Noise reduction apparatus for video signal

Claim 2

A noise reduction apparatus comprising: a vertical filter means for extracting a component in a high vertical frequency region from an input video signal; a two-dimensional filter means for extracting a component in a low vertical frequency region and a high horizontal frequency region from the input video signal; a detecting means which receives an output signal of said vertical filter means and an output signal of said two-dimensional filter means and outputs a detection signal according to amplitudes of said output signals; and a controllable two-dimensional filter means controlled by said detection signal output from said detecting means for suppressing a noise component in said high vertical frequency region to obtain a video signal with reduced noise.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vertical filter means comprises a first delay means for delaying said input video signal by 1 horizontal scanning period (1H), a second delay means for delaying an output of said first delay means by further 1H, and a first operation means for mixing said input video signal, the output of said first delay means and an output of said second delay means at the weights of -1/4, 1/2 and -1/4, respectively, to obtain the output signal of said vertical filter, and wherein said two-dimensional filter means comprises a second operation means for mixing said input video signal, the output of said first delay means and the output of said second delay means at the weights of 1/4, 1/2 and 1/4, respectively, to obtain a component in said low vertical frequency region of said input video signal, and a high-pass filter means for passing an output signal of said second operation means in said high horizontal frequency region to obtain the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controllable two-dimensional filter means comprises a passing control means for controlling passing of the output signal of said vertical filter means according to said detection signal from said detecting means, and a mixing means for mixing the output of said first delay means and an output of said passing control means.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said detecting means comprises an amplitude comparison circuit which compares the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means with the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means, and, when the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means is larger than the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means, outputs a detection signal.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said passing control means comprises a switch means which is connected between said vertical filter means and said mixing means, and is closed in response to said detection signal.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said passing control means comprises a non-linear input/output circuit connected to said vertical filter means and having an amplitude limitation characteristic, and a switch means which is connected between said non-linear input/output circuit and said mixing means, and is closed in response to said detection signal.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said passing control means comprises first and second non-linear input/output circuits which are connected to said vertical filter means and have different amplitude limitation input-output characteristics, and a selection means which selects one of outputs of said first and second non-linear input/output circuits according to said detection signal.

Claim 9

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controllable two-dimensional filter means comprises a passing control means for controlling passing of the output signal of said vertical filter means according to said detection signal from said detecting means, and a mixing means for mixing the output signal of said second operation means with an output signal of said passing control means.

Claim 10

An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said detecting means comprises an amplitude comparison means which compares the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means with the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means, and, when the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means is larger than the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means, outputs a detection signal.

Claim 11

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said passing control means comprises a switch means which is connected between said vertical filter means and said mixing means, and is opened in response to said detection signal.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said passing control means comprises a non-linear input/output circuit which has a slice characteristic and is connected to said vertical filter means, and a selection means which is for selecting one of the output signal of said vertical filter means and an output signal of said non-linear input/output circuit and selects the output signal of said non-linear input/output circuit in response to said detection signal.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said passing control means comprises first and second non-linear input/output circuits which are connected to said vertical filter means and have different slice input-output characteristics, and a selection means which selects one of outputs of said first and second non-linear input/output circuits according to said detection signal.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said vertical filter means comprises a delay means for delaying said input video signal by 1 horizontal scanning period (1H), and a first operation means for mixing said input video signal and an output of said delay means at the weights of -1/2 and 1/2, respectively, to obtain the output signal of said vertical filter, and wherein said two-dimensional filter means comprises a second operation means for mixing said input video signal and the output of said delay means at the weights of 1/2 and 1/2, respectively, to obtain a component in said low vertical frequency region, and a high-pass filter means for passing the output signal of said second operation means in said high horizontal frequency region to obtain the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controllable two-dimensional filter means comprises a passing control means for controlling passing of the output signal of said vertical filter means according to said detection signal from said detection means, and a mixing means for mixing said input video signal and an output signal of said passing control means.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said controllable two-dimensional filter means comprises a passing control means for controlling passing of the output signal of said vertical filter means according to said detection signal from said detecting means, and a mixing means for mixing the output signal of said second operation means and the output signal of said passing control means.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises an amplitude comparison means which compares the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means with the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means, and, when the amplitude of the output signal of said two-dimensional filter means is larger than the amplitude of the output signal of said vertical filter means, outputs a detection signal.