Image processing apparatus and image processing method with redundant frame detection

An image processing method comprising:

• calculating motion vectors for respective blocks in each frame in moving image data by estimating motion between frames in the moving image data;
• determining whether a target frame is a redundant frame based on the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame and the motion vectors corresponding to a non-redundant frame preceding the target frame;
• discarding the target frame if the target frame is a redundant frame, and generating an interpolation frame between the target frame and the preceding non-redundant frame by motion compensation using the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame and outputting the interpolation frame and the target frame, if the target frame is a non-redundant frame;
• and
• storing the target frame as the preceding non-redundant frame and storing the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame as motion vectors corresponding to the preceding non-redundant frame, if the target frame is the non-redundant frame,
• wherein the determining comprises determining that the target frame is a redundant frame, if a number of blocks in the target frame for which the motion vector is a zero vector is equal to or more than a first threshold and a difference between the motion vectors of the target frame and the motion vectors of the stored preceding non-redundant frame is equal to or more than a second threshold.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a motion estimation module configured to calculate motion vectors for respective blocks in each frame in moving image data by estimating motion between frames in the moving image data;
• a redundant frame determination module configured to determine whether a target frame is a redundant frame based on the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame and the motion vectors corresponding to a non-redundant frame preceding the target frame;
• an interpolation frame generation module configured to discard the target frame if the target frame is a redundant frame, and to generate an interpolation frame between the target frame and the preceding non-redundant frame by motion compensation using the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame and to output the interpolation frame and the target frame, if the target frame is a non-redundant frame;
• and
• a data storing module configured to store the target frame as the preceding non-redundant frame and to store the motion vectors corresponding to the target frame as motion vectors corresponding to the preceding non-redundant frame, if the target frame is the non-redundant frame,
• wherein the redundant frame determination module is configured to calculate a horizontal difference between a horizontal component of the motion vector of each of the blocks in the stored preceding non-redundant frame and a horizontal component of the motion vector of the corresponding block in the target frame, and a vertical difference between a vertical component of the motion vector of each of the blocks in the stored preceding non-redundant frame and a vertical component of the motion vector of the corresponding block in the target frame, to calculate an absolute difference which is the sum of the absolute value of the horizontal difference and the absolute value of the vertical difference, and to determine that the target frame is a redundant frame, if a number of blocks in the target frame for which the motion vector is a zero vector is equal to or more than a first threshold, and the sum of the absolute difference of each of the blocks for the entire frame is equal to or more than a second threshold.