# US 7,612,827 B2 · Image processing apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,827 B2 - Document ID: US7612827B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/370,961 - Filed: 2006-03-08 - Published: 2006-09-28 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2005-03-09 - Assignees: Sony Corporation - Inventors: Tetsuro Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612827B2 ## CPC - H04N 5/14: Picture signal circuitry for video frequency region (cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00) - H04N 7/012: {Conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal (for graphics images G09G2310/0229)} - H04N 7/0115: {with details on the detection of a particular field or frame pattern in the incoming video signal, e.g. 3:2 pull-down pattern} - H04N 7/0137: {dependent on presence/absence of motion, e.g. of motion zones (H04N7/014 takes precedence; movement detection in television signals H04N5/144)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract An image processing apparatus converts an interlaced signal including a signal converted so as to be matched to a frame rate of an input video signal with original images arranged on a basis of a predetermined sequence as the video signal into a progressive signal. The image processing apparatus includes a field-interpolated signal generator generating a progressive field-interpolated signal by interpolating a signal at a selected position corresponding to a scanning line to be interpolated in a present field, the signal at the selected position belonging to one of a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field; and a double image detector determining whether a pixel in the field-interpolated signal forms a part of a double image, and replacing a pixel in the field-interpolated signal which forms a part of a double image in the field-interpolated signal with a predetermined substitute signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus for converting an interlaced signal into a progressive signal, the interlaced signal including a signal converted so as to be matched to a frame rate of an input video signal with original images arranged on a basis of a predetermined sequence as the video signal, the image processing apparatus comprising: field-interpolated signal generating means for generating a progressive field-interpolated signal by interpolating a signal at a selected position corresponding to a scanning line to be interpolated in a present field, the signal at the selected position belonging to one of a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field; and double image detecting means for determining whether a pixel in the field-interpolated signal forms a part of a double image, and for replacing a pixel in the field-interpolated signal which forms a part of a double image with a predetermined substitute signal; wherein if the number of pixels in the field-interpolated signal which form parts of the double image reaches a predetermined threshold value, the double image detecting means replaces signals of pixels or lines to be output after the predetermined threshold value is reached in the field-interpolated signal with the predetermined substitute signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the converted signal is a signal converted into an interlaced signal by one of 3-2 pulldown and 2-2 pulldown. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising interpolated signal generating means for generating a progressive interpolated signal by one of intra-field interpolation from scanning lines situated above and below the scanning line to be interpolated in the present field and inter-field interpolation from signals at a position corresponding to the scanning line to be interpolated in a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field, wherein when the double image detecting means determines that a pixel forms a part of a double image, the double image detecting means replaces the pixel with the interpolated signal generated by the interpolated signal generating means. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interpolated signal generating means includes motion detecting means for detecting temporal motion of an image of the present field, when the motion detecting means detects motion, the interpolated signal generating means generates the interpolated signal by the intra-field interpolation, and when the motion detecting means does not detect motion, the interpolated signal generating means generates the interpolated signal by the inter-field interpolation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the double image detecting means determines whether a target pixel in the field-interpolated signal is a pixel forming a part of the double image based on a correlation between predetermined pixels in a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including a scanning line having the target pixel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the double image detecting means determines whether the target pixel is a pixel forming a part of the double image based on a correlation between predetermined pixels on a straight line orthogonal to the scanning line including the target pixel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the double image detecting means determines that the target pixel is a pixel forming a part of the double image if a correlation between pixels of alternate scanning lines of the plurality of scanning lines is stronger than a correlation between pixels of adjacent scanning lines of the plurality of scanning lines. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the double image detecting means obtains the correlation for a plurality of consecutive pixels on the scanning line including the target pixel, and determines whether the target pixel is a pixel forming a part of the double image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the double image detecting means obtains a binary pattern in which a plurality of pixels on a straight line orthogonal to a scanning line including a target pixel in a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including the scanning line to which the target pixel in the field-interpolated signal belongs are classified into two values, and based on the binary pattern, the double image detecting means determines whether the target pixel is a pixel forming a part of the double image. