Abstract: A method and system for performing still pixel detection is presented. In accordance with the present invention, still pixel detection can use multiple thresholds and multiple windows of pixels. In a particular embodiment of the present invention, a still pixel detection test is performed using a first window. If the first window test determines the pixel is a still pixel then the pixel is classified as a still pixel. If the first window test determines the pixel is not a still pixel, a still pixel detection test is performed using a second window. If the second window test determines the pixel is a still pixel then the pixel is classified as a still pixel. Otherwise, the pixel is not classified as a still pixel. Some embodiment of the present invention the still pixel tests use multiple thresholds to determine if a pixel is a still pixel.

Abstract: An apparatus for image adjustment and an associated method are disclosed. The apparatus can determine an adjusted value of a pixel in an image frame by comparing the pixel and a correspondingly located pixel in a previous image frame. When there is much image variation, an adjustment is made for each pixel in an original image frame for display, thereby providing better visual effects.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a motion-adaptive non-interlace conversion apparatus includes an interference elimination process circuit which executes a cross-color & dot interference elimination process, an intra-field interpolation process circuit which generates an intra-field interpolation signal using a signal that is obtained by delaying a processed signal, which is subjected to the interference elimination process, with a delay corresponding to 1 field, an inter-field interpolation process circuit which generates an inter-field interpolation signal by using the processed signal and a pre-process signal which is yet to be subjected to the cross-color & dot interference elimination process, a motion detection circuit which obtains a motion detection signal, a mixing circuit which mixes the intra-field interpolation signal and the inter-field interpolation signal with a mixing ratio corresponding to the motion detection signal and outputs a mixed signal, and a multiple-speed conversion circuit whic

Abstract: Apparatus and methods of motion detection for mosquito noise reduction in video sequences are provided. In one aspect, a method of motion detection in a sequence of digital images classifies a pixel of a plurality of pixels of a current image frame represented by a digital video input signal as a motion or non-motion pixel. A motion value for the pixel is calculated based on the classification of the pixel. The motion value is mapped to a coefficient of a temporal filter based on a control curve. A digital video output signal is generated based on the coefficient.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a noise reducing circuit includes a frame memory configured to frame-delay a video signal, a first arithmetic unit configured to subtract the frame-delayed video signal given by the frame memory from the video signal to output a first frame difference signal, a first rectangular wave removing unit configured to remove a rectangular wave component from the first frame difference signal to generate a second frame difference signal, a first pulse discriminating unit configured to receive the second frame difference signal, remove a continuous pulse component from the second frame difference signal, and output a single pulse component, and a second arithmetic unit configured to subtract the single pulse component from the video signal.

Abstract: An adaptive filter calculates a target pixel from an interlaced video signal. The video signal comprises a plurality of frames, each of which comprises an even and an odd field. The filter comprises a quantized motion calculator and a filter selector. The quantized motion calculator estimates an amount of motion about the target pixel. The filter selector selects a filter in accordance with the estimated amount of motion. The filter applies a first weighting factor to a plurality of current field pixels and a second weighting factor to a plurality of previous field pixels for creating the target pixel.

Abstract: Aspects of noise reduction in digital video may comprise monitoring at least one of memory usage and memory bandwidth usage of memory utilized to process video data. The aspect may further comprise adaptively adjusting filtering of the video data according to the monitoring. At least one of impulse filtering, temporal filtering, and spatial filtering may be utilized for the filtering of the video data. At least one of the impulse filtering, the temporal filtering, and the spatial filtering may be adaptively adjusted based on the monitoring. Furthermore, at least one of motion information and edge information may be estimated from the video data for utilizing in at least one of the impulse filtering, the temporal filtering, and the spatial filtering. At least one of the estimated motion information and the estimated edge information may be adaptively adjusted based on the monitoring.

