MOTION VECTOR FIELD RETIMER

• US 20090251612A1
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Entropic Communications Incorporated (Maxlinear Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Van Gurp, Jacobus Willem
• Application Number:
  US12/090,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20090251612A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/614
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/014 involving the use of motion vectors motion estimation and compensation in video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

A programmable platform is provided that implements a video-processing algorithm that reduces halo artifacts. The algorithm corrects motion vectors of background motion in occlusion areas of a picture. The algorithm creates a re-timing vector from vector fields provided from a 3-frame motion estimator. The re-timing vector is produced by, first, selecting a number of candidate pairs of vectors from the different vector fields provided from the 3-frame motion estimator. Then, second, choosing one pair of candidate vectors based on an error metric. And, third, applying a linear or non-linear interpolation to obtain the required vector field. The re-timing vector provides a vector field for pixels between pictures n and n-\ such that halo about moving objects are minimized.

Claims

1. A method of performing motion compensated video processing comprising:

selecting a plurality of candidate vector pairs from different motion vector fields;

choosing one of said plurality of candidate vector pairs based on an error metric; and

applying at least one of a linear and non-linear interpolation to said one chosen candidate vector pair to obtain a re-timing vector for halo reduced up-conversion.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said re-timing vector for at least one of temporal up-conversion, frame rate conversion, film judder removal, and temporal filtering of a vector field.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of candidate vector pairs are from non-motion compensated vectors fetched from a previous vector field and a present vector field and a result of motion compensated vector fetches from said previous and said present vector fields using the two vectors from the pair of vectors.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said applying comprises averaging said one chosen vector pair to obtain said re-timing vector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting, choosing and applying is performed for every position in an interpolated vector field.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said choosing is performed by selecting the candidate vector pair with a lowest calculated error.

7. A programmable platform that implements a video processing algorithm, said video processing algorithm comprises:

a motion estimator algorithm; and

a temporal up-converter algorithm, said temporal up-converter algorithm comprises a re-timer algorithm, said re-timer algorithm selects a plurality of candidate vector pairs from different motion vector fields;

then chooses one of said plurality of candidate vector pairs based on an error metric; and

applies at least one of a linear and non-linear interpolation to said one chosen candidate vector pair to obtain a re-timing vector used for halo reduced up-conversion.

8. The programmable platform of claim 7, wherein said plurality of candidate vector pairs are from non-motion compensated vectors fetched from a previous vector field and a present vector field and a result of motion compensated vector fetches from said previous and said present vector fields using the two vectors from the pair of vectors.

9. The programmable platform of claim 7, wherein said error metric determines which one of said plurality of candidate vector pairs has a lowest amount of error.

10. A method of reducing halo in a video up-conversion process, said method comprising:

performing a motion estimator algorithm;

performing a temporal up-converter algorithm; and

performing a re-timer algorithm that provides a re-timer vector for halo reduced up-conversion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said re-timer algorithm comprises:

selecting a plurality of candidate vector pairs from different motion vector fields;

choosing one of said plurality of candidate vector pairs based on an error metric; and

applying at least one of a linear and non-linear interpolation to said one chosen candidate vector pair to obtain a re-timing vector for halo reduced up conversion.