System and method for identification of vertical scrolling regions in digital video

A vertical scrolling text detector implemented in one or more processors, the vertical scrolling text detector operative to receive a digital video signal comprising vertical scrolling text mixed with a pulldown video sequence comprising primary frames and repeated frames, the vertical scrolling text detector comprising:

• a motion estimator operative to determine a plurality of motion vectors between blocks of the primary frames;
• a primary frame motion analyzer operative to:
• determine a first peak vertical motion vector between first and second primary frames and a second peak vertical motion vector between the second primary frame and a third primary frame,
• average a value of the first peak vertical motion vector over the first primary frame and its repeated frames to produce a first average,
• average a value of the second peak vertical motion vector over the second primary frame and its repeated frames to produce a second average, and
• determine whether the first and second averages are approximately equal;
• and
• a consecutive frame motion analyzer operative to:
• calculate differences in pixel values between blocks of two or more consecutive frames between the first and third primary frames, and
• in response to said determination that the first and second averages are approximately equal and that the differences in pixel values are greater than a threshold, determine that vertical scrolling text exists in the digital video signal.