Abstract: A motion vector detection section detects a motion vector by using an image that is made up of multiple pixels and acquired by an image sensor having time integration effects. A time resolution creation section generates an image that has a higher time resolution by using the detected motion vector and the image made up of the multiple pixels. A motion-blurring-mitigated image generation section generates a motion-blurring-mitigated image in which motion blurring of a moving object is mitigated by using the detected motion vector on the assumption that a pixel value of pixel of the moving object in the image is a value obtained by integrating, in a time direction, a pixel value of each pixel in which no motion blurring that corresponds to the moving object occur as it is moved.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a noise reduction apparatus includes a frame delay module, first and second impulse noise detectors, first and second impulse noise reducers, a motion detector, and a noise reducer. The frame delay module delays a video signal by one frame to obtain a frame delay video signal. The first and second impulse noise detectors detect impulse noise in the video signal and the frame delay video signal. The first impulse noise reducer generates a current frame video signal by reducing the impulse noise in the video signal. The second impulse noise reducer generates a previous frame video signal by reducing the impulse noise in the frame delay video signal. The motion detector detects motion amount from the current and previous frame video signals. The noise reducer reduces noise other than the impulse noise in the current frame video signal based on the motion amount.

Abstract: A method for de-interlacing is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) determining a plurality of target mode values for a target pixel being synthesized to convert a current field into a current frame, wherein at least two of the target mode values are based on both (i) a plurality of original pixels and (ii) a plurality of synthesized pixels in a plurality of synthesized frames, (B) generating a plurality of candidate values for the target pixel using a plurality of interpolation techniques that includes a motion estimation interpolation utilizing a particular one of the synthesized frames and (C) selecting a particular one of the candidate values for the target pixel in response to the target mode values.

Abstract: A system and system for performing adaptive recursive noise reduction with still pixel detection on a video stream is presented. After processing a field pixels that were modified are stored in the field so that processing of later fields uses the modified pixels. Furthermore, the system uses novel still pixel detection routines that include multiple thresholds and multiple windows of pixels so that noise reduction is only performed on still pixels.

Abstract: An image processing system and method. The image processing system acquires a first set of scan lines in at first field of image data and a second set of scan lines in a second field of image data; the second set of scan lines are interlaced relative to the first set of scan lines and performs a line by line correlation therebetween to provide an error signal or value. The first and second fields are buffered and coupled to a line-to-line correlator. The error signal is used to adjust either the first or the second set of scan lines to correct for skew or blur in the second field of image data.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for noise reduction include noise estimation from blanking interval information. Such systems, methods, and apparatus may also include temporal filtering, scene change detection, inverse telecine, and/or DC preservation.

Abstract: A method and system for analog video noise reduction by blending finite impulse response (FIR) and infinite impulse response (IIR) filtering are provided. A filtering mode may be selected to generate noise-reduced pixels using FIR, IIR, or a blend of FIR/IIR filtering. Blending a current pixel and an FlR-filtered current pixel may generate a first blended current pixel. The FIR filtering may be based on the current pixel, a previous collocated pixel, and a next collocated pixel. Blending the current pixel and an IIR-filtered current pixel may generate a second blended current pixel. Blending the first blended current pixel and the second blended current pixel using an adaptive blending factor may dynamically generate a filtered output pixel. The IIR filtering may be based on the current pixel and a collocated pixel of the previous second blended video image or of the previous filtered output video image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a difference generation section and a histogram generation section. The difference generation section generates picture differences between frames of a moving picture in units of pixels, based on a present signal of the moving picture and a noise-eliminated frame-delayed signal acquired by subjecting the present signal to a process of eliminating noise and a process of delaying the present signal by one frame. The histogram generation section generates a histogram indicating a level distribution of part of the generated picture differences from which picture differences corresponding to pixels where a picture change not less than a threshold occurs are excluded.

Abstract: A method and encoding system for reducing artifacts in a digital video sequence of image frames. The method acquires a current frame of the digital video sequence, and retrieves a previous frame of the digital video sequence from a frame delay. The method applies a recursive temporal filter to the current frame and the previous frame to generate a filtered frame. The method then applies a mixer to the current frame and the filtered frame to generate an output frame. The method stores the output frame in the frame delay.

Abstract: An image signal subjected to three-dimensional noise reduction processing in a three-dimensional noise reduction processing portion is reduced by an electronic zoom portion, and is stored as a low-resolution image in a frame memory. The image signal stored in the frame memory is enlarged by an electronic zoom portion, and is fed to a three-dimensional noise reduction processing portion; it is then converted into an image signal having the same resolution as an image signal of a high-resolution image inputted from outside.

