Biracree, Anand Mahendra Shah, Slobodan Simovich, Thomas Joseph Endres
  • Publication number: 20120281146
    Abstract: An image processing device of the present invention includes: a motion amount estimating unit which estimates, using feature points extracted from each of a first picture and a second picture, a motion amount indicating an amount of displacement of the second picture with respect to the first picture, the second picture being captured temporally after the first picture; a determining unit which determines, using the feature points, whether or not correction is made using the motion amount estimated by the motion amount estimating unit; and a picture correcting unit which corrects the displacement of the second picture with respect to the first picture using the motion amount so as to correct the displacement between the pictures, in the case where the determining unit determines that the correction is made using the motion amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: November 8, 2012
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yamada, Jun Ohmiya
  • Patent number: 8303398
    Abstract: A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving a wager and a processor for executing gameplay on the gaming machine. The processor has a plurality of power consumption levels. A power regulator is operative to alter the power consumption level of the processor amongst the plurality of power consumption levels. In an embodiment, the power regulator comprises application software stored on a memory device in communication with the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Canterbury, Victor Mercado
  • Patent number: 8305397
    Abstract: A noise removing filter removes noise from an input image and an edge component extracting unit extracts edge components. The edge components are extracted by calculating a difference between the input image and a smoothed image, which is obtained by smoothing the input image in a smoothed image generating portion. An edge component comparing unit compares the extracted edge components with a threshold value and a sum calculating unit calculates the sum of the edge components greater than the threshold value. A control circuit determines the enhancement degree of the edges based on the sum and averaged luminance of the input image calculated by an average luminance calculating unit. An enhancement degree adjustment unit adjusts the determined enhancement degree, and an edge component enhancement unit enhances the edge components based on this enhancement degree and adds it to the input image to perform edge enhancement processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Eizo Nanao Corporation
    Inventors: Koichi Ueno, Masanori Katsura, Kazuyuki Watanabe, Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Kiyoyuki Tanaka
  • Patent number: 8305497
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, decompressed video signals are upscaled and then filtered using a combined mosquito noise reduction (MNR) and aliasing coring filter that reduces both mosquito noise in the decompressed video signals as well as aliasing noise resulting from the upscaling process. In one implementation, the combined coring filter includes a dual-band filter having two passbands interleaved with two stopbands. The strength of the coring filter may be dynamically controlled based on compression information (e.g., quantizer scales indicative of video quality) associated with the compressed video bitstream from which the decompressed video is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: LSI Corporation
    Inventor: Lowell L. Winger
  • Patent number: 8305498
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for equalizing analog TV signals includes an antenna that receives the signal data, wherein the signal data comprises a luminance carrier comprising a luminance channel and a chrominance carrier comprising a chrominance channel; an analog-to-digital converter coupled to receiving antenna that converts the received signal data to digital signal data; an instruction memory storing digital equalizer instructions; and a digital equalizer system, coupled to the memory and the analog-to-digital converter, wherein the digital equalizer system processes the digital equalizer instructions to estimate a noise variation of the luminance channel; equalize the luminance channel; and equalize the chrominance channel, wherein the equalization of the chrominance channel is separate and distinct from the equalization of the luminance channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Newport Media, Inc.
    Inventors: Ahmed Ragab Elsherif, Mohamed Abd El-Salam Ali, Nabil Yousef Wasily
  • Publication number: 20120274855
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, information indicating a degree of correlation between a current frame and a previous frame is computed based on a pixel value in the current frame before being subjected to the recursive noise reduction and a pixel value in the previous frame after being subjected to the recursive noise reduction. Then, a recursive coefficient, which is a weight of the previous frame, is determined based on the degree of correlation and a frame rate of the moving image. The recursive noise reduction is applied to the current frame by combining the pixels in the previous frame and the current frame using the recursive coefficient. For the same degree of the correlation, the recursive coefficient is determined to be smaller as the frame rate is lower. Noise reduction in accordance with the image frame rate is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hironori Aokage
  • Patent number: 8300150
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a pixel difference calculator, a summing unit, a determining unit, and an output unit. The pixel difference calculator receives a present image having first pixels and a previous image having second pixels, calculates pixel differences between corresponding first and second pixels, and outputs positive and negative pixel difference values. The summing unit obtains a first output value by adding up those of the positive pixel difference values and a second output value by adding up those of the negative pixel difference values. The determining unit determines a noise level of the present image from the first and second output values, and outputs a blended value. The output unit adds together weights of pixels at the same positions of the present and previous images according to the blended value to generate an output image. An image processing method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Chien-Chen Chen, Chun-Hsing Hsieh
  • Patent number: 8300707
