Image conversion device and method

An image conversion apparatus, comprising:

• a receiving unit to receive an image signal including a previous field, a next field, and a current field to interpolate;
• a detection unit to determine a first motion change between the previous field and the current field and a second motion change between the current field and the next field;
• and
• an interpolation unit to determine a motion estimation value between the current field and one of the previous and the next fields having a smaller change in motion according to the first and second motion changes, to determine another motion estimation value between the previous and the next fields, and to interpolate the current field according to the determined motion estimation values.

An image conversion method, the method comprising:

• receiving three consecutive input fields including a first field, a second field as a target interpolation field, and a third field;
• determining which of the first field and the third field has a smaller difference value in field data with respect to the second field;
• determining whether one of the first and the third fields have a motion change with respect to the second field that is greater than a predetermined threshold;
• and
• interpolating the second field by determining a selected motion estimation value between the second field and the one of the first and third fields having the smaller difference value, determining a third motion estimation value between the first field and the third field, applying different weights to the selected and the third motion estimation values depending on whether one of the first field and the third field have the motion change that is greater than the predetermined threshold, and mixing the weighted selected and third motion estimation values.

A method of converting an image, the method comprising:

• receiving an image signal including a previous field, a next field, and a current field to interpolate;
• determining a first motion change between the previous field and the current field and a second motion change between the current field and the next field;
• determining a motion estimation value between the current field and one of the previous and the next fields having a smaller change in motion according to the first and second motion changes, and another motion estimation value between the previous and the next fields;
• and
• interpolating the current field according to the determined motion estimation values.

A computer readable medium containing executable code to convert an image, the medium comprising:

• a first executable code to receive an image signal including a previous field, a next field, and a current field to interpolate;
• a second executable code to determine a first motion change between the previous field and the current field and a second motion change between the current field and the next field;
• a third executable code to determine a motion estimation value between the current field and one of the previous and the next fields having a smaller change in motion according to the first and second motion changes, and another motion estimation value between the previous and the next fields;
• and
• a fourth executable code to interpolate the current field according to the determined motion estimation values.