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the double image detecting means obtains the binary pattern by classifying the plurality of pixels on the straight line orthogonal to the scanning line including the target pixel into the two values based on a relation in magnitude between pixel values of the plurality of pixels and an average of the pixel values of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the double image detecting means obtains the binary pattern for a plurality of consecutive pixels on the scanning line including the target pixel, and determines whether the target pixel is a pixel forming a part of the double image. ### Claim 12 An image processing apparatus, comprising: a first interpolating unit operable to generate a progressive interpolated signal by subjecting an input interlaced signal to an interpolation process; a correlation detecting unit operable to detect a correlation between pixels of adjacent scanning lines and a correlation between pixels of alternate scanning lines among a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including a scanning line to which a target pixel in the progressive interpolated signal belongs; and a replacing unit operable to replace the target pixel with a predetermined substitute signal if the correlation between the pixels of the alternate scanning lines is stronger than the correlation between the pixels of the adjacent scanning lines. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a second interpolating unit operable to generate a progressive interpolated signal different from the progressive interpolated signal generated by the first interpolating unit, wherein the substitute signal is the interpolated signal generated by the second interpolating unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a sequence detecting unit operable to detect a field sequence based on a correlation between fields from the input interlaced signal, wherein if the sequence detecting unit detects a predetermined field sequence, the interpolated signal of the first interpolating unit is supplied to the correlation detecting unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the substitute signal is supplied to the correlation detecting unit if the sequence detecting unit does not detect the predetermined field sequence. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a second interpolating unit operable to generate a progressive interpolated signal different from the progressive interpolated signal generated by the first interpolating unit, wherein the substitute signal is the interpolated signal generated by the second interpolating unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The image processing apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein the first interpolating unit generates a field-interpolated signal, and the second interpolating unit generates a motion adaptive type interpolation signal. ### Claim 18 An image processing method for converting an interlaced signal into a progressive signal, the interlaced signal including a signal converted so as to be matched to a frame rate of an input video signal with original images arranged on a basis of a predetermined sequence as the video signal, the image processing method comprising: generating a progressive field-interpolated signal by interpolating a signal at a selected position corresponding to a scanning line to be interpolated in a present field, the signal at the selected position belonging to one of a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field; determining whether a pixel in the field-interpolated signal forms a part of a double image of the field-interpolated signal; and replacing a pixel in the field-interpolated signal which forms a part of a double image in the field-interpolated signal with a predetermined substitute signal; wherein if the number of pixels in the field-interpolated signal which form parts of the double image reaches a predetermined threshold value, signals of pixels or lines to be output after the predetermined threshold value is reached in the field-interpolated signal are replaced with the predetermined substitute signal. ### Claim 19 An image processing method, comprising: generating a progressive interpolated signal by subjecting an input interlaced signal to an interpolation process; detecting a correlation between pixels of adjacent scanning lines and a correlation between pixels of alternate scanning lines among a plurality of consecutive scanning lines including a scanning line to which a target pixel in the progressive interpolated signal belongs; and replacing the target pixel with a predetermined substitute signal if the correlation between the pixels of the alternate scanning lines is stronger than the correlation between the pixels of the adjacent scanning lines. ### Claim 20 An image processing apparatus for converting an interlaced signal into a progressive signal, the interlaced signal including a signal converted so as to be matched to a frame rate of an input video signal with original images arranged on a basis of a predetermined sequence as the video signal, the image processing apparatus comprising: a field-interpolated signal generator generating a progressive field-interpolated signal by interpolating a signal at a selected position corresponding to a scanning line to be interpolated in a present field, the signal at the selected position belonging to one of a field preceding the present field and a field succeeding the present field; and a double image detector determining whether a pixel in the field-interpolated signal forms a part of a double image, and replacing a pixel in the field-interpolated signal which forms a part of a double image in the field-interpolated signal with a predetermined substitute signal; wherein if the number of pixels in the field-interpolated signal which form parts of the double image reaches a predetermined threshold value, the double image detector replaces signals of pixels or lines to be output after the predetermined threshold value is reached in the field-interpolated signal with the predetermined substitute signal.