Edge smoothing block filtering and blending

An edge smoothing block filter, comprising:

• a current pixel selector that selects a current pixel as a pixel to be filtered;
• a candidate pixel selector that selects a candidate pixel within a search area about the current pixel;
• a neighborhood calculator that computes a cost difference between pixels within a candidate pixel neighborhood about the candidate pixel and pixels within a current pixel neighborhood about the current pixel;
• a weighter that converts the cost difference to a similarity measure based on a weight function and a smoothing noise threshold, the weight function being selected according to a measure of filter strength;
• and
• a current pixel updater that filters the current pixel based on a value of the candidate pixel weighted by the similarly measure.

A method of edge smoothing block filtering and blending, comprising:

• receiving an input signal comprising image data;
• edge smoothing block filtering the input signal to generate an edge smoothed signal;
• selecting one of the input signal and the edge smoothed signal as a multiplexed output signal based on a motion blend input signal;
• motion compensation blending the multiplexed output signal with a motion compensated signal, to generate a blended motion compensated signal;
• and
• output blending at least one of the input signal, the blended motion compensated signal, and the edge smoothed signal based on an output blend mode signal.