    Abstract: A frame correlation determination part is for determining a level of correlation of decoded image signals between frames. A flat region detection part is for detecting an image region in which a difference in brightness between neighboring pixels is small as a flat region from the decoded image signals. A high-frequency region detection part is for detecting an image region including a high spatial frequency component as a high-frequency region from the decoded image signal. A smoothing processing part is for performing smoothing processing to the decoded image signal corresponding to a predetermined region. A processing region setting part is for setting an image region in which the smoothing processing part is to perform smoothing processing to the decoded image signal are included. The processing region setting part sets at least a region in frames in which a correlation between frames is low and which is a flat region and not a high frequency region in the decoded image signals, as a processing region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuki Sawa
  • Patent number: 8295628
    Abstract: An inventive method obtaining film grains from a picture and processing the obtained film grains using a statistical distribution to determine new film grains. Preferably, a histogram of obtained film grain is subjected to the statistical distribution, which can be a normal distribution. Parameters of the normal distribution are controlled to determine the new film grains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Shu Lin
  • Patent number: 8294826
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for compensating for the picture quality of a stored broadcast signal are disclosed. For reproduction of a broadcast signal stored in a television, the picture quality of the stored broadcast signal is compensated for, based on a predetermined. MPEG noise reduction value corresponding to the electric field strength of the stored broadcast signal. Therefore, it is possible to provide the optimum picture quality. When a broadcast signal is stored, it is stored together with the electric field strength, thereof. When the stored broadcast signal is reproduced, block noise, of a screen is efficiently removed by applying an MPEG, noise reduction value corresponding to the electric field strength of the stored broadcast signal to the stored broadcast signal. Therefore it is possible to improve the definition of the screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Min Kyung Kim
  • Patent number: 8289451
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for automatic reduction of noise in video signals transmitted over conductors is presented. The present invention provides an adjustable amount of noise filtering matched to the amount of gain provided by an adjustable gain amplifier to a received video signal. One or more stages of a multi-stage discrete gain amplifier is provided with a corresponding noise filter circuit. The filter circuit is matched to the frequency response of and the amount of gain provided by the discrete gain amplifier stage. When the amplifier stage is applied to the received signal, the corresponding noise filter for that stage is invoked as well. In that manner, the amount of noise filtering applied to a video signal automatically varies with the amount of amplification provided to that signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: RGB Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Raymond William Hall
  • Patent number: 8289452
    Abstract: A method and a system for determining a video deinterlacing strategy are disclosed. First, all the pixels of a (i+2)th field are subtracted from the corresponding pixels of the ith field to obtain a difference field. Next, a specific check-area is located according to the difference field. Next, the ith field is combined with the (i+1)th field into a specific frame. Next, the combing phenomenon of the specific check-area in the specific frame is checked to determine the deinterlacing scheme for the pixels in the specific check-area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Novatek Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Tsui-Chin Chen, Wei-Jen Lo
  • Publication number: 20120257113
    Abstract: A filter for a video stream is provided. The filter generates a filtered picture according to a current picture and its previous picture. A motion difference calculator accumulates differences between current picture values and previous picture values within a neighborhood of each pixel to provide a corresponding motion difference. A histogram counter performs histogram counting according to motion differences of the pixels. A filter value calculator provides a filter value for each pixel according to operations of the motion difference calculator and the histogram counter. A blender blends the current picture value and the previous picture value of each pixel according to weightings correlated to the filter value, and provides a filtered picture value for each pixel of the filtered picture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Publication date: October 11, 2012
    Applicant: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Han-Jen Hsu, Wei-Kuo Lee
  • Patent number: 8284460
    Abstract: In outline processing according to the present embodiment, a normalization coefficient is determined such that values outputted as outline data substantially coincide with a maximum value in a prescribed number of digits in accordance with a variation amount between coordinate values. Such determination can constantly enhance image quality (legibility of a character) of the outline data up to a highest value under conditions of the prescribed number of digits as well as being free of the influence of a size of a target character. In other words, it is possible to provide the highest feasible image quality under the limitation of the number of digits set from the limit of a file size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Toshihiro Mori
  • Patent number: 8285069
    Abstract: An image processing device and a method thereof are provided. In the image processing method, an adjusting value is computed according to a pixel of a current image and a plurality of reference pixels nearby. In addition, a weighted coefficient is computed according to a gray-scale difference between the pixel of the current image and a pixel of a previous image. Further, a weighted adjusting value is computed according to the adjusting value and the weighted coefficient. Besides, the pixel of the current image is adjusted according to the weighted adjusting value to generate a pixel of an output image. Thereby, the current image is adjusted adaptively to increase the quality of the output image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd.