Abstract: A method and a system for video noise reduction based on moving content detection are described. Aspects of a system for processing images may include circuitry within a chip that determines a motion metric that indicates an amount of motion between a current video picture and at least one of the following: at least one preceding video picture and at least one subsequent video picture. The motion metric may be computed from a maximum value derived by summing, over a plurality of corresponding pixels that are located within a region around a reference pixel in a current video picture, differences in values of the plurality of corresponding pixels. The circuitry within the chip may also compute a blending factor that has a nonlinear relationship to the motion metric. The circuitry within the chip may adjust at least one pixel in the current video picture based on the computed blending factor.

Abstract: A method of bidirectional temporal noise reduction in a video signal processing system is provided. A video signal comprising a video sequence of frames is received. Backward temporal noise reduction is performed on the sequence of frames to obtain backward noise-reduced frames. Then, forward temporal noise reduction is performed on the backward noise-reduced frames, to reduce noise in the video sequence of frames.

Abstract: A noise filter method and apparatus for producing at least one of a video or an image with reduced noise. The noise filter method includes performing noise estimation on a frame of at least one of an image or video and applying a low pass filter on the noise level according to the noise estimation, performing spatial filtration on the frame, performing motion detection on a spatially filtered frame, determining motion-to-blending factor conversion and, accordingly, performing frame blending, and outputting a frame with reduced noise.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device and a method for estimating the noise level of a video signal representing image sequences. The device comprises a movement compensated interpolation means, a recursive filter designed to receive on a first input the output of the recursive filter movement compensated by the movement compensated interpolation means and on a second input the video signal, means of calculating the difference between the video signal and the output of the recursive filter movement compensated by the movement compensated interpolation means. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the device comprises means of estimating the noise level of the video signal according to the difference and a maximum threshold delimiting this difference.

Abstract: A motion decision value provides a dependable estimate whether motion occurs in a given region of a video image in an interlaced video sequence. The motion detection is particularly applicable in the conversion from interlaced video to progressive video. An input first is fed to an absolute value former which computes a frame difference signal from a difference between the first field and the second field in one frame. A point-wise motion detection signal is computed based on the frame difference signal and noise in the video sequence, wherein the point-wise motion detection signal is noise-adaptive. The point-wise motion detection signal is then followed by a region-wise motion detection that combines the point-wise motion detection signal with an adjacent point-wise motion detection signal delayed by one field.

Abstract: A method of reducing noise in a sequence of digital video frames is performed by motion estimation between a current noisy frame and a previous noise-reduced frame, to generate motion vectors indicating relative motion between the pixels in the current noisy frame and the corresponding pixels in the previous noise-reduced frame; and removing noise from the current noisy frame by computing the weighted average of pixels in the current noise frame and the corresponding pixels in the previous noise-reduced frame based on the motion vectors, to generate a noise-reduced output frame.

Abstract: A method and system for displaying frames on a hold-type display to reduce perceived blur are disclosed. One example method includes detecting a parameter associated with an object in an input frame and filtering the input frame to generate at least two filtered sub-frames based on the parameter. The filtered sub-frames are then inserted in place of the input frame in a frame sequence and output to a display. The parameter associated with the object may indicate a magnitude and direction of the object's movement in a sequence of frames including the input frame.

Abstract: A noise reduction apparatus includes a subtracter receives a motion video signal and finds a difference signal indicative of a difference from a motion video signal preceding by 1 frame and from which noise is removed, a first multiplier executes multiplication so as to increase/decrease the difference signal corresponding to the motion video signal, a second multiplier detects an mount of motion of the motion video signal and executes multiplication so as to increase/decrease the difference signal from the subtracter in accordance with the amount of motion, an arithmetic unit subjects the increased/decreased difference signal from the second multiplier to addition/subtraction with the motion video signal, and a memory unit stores the noise-free motion video signal in a memory area and supplies to the subtracter as a 1-frame-preceding noise-free motion video signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for processing video signals, which can selectively freeze any one of two or more images being displayed, are disclosed. The apparatus includes a video decoder decoding at least one video stream in picture units, by using a plurality of decoding frames and at least one freezing frame, a memory storing in picture units the decoded video stream outputted from the video decoder, and a plurality of video processors reading the stored video stream from the memory and transforming the stored video stream to displayable data.

