Frame-interpolated variable-rate motion imaging system

• US 20030016750A1
• Filed: 02/23/2001
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Cok, Ronald S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,242,850 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/503 involving temporal prediction adaptive coding with adaptive selection between spatial and temporal predictive coding H04N19/107; adaptive coding with adaptive selection among a plurality of temporal predictive coding modes H04N19/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/587 involving temporal sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. decimation or subsequent interpolation of pictures in a video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/915 for field- or frame-skip recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0112 one of the standards corresponding to a cinematograph film standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/014 involving the use of motion vectors motion estimation and compensation in video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

A method of recording and processing a digital motion image sequence, includes the steps of: recording a digital motion image sequence at a capture frame rate; determining different effective image content change rates as a function of the scene content changes in different portions of the image sequence; and processing the digital motion image sequence to produce a processed digital motion image sequence having portions with the selected effective change rates.

Claims

1. A method of recording and processing a digital motion image sequence, comprising the steps of:

a) recording a digital motion image sequence at a capture frame rate;

b) determining different effective image content change rates as a function of the scene content changes in different portions of the image sequence; and

c) processing the digital motion image sequence to produce a processed digital motion image sequence having portions with the selected effective change rates.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing step includes processing the portions to have different display frame rates corresponding to the effective change rates and further comprising the step of displaying the processed digital image sequence at the different display frame rates.

3. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing step includes processing the portions to have the same fixed display frame rate and further comprising the step of displaying the processed digital image sequence at the fixed display frame rate, and wherein the display frame rate is greater than the effective change rate for at least one portion of the digital image motion sequence.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing includes one or more processing steps selected from the group comprising frame replication, frame interpolation and frame deletion.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the step of frame interpolation comprises motion vector interpolation.

6. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining effective change rates is performed by an operator.

7. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of determining effective change rates is performed automatically.

8. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of compressing the digital motion image sequence after the recording step;

delivering the compressed digital motion image sequence to a remote location; and

decompressing the compressed digital motion image sequence prior to processing.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of compressing the processed digital motion image sequence.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the capture frame rate is a constant frame rate.

11. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the capture frame rate is a variable frame rate.

12. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes information describing a frame display duration for each frame.

13. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for replicating a frame, and wherein the display step further includes replicating frames according to the instructions in a display device.

14. The method claimed in claim 2, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for interpolating between frames and wherein the display step includes interpolation frames according to the instructions in a display device.

15. The method claimed in claim 3, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for interpolating between frames and wherein the display step includes interpolating frames according to the instructions in a display device.

16. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing step is performed by a digital computer.

17. The method claimed in claim 9, wherein the compression is MPEG compression.

18. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording step includes capturing a motion image sequence on silver halide film, developing the film, and scanning the film to produce a digital motion image sequence.

19. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording step includes capturing a motion image sequence with a video camera and digitizing the captured sequence.

20. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the recording step includes capturing a motion image sequence with a digital camera.

21. A System for recording and processing a digital motion image sequence, comprising:

a) a digital motion image recorder for capturing a digital image motion sequence at a capture frame rate;

b) an editing station for determining different effective image content change rates as a function of the scene content changes in different portions of the image sequence; and

c) a digital image processing computer for processing the digital motion image sequence to produce a processed digital motion image sequence having portions with the selected effective change rates.

22. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer includes means for processing the portions to have different display frame rates corresponding to the effective change rates and further comprising a presentation device for displaying the processed digital image sequence at the different display frame rates.

23. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the computer includes means for processing the portions to have the same fixed display frame rate and further comprising a presentation device for displaying the processed digital image sequence at the fixed display frame rate, and wherein the display frame rate is greater than the effective change rate for at least one portion of the digital image motion sequence.

24. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the processing includes one or more processing functions selected from the group comprising frame replication, frame interpolation and frame deletion.

25. The system claimed in claim 24, wherein the frame interpolation function comprises motion vector interpolation.

26. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the editing station is adapted to be operated by an operator.

27. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the editing station performs automatically.

28. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the capture frame rate is a variable frame rate.

29. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the capture frame rate is a fixed frame rate.

30. The system claimed in claim 22, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes information describing a frame display duration for each frame and the presentation device is responsive to the information to display each frame for the specified duration.

31. The system claimed in claim 23, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for replicating a frame, and wherein the presentation device further includes means for replicating frames according to the instructions.

32. The system claimed in claim 22, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for interpolating between frames and wherein the presentation device includes means for interpolating frames according to the instructions.

33. The system claimed in claim 23, wherein the processed digital motion image sequence includes instructions for interpolating between frames and wherein the presentation includes means for interpolating frames according to the instructions.

34. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the motion image recorder includes a motion picture camera for capturing a motion image sequence on silver halide film, a film processor, and a scanner for scanning the film to produce a digital motion image sequence.

35. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the motion image recorder includes a video camera for capturing a motion image sequence and means for digitizing the captured sequence.

36. The system claimed in claim 21, wherein the motion image recorder is a digital camera.