    Inventors: Meng-Chao Kao, Kuo-Long Tsao
  • Patent number: 8279346
    Abstract: In an image processing apparatus, degradation of edges of stationary subjects can be suppressed in a moving image obtained by converting moving image data having F frames per unit time into moving image data having 2F sub frames per the unit time. For this purpose, pixel data is inputted in order of raster scanning into an input terminal. Then three contiguous pixel data X1 to X3 are obtained by the input terminal and two delay circuits. A differentiator calculates a difference d1 (=X1?X2) between the pixel data of interest X2 and the neighbor pixel data X1 and a difference d2 (=X3?X2) between the pixel data of interest X2 and the neighbor pixel data X3. A multiplier coefficient for low-pass filter calculation is determined based on the differences d1 and d2, and pixel data X2? is calculated as pixel data after filter-processing of the pixel data of interest X2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaki Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20120242903
    Abstract: A method of improving an image quality of a video signal, which is supplied on a frame-by-frame basis, includes extracting low frequency components from a video signal of an n-th frame, where n is a natural number excluding zero, subtracting the extracted low frequency components from a video signal of an (n+m)th frame to produce high frequency components, where no is a natural number excluding zero, and adding the produced high frequency components to the video signal of the (n+m)th frame. The extracted low frequency components include a horizontal component and a vertical component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2012
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: NEC VIEWTECHNOLOGY, LTD.
    Inventors: Michio KOBAYASHI, Reiichi KOBAYASHI
  • Publication number: 20120242869
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an image processing device includes a motion vector generator, a correction amount generator, and a correcting module. The motion vector generator is configured to generate a horizontal direction motion vector and a vertical direction motion vector of an input video signal photographed in an order of scanning lines. The correction amount generator is configured to generate a horizontal direction correction amount based on the horizontal direction motion vector and the vertical direction motion vector by each scanning line, and generate a vertical direction correction amount based on the vertical direction motion vector by a scanning line. The correcting module is configured to correct the input video signal to generate an output video signal based on the horizontal direction correction amount and the vertical direction correction amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2011
    Publication date: September 27, 2012
    Applicant: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventor: Keiri Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 8269895
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for recursive noise reduction. An exemplary method comprises receiving a first film frame having a first frame rate and a second film frame having the first frame rate and converting the first film frame into a first plurality of video frames having a second frame rate. The exemplary method further comprises converting the second film frame into a second plurality of video frames having the second frame rate, wherein the first plurality of video frames is positioned adjacent the second plurality of video frames at a border between the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames and updating a noise reduction correction signal only on the border between the first plurality of video frames and the second plurality of video frames when operating in a first mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Shenzhen TCL New Technology Ltd
    Inventors: Michael Crabb, Mark Francis Rumreich
  • Patent number: 8270756
    Abstract: An image noise detection method is disclosed. The image noise detection method includes the following steps: obtaining a spatial information of an image; obtaining a temporal information of the image; and determining a spatial noise or a temporal noise of the image according to both the spatial information, and the temporal information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Hsin-Ying Ou, Po-Wei Chao
  • Patent number: 8270727
    Abstract: The method, system, and apparatus of source statistics based intra prediction type is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes classifying a four-pixel square block in an edge class (e.g., may include a DC edge class, a vertical edge class, a horizontal edge class, a diagonal edge class, and/or a planar edge class) based on an edge classifier, classifying an eight-pixel square block having the four-pixel square block and other four-pixel square blocks as a homogenous class if the four-pixel square block and the other four-pixel square blocks of the eight-pixel square block belong to the edge class, assigning a direction to the edge class of the eight-pixel square block, and determining an optimal intra-prediction type through the classification such that empirical testing of all possible ones of the edge class and the direction is avoided when the homogenous class is identified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventor: Soyeb Nagori
  • Patent number: 8264613
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods, systems, and apparatuses for modifying streaming video signals to be shown on a visual display. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a streaming video signal with multiple display components. The method also includes isolating and transmitting the display components to a multiplier according to an associated clock signal for each of the display components. The method further includes fetching correction coefficients from a storage circuit. The correction coefficients correspond to individual display components. The method also includes presenting the correction coefficients to the multiplier along with the display components according to the associated clock signals, and adjusting the display components with the corresponding correction coefficients to form corrected display components of the streaming video signal. The method also includes collecting the adjusted display components into a corrected streaming video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Radiant ZEMAX, LLC
    Inventors: Scott Harris, Tyler Harris, Ronald F. Rykowski
  • Patent number: 8265414