Abstract: A method for adaptively filtering a video signal prior to encoding is provided. The method initiates with calculating a local gradient indicative of a region type. Then, a weight factor is determined based upon the local gradient. Next, the weight factor is applied to a difference signal according to the region type. A computer readable media, an integrated circuit and a system for processing an image data signal are also provided.

Abstract: An image interpolation method comprises searching a motion vector from different pairs of blocks on a first and a second reference image symmetrically, extracting a first and a second image block from the first and the second reference image, respectively, the first and the second image block being located by the motion vector, determining a region determination threshold using an absolute difference between paired opposite pixels of the first and the second image block, extracting from each of the first and the second image block a first pixel region that the absolute difference is smaller than the region determination threshold, and obtaining a pixel value of a second pixel region of the to-be-interpolated block from a pixel value of the first pixel region of each of the first and the second image block, the second pixel region corresponding to the first pixel region.

Abstract: A motion vector detection portion detects a motion vector based on an input image signal and an image signal of previous field that is one field before the input signal. A motion compensation portion performs motion compensation on the image signal of previous field using the motion vector to generate a motion-compensated image signal. A reference-image-setting portion selects as a reference image signal either the image signal of previous frame or the motion-compensated image signal. A selection control portion performs motion detection and selects as the reference image signal, the motion-compensated image signal in a motion region and the image signal of previous frame in a motionless region. A correction-processing portion detects a noise component from a difference between the input signal and the reference signal and corrects a signal level of the input signal corresponding to this noise component.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for correcting color phase error in a video decoder system. A demodulator system demodulates the composite input signal and the at least one delayed signal to produce sets of baseband chroma components based on a phase correction value. Color phase correction logic determines the phase correction value for the demodulator system based upon characteristics of the baseband chroma components associated with a series of at least two consecutive frames.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method and system for improved motion compensated noise reduction. The system uses a temporal noise reduction filter to remove noise from the current input field and pass it through a de-interlacer to produce a noise reduced full output frame. The temporal noise reduction filter reduces noise in the present field by blending it with a predicted (motion compensated) field determined from the immediately preceding full output frame. In accordance with the invention where the current input field is for time or sequence n, the motion compensated field can be determined from the output frame corresponding to time or sequence n?1. In addition, the motion compensated field can be predicted using motion estimation and motion compensation using the current input field and the previous output frame. By using the previous de-interlaced frame which includes the information for both field polarities, the vertical resolution of the motion estimation process can be improved.

Abstract: A temporally recursive chrominance signal noise reduction can be achieved by subtracting a delayed version of the chrominance output signal from the chrominance input signal and by multiplying the related difference signal by a variable share factor and adding the resulting signal to the chrominance output signal, for achieving different degrees of noise reduction. From the difference signal a motion representative value and a value representing the presence of a smear effect are calculated and used to calculate the variable factor. After having been multiplied by this factor, the difference signal is combined with a frame-delayed version of the chrominance output signal in order to form the noise-reduced chrominance output signal.

Abstract: In the case where an input signal is an interlace signal such as NTSC signal, a flicker interference as aliasing interference brought about by the sampling theorem is contained in a region where a vertical frequency component is high. Accordingly, in the conventional processing in which rate of change in gradation is improved by making a drive voltage of liquid crystal at the time of change in gradation larger than normal liquid crystal drive voltage to increase response rate of the liquid crystal panel, interference component is also emphasized. As a result, quality level of a video picture to be displayed on the liquid crystal panel is deteriorated. The invention provides a compensation device capable of improving rate-of-change in gradation at a part where there is no flicker interference and changing rate-of-change in gradation to suppress the flicker at a part where there is any flicker interference.

