Apparatus and method for detecting adaptive motion direction

An adaptive motion direction detecting apparatus comprising:

• an image input unit for inputting two-dimensional pixel data of an object;
• a response output unit including a plurality of response element arrays each having different time phases, each of said response element arrays including a plurality of response elements each generating a response output for one of a plurality of local areas partly superposed thereon, said two-dimensional pixel data being divided into said local areas;
• a correlation function calculating unit for calculating spatial and time correlation functions between the response outputs of said response elements;
• a response output selecting unit for selecting response outputs of said response output unit for each of said local areas in accordance with said spatial and time correlation functions;
• and
• a motion direction detecting unit including a plurality of detection elements each corresponding to one of said response elements of each of said response element arrays, each of said detection elements detecting a motion direction of said object at one of said local areas in accordance with selected response outputs for said one of said local areas.