Picture processing apparatus

A picture processing apparatus, comprising:

• extracting means for extracting a plurality of pixels on a particular straight line that passes through a considered pixel of a picture signal and that extends in the chronological direction and on each of straight lines parallel to the particular straight line that pass through pixels in the vicinity of the considered pixel;
• similarity detecting means for detecting similarity in the direction of each of the straight lines for the plurality of pixels extracted by said extracting means in the direction of each of the straight lines;
• and
• moving vector calculating means for calculating a moving vector of the considered pixel according to the similarity detected in the direction of each of the straight lines.

A picture processing method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) extracting a plurality of pixels on each straight line that extends in the chronological direction and that passes through each of objective pixels including a considered pixel of a picture signal and a plurality of pixels in the vicinity of the considered pixel;
• (b) detecting the similarity in each of the straight lines according to the pixel values of a plurality of pixels extracted at the step (a) in each of the straight lines for each of the objective pixels against the considered pixel;
• and
• (c) calculating a moving vector of the considered pixel according to the similarity detected in each of the straight lines for each of the objected pixels.

A picture processing method, comprising the steps of:

• (a) extracting a plurality of pixels on a particular straight line that passes through a considered pixel of a picture signal and that extends in the chronological direction and on each of straight lines parallel to the particular straight line that pass through pixels in the vicinity of the considered pixel;
• (b) detecting the similarity in the direction of each of the straight lines for the plurality of pixels extracted at the step (a) in the direction of each of the straight lines;
• and
• (c) calculating a moving vector of the considered pixel according to the similarity detected in the direction of each of the straight lines.