Abstract: A noise reduction circuit and method effectively reduce noise with a simple structure regardless of the partial content of an image while suppressing an increase in the capacity of the image memory used and process delays. The present invention forms noise-reduced data by utilizing a correlation between from the difference between a pixel subjected to noise reduction and data of a pixel that is shifted by a predetermined amount in a time direction and/or spatial direction, and forms a difference cause discriminating signal indicating whether the difference is due to a valid change of the image. The noise-reduced data and the difference cause discriminating signal are formed for a plurality of different correlations. Final noise-reduced video data are obtained by selecting a method for determining the final noise-reduced video data based on the difference cause discriminating signals, and accordingly selecting/combining the plurality of noise-reduced data.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of adaptively processing video signals based on noise states. The method includes, a memory device that stores a look-up table in which optimal filter tap coefficients corresponding to a number of noise levels are registered; a noise measurement unit that obtains a noise measurement from input video signals during a predetermined period; a filter coefficient determination unit that selects optimal filter tap coefficients from the memory based on the noise measurement obtained by the noise measurement unit; a noise suppression filter that employs the optimal filter tap coefficients selected by the filter coefficient determination unit to filter and remove noise from the input video signals; and a video signal processor that performs video signal processing on the result output by the noise suppression filter.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a device and to a method for noise reduction of a video signal. The device is comprised of the following components. A motion-compensated interpolation means, a recursive filter intended to receive the output of the recursive filter motion-compensated by the interpolation means at a first input, and the video signal at a second input; means for calculating the difference between the video signal and the output of the recursive filter motion-compensated by the interpolation means; wherein the device includes means for providing the first input of the recursive filter either with the video signal if the difference is greater than a predetermined noise level threshold, or the motion-compensated output of the recursive filter, if the difference is less than the said predetermined noise level threshold.

Abstract: A system and system for performing adaptive recursive noise reduction with still pixel detection on a video stream is presented. After processing a field pixels that were modified are stored in the field so that processing of later fields uses the modified pixels. Furthermore, the system uses novel still pixel detection routines that include multiple thresholds and multiple windows of pixels so that noise reduction is only performed on still pixels.

Abstract: A method of adaptively attenuating image-noise according to a degree of motion of an image signal and an apparatus therefor are provided. An input image signal is filtered in a spatial area to attenuate noise of the input image signal. The input image signal is filtered in a temporal direction to attenuate noise of the input image signal. A degree of motion of the input image signal is extracted each predetermined period. An image signal whose noise is spatially attenuated is mixed with an image signal whose noise is temporally attenuated according to the degree of motion of the input image signal and a mixed image signal is output.

Abstract: An adaptive filter calculates a target pixel from an interlaced video signal. The video signal comprises a plurality of frames, each of which comprises an even and an odd field. The filter comprises a quantized motion calculator and a filter selector. The quantized motion calculator estimates an amount of motion about the target pixel. The filter selector selects a filter in accordance with the estimated amount of motion. The filter applies a first weighting factor to a plurality of current field pixels and a second weighting factor to a plurality of previous field pixels for creating the target pixel.

Abstract: A method of attenuating noise contained in an image signal according to the extent of the movement of the image signal based on the amount of noise, and an apparatus therefor are provided. This method includes measuring the amount of noise in an image signal by accumulating an offset between an input image signal and a delayed output image signal for a predetermined time, detecting the extent of the movement of the input signal based on the amount of noise measured, and forming an output image by controlling the specific weight of the input image signal and the delayed output image signal according to the detected movement.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a video signal processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program which are suitably for use in determining whether an input video signal is standard or nonstandard. In synchronization with the edge of an advance vertical sync signal xAVD, a free-running vertical sync edge counter 31 increments by 1 the count value which cycles between 0 through 7 and outputs the count value to a free-running field ID edge counter 32 and a comparator 33. In synchronization with the rising and falling edges of a field ID signal AFD, the free-running field ID edge counter 32 increments the count value by 1. The comparator 33 generates a nonstandard signal detection signal in correspondence with the FD edge count value with the V count value being 7 and a vertical sync signal xVD being at L level. The present invention is applicable to TV receivers for example.