    Abstract: An image processing device to process a moving image, which is shot by a video shooting device, in increments of access units, includes: a correcting unit to correct the access unit to be processed by changing the properties of a low-pass filter which indicates imaging blur according to parameter values showing the properties of imaging blur which occurs at the time that the moving image is shot with the video shooting device, generating an inverse filter having inverse properties as to the low-pass filter, and performing processing to apply the inverse filters as to the access unit to be processed; wherein, with a frequency of which the frequency property of the low-pass filter indicating the imaging blur is zero being zero points, performing processing to apply the inverse filter is forbidden for predetermined frequency components of the frequency components of the access unit to be processed including the zero points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Toru Nishi, Kazuhiko Ueda, Mitsuyasu Asano
  • Publication number: 20120224105
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a video display apparatus includes a video processing module and a controller. The video processing module is configured to perform signal processing on a video signal to generate a display video signal, and to output the display video signal to a display module. The controller is configured to turn on or off short delay processing mode, and to control the video processing module so that a delay time of the display video signal from the video signal becomes approximately 12 to 17 ms at a minimum when the short delay processing mode is on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventor: Kenichi Horikoshi
  • Patent number: 8260077
    Abstract: A method for eliminating image blur, includes: performing motion detection on two successive images of a video signal to generate a motion index; and adjusting the luminance of the two successive images according to two transfer functions determined by the motion index, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Yun-Hung Shen, Hsin-Chuan Lin
  • Patent number: 8253856
    Abstract: An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to generate a first control signal, a second control signal and a third control signal in response to a first interlaced video signal. The second circuit may be configured to generate a second interlaced video signal in response to the first interlaced video signal, the first control signal, the second control signal and the third control signal. The second circuit may be further configured to vertically scale the first interlaced video signal in an extended vertical domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventors: José R. Alvarez, Simon Butler
  • Publication number: 20120212674
    Abstract: An analog television (TV) signal receiving circuit and method and an associated equalizer coefficient configuration apparatus and method are disclosed for correcting a distortion problem occurred in a reception process of an analog TV signal by configuring an equalizer in the analog TV signal receiving circuit. The analog TV signal receiving TV includes a tuner, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a demodulator. The tuner receives an analog radio-frequency (RF) TV signal to generate an analog frequency down conversion signal. The ADC generates a digital frequency down conversion signal according to the analog frequency down conversion signal. The demodulator includes a front-end circuit for generating a digital demodulated signal according to the digital frequency down conversion signal, and an equalizer for generating a digital receiving signal according to the digital demodulated signal. The equalizer includes a plurality of correction coefficients that are generated according to a predetermined rule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2011
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Applicant: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: CHING FU LAN, Wen Chieh Yang, Yi Hsuan Lai, Hsin Chuan Kuo, You-Tsai Cheng, Chin Fu Ho, Jen Hsing Wang, Tai Lai Tung
  • Patent number: 8248491
    Abstract: There is provided a moving image noise reduction processing apparatus for reducing noise in a digitalized time-series image signal, including: a spatial noise reduction unit applying spatial noise reduction processing to the image signal; a previous buffer unit storing an image signal to which at least the spatial noise reduction processing has been applied; and a temporal noise reduction unit performing temporal noise reduction processing based on an image signal to be processed to which the spatial noise reduction processing has been applied in the spatial noise reduction unit and an image signal which is stored in the previous buffer unit and is earlier than the image signal to be processed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2012
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Seigo On
  • Patent number: 8243200
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method is disclosed. The method includes receiving video data performing pre-filtering on the data, performing content analysis is applied to identify an area of the data, applying a two-dimensional (2-D) 2nd gradient operation to extract a high frequency component and normalizing the high frequency component related to high frequency information from a previous picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Yi-Jen Chiu
  • Patent number: 8243825
    Abstract: A decoding method implemented in a deinterleaver is provided, converting a television signal to image data. A preset mechanism is provided for converting the television signal to the image data. The preset mechanism comprises a plurality of multiplication and addition operations performed using a database and an adder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Chien-Te Hsu
  • Patent number: 8237868
    Abstract: A method for adaptive spatio-temporal filtering is disclosed. Local motion vectors between a current video frame and other nearby video frames are determined. Local motion-aligned temporal confidence parameters are determined. Local spatial orientation parameters are determined. The local motion vectors, the local motion-aligned temporal confidence parameters, and the local spatial orientation parameters are used to adaptively determine spatio-temporal kernel weights. The spatio-temporal kernel weights are used to perform spatio-temporal filtering on input video data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Takeda, Petrus J. L. Van Beek