EP0514012A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and apparatus for the standard conversion of an image signal
Assignee: Vistek Electronics Ltd
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Filing: 1992-04-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-04-15
Abstract
Abstract Images may be stored on film or on one of the TV/video standards. Film comprises a sequence of frames each of which corresponds to the same point in time. Video, however, comprises a sequence of frames each comprising an interlace of 2 fields which successively scan the image and thus each field does not correspond to the same point in time. Due to these inherent differences, when converting from film to one of the TV standards and between the TV standards when at least part of the image originates on film, distortions are introduced particularly when there are any objects moving in the image. The present invention includes a vector motion estimator (10) providing motion vectors which are indicative of any objects moving and are used to manipulate the standards converter (8) so as to accommodate for the moving objects.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian R. Mason
- 👤 Roger Robinson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 23:04
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/01; H04N7/0135; H04N7/014; H04N7/0112; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S348/00; Y10S348/911
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
186 words
An apparatus for translating images at least part of which were originally stored on film, said images being represented by an electronic input signal having a number of input frames of a first frequency and being translated to an electronic output signal having a number of output frames of a second frequency, said apparatus comprising; means (8) for converting said input signal to the output signal, said converting means including a number of storage means (16) each for storing a field of the input signal; an address generator (18) for controlling the or each of the storage means; an interpolator (20,22,24) coupled to the or each of the storage means for filtering the fields of the input signal having been stored in the storage means to derive the output signal; characterised by: a motion estimator (10) for providing motion vectors of any objects moving in the image, said motion estimator (10) is coupled to said address generator (18) for manipulating the read or write addresses and is coupled to the interpolator (20,22,24) for manipulating the filtering thereby to compensate for movement of objects in the image.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
186 words
A Standards Converter (8) for converting images between one TV standard to another in which at least a part of the images were originally stored on film, said images being represented by an input signal having a number of input frames in the input TV standard and being translated to an output signal having a number of output frames in the output TV standard, said Standards Converter comprising; a number of storage means (16) each for storing a field of the input signal; an address generator ( 18) for controlling the or each of the storage means ( 16); an interpolator (20,22,24) coupled to the or each of the storage means for filtering the fields of the input signal having been stored in the storage means to derive the output signal; characterised by: a motion estimator (10) for providing motion vectors of any objects moving in the image, said motion estimator is coupled to said address generator (18) for manipulating the read or write addresses and is coupled to the interpolator (20,22,24) for manipulating the filtering thereby to compensate for movement of objects in the image.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a telecine (2) from which the input video signal is replayed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in claim 3 when dependent on claim 1, in which the motion estimator (10) is included in the telecine (2).
Claim 5
Independent Claim
33 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the first frequency comprises 24 frames per second and the second frequency comprises 25 frames per second.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
35 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the first frequency comprises 24 frames per second and the second frequency comprises substantially 30 frames per second.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
35 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the first frequency comprises 25 frames per second and the second frequency comprises substantially 30 frames per second.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
34 words
An apparatus or Standards Converter as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the first frequency comprises 30 frames per second and the second frequency comprises 25 frames per second.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
186 words
A telecine (2) for translating images originally captured on film to a video signal, in which said images are represented by an electronic input signal having a number ot input frames of a first frequency and being translated to said video output signal having a number of output frames of a second frequency, said telecine comprising; means (8) for converting said input signal to the output signal, said converting means including a number of storage means (16) each for storing a field of the input signal; an address generator (18) for controlling the or each of the storage means (16); an interpolator (20,22,24) coupled to the or each of the storage means for filtering the fields of the input signal having been stored in the storage means to derive the output signal; characterised by: a motion estimator ( 10) for providing motion vectors of any objects moving in the image, said motion estimator is coupled to said address generator for manipulating the read or write addresses and is coupled to the interpolator for manipulating the filtering thereby to compensate for movement of objects in the image.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A telecine as claimed in claim 9, in which the first frequency comprises 24 frames per second and the second frequency comprises 25 frames per second.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A telecine as claimed in claim 9, in which the first frequency comprises 24 frames per second and the second frequency comprises substantially 30 frames per second.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
33 words
An apparatus, Standards Converter or a telecine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which each of the output fields includes motion compensated interpolated images from more than one input frame.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
27 words
An apparatus, Standards Converter or a telecine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which each of the storage means comprises a random access memory.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
27 words
An apparatus, Standards Converter or a telecine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which there are four storage means across which the interpolater interpolates.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
41 words
An apparatus, Standards Converter or a telecine as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the interpolater includes a number of multipliers (22) and an adder (24), each multiplier being coupled to a respective storage means and the adder.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
23 words
An apparatus, Standards Converter or a telecine as claimed in claim 15, in which the multipliers and the adder are arranged in cascade.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of translating images at least part of which were originally stored on film, said images being represented by an electronic input signal having a number of input frames of a first frequency and being translated to an electronic output signal having a number of output frames of a second frequency, said method comprising; converting said input signal to the output signal including storing one or more fields of the input signal each in a respective storage means (16) and interpolating across the or each field of the input signal having being stored in the respective storage means, characterised by generating motion vectors of any objects moving in the image and manipulating the storage and interpolation steps using said motion vectors to compensate for objects moving in the image.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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