Abstract: A filter device (1) includes a main filter unit (10), such as a 2-D comb filter, implemented in hardware, with an input for receiving a video signal (?) and an output for providing a filtered video signal (?1), a controllable temporal noise reduction unit (20) receiving the filtered video signal (?1) from the main filter unit (10), to perform a noise reduction operation on the filtered video signal (?1), and a unit (14, 30, 40) for detecting a very low amount of motion in a video image of the filtered video signal (?1) and for controlling the controllable temporal noise reduction unit (20) on the basis of the detected very low amount of motion, so as to enable the filter device (1) to reduce cross-luminance and/or cross-color as well when only a very low amount of motion is present in the signal.

Abstract: In video processing, a motion compensated process and an equivalent linear process are performed on an input signal, the processing errors of which are computed and compared. The comparison is then used to control a mix between the outputs of the two processes to produce an output signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing noise in an image sequence is provided. Images in the image sequence are recursively filtered on an area-by-area or, for example, pixel-by-pixel, basis. A pixel from an image is compared to a similarly located pixel from a previous image. A difference between one or more parameters of the pixels is determined. One or, preferably, two thresholds are used to classify three types of differences. Depending on the classification, the two pixels are blended together according to their parameters in varying amounts. Relatively small differences indicate a large fraction of the previous pixel to be combined with a small fraction of the current pixel. This substantially reduces the effects of random noise, which tends to cause relatively small, transient variations in the pixels of each image of the image sequence. Relatively large differences indicate the use of 100% of the current pixel without combining any of the previous pixel.

Abstract: Methods and systems of the present invention automatically and differentially detect and correct linear motion artifacts caused by camera movement and regional subject motion artifacts. Regional subject motion artifacts may be caused, for example in endoscopic or other surgery, by movement of surgical tools or the patient within the image field. Methods and systems of the present invention automatically correct for both types of motion occurring simultaneously. After an image is automatically corrected for both camera motion and regional subject motion, the image is displayed for viewing.

Abstract: A multi-function image capture unit for use in an endoscopic camera system is provided. The image capture unit includes a touch-screen LCD display for generating a graphical user interface and for receiving associated user inputs. The image capture unit is configured to be coupled to an endoscopic camera, an external monitor, and a network. The image capture unit receives live video generated by the endoscopic camera, displays the video on the external monitor and the LCD display, and stores the live video within the image capture unit. Prior to recording, the video is buffered and compressed. The image capture unit can also store the live video in a remote computer system via the network. The image capture unit can also capture and store still images based on the live video as well as store the still images in the remote computer system. “One-touch” network login and storage allows these operations to be performed in response to a single touch by the user.

Abstract: A method and system of noise filtering is provided. The pixels of a first filter mask are separated into groups based on luminance . . . The sizes of each group is determined and a largest group is selected. The distance of each group of pixels from the largest group is also calculated. Pixels in groups that are small compared to the largest group and far from the largest group are tagged as noisy. After tagging the noisy pixels, additional filtering can be applied to the pixels of first filter mask without degradation from the tagged pixels.

Abstract: An adaptive filter calculates a target pixel from an interlaced video signal. The video signal comprises a plurality of frames, each of which comprise an even and an odd field. The filter comprises a quantized motion calculator and a filter selector. The quantized motion calculator estimates an amount of motion about the target pixel. The filter selector selects a filter in accordance with the estimated amount of motion. The filter applies a first weighting factor to a plurality of current field pixels and a second weighting factor to a plurality of previous field pixels for creating the target pixel.

Abstract: A system and method is provided to avoid or otherwise reduce luminance and/or chrominance trailing artifacts in block-based hybrid video coders using multiple block sizes and shapes. The proposed trailing artifact avoidance approach has at its core three main components. The first component is a method to identify flat blocks in the source frame that are most susceptible to the appearance of trailing artifacts, and where flatness is determined according to several proposed criteria. The second component is a method to identify bad blocks, which refer to predicted blocks in motion estimation that correspond to flat blocks in the source frame and that contain trailing artifacts. The third component is a method to avoid trailing artifacts when they are detected within a bad block, and where the avoidance is achieved by employing one or more tools from among a proposed set of high fidelity coding tools and/or high performance motion estimation tools.

Abstract: A method and system for reducing correlated noise in imagers is disclosed. Methods are described for determining a pixel correction value. Correlated noise in data generated by imagers can be reduced by applying the pixel correction value to adjust image data before being displayed.