US 6,646,684 B1Granted

Image conversion device and method

AssigneeSony Corporation

InventorsTetsujiro Kondo, Yasushi Tatehira, Masaaki Hattori

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

One of an output picture signal with a field double speed of AABB type and an output picture signal with a field double speed of ABAB type is selectively generated with selection signals SL1 and SL2. In the AABB type, among first, second, third, and fourth output fields, the vertical pixel position of the second output field is the same as the vertical pixel position of the first output field. In addition, the vertical pixel position of the fourth output field is the same as the vertical pixel position of the third output field. In the ABAB type, among first, second, third, and fourth output fields that are chronologically successive, the vertical pixel position of the second output field deviates from the vertical pixel position of the first output field. In addition, the vertical pixel position of the third output field deviates from the vertical pixel position of the second output field. The vertical pixel position of the fourth output field deviates from the vertical pixel position of the third output field.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A picture converting apparatus for converting an input picture signal into an output picture signal, the pixel positon of a first field of the input picture signal being different from the pixel position of a second field thereof, the first field being adjacent to the second field, the field frequency of the output signal being N times higher than the field frequency of the input picture signal, where N is an integer that is 2 or larger, comprising:

a class deciding portion for designating each of all fields of the output picture signal that are not present in at least the input picture signal to a considered field and deciding a class for each considered pixel of each considered field according to a plurality of pixels of the input picture signal, the plurality of pixels being decided according to each considered pixel of the considered field;
a memory portion for storing pre-obtained predictive information;
a predictive pixel selecting portion for selecting a plurality of pixels of the input picture signal for each considered pixel;
and
a pixel generating portion for generating each considered pixel of the output picture signal according to predictive information for a class decided by said class deciding portion and a plurality of pixels selected by said predictive pixel selecting portion,
wherein the pixel position of the output picture signal varies at intervals of fields equal to N, and
wherein the pixel position of each field matches the pixel position of the first field or the second field of the input picture signal.

4 more elements

A picture converting method for converting an input picture signal into an output picture signal, the pixel positon of a first field of the input picture signal being different from the pixel position of a second field thereof, the first field being adjacent to the second field, the field frequency of the output signal being N times higher than the field frequency of the input picture signal, where N is an integer that is 2 or larger, comprising the steps of:

designating each of all fields of the output picture signal that are not present in at least the input picture signal to a considered field and deciding a class for each considered pixel of each considered field according to a plurality of pixels of the input picture signal, the plurality of pixels being decided according to each considered pixel of the considered field;
selecting a plurality of pixels of the input picture signal for each considered pixel;
and
generating each considered pixel of the output picture signal according to predictive information for a class decided at the class deciding step and a plurality of pixels selected at the predictive pixel selecting step,
wherein the pixel position of the output picture signal varies at intervals of fields equal to N, and
wherein the pixel position of each field matches the pixel position of the first field or the second field of the input picture signal.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/720,348Filed 21 Dec 2000
Priority: JP 11-11680623 Apr 1999
Granted: 11 Nov 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

H04N 7/012
Involving conversion of the spatial resolution of the incoming video signal: conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal
H04N 7/0132
By changing the field or frame frequency of the incoming video signal, e.g. frame rate converter: the field or frame frequency of the incoming…
H04N 7/0135
Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level: involving…
H04N
Pictorial communication