IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD

• US 20120169900A1
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: NUMATA, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US13/312,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20120169900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 using block-matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/433 characterised by techniques for memory access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/53 Multi-resolution motion estimation; Hierarchical motion estimation

Abstract

An image processing device includes an image processor that calculates a motion vector between image data of a target frame and image data of a reference frame in units of a block, and a reference frame image memory that retains image data of a past frame as the image data of the reference frame. Furthermore, the image processing device includes a primary memory that retains a matching processing range of the reference frame in calculation by the image processor, and a secondary memory that reads out and retains image data of a desired range from the image data of the reference frame stored in the reference frame image memory. The secondary memory reads out data of the matching processing range from the retained image data and supplies the read data to the primary memory.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

an image processor configured to calculate a motion vector between image data of a target frame and image data of a reference frame in units of a block;

a reference frame image memory configured to retain image data of a past frame as the image data of the reference frame;

a primary memory configured to retain a matching processing range of the reference frame in calculation by the image processor; and

a secondary memory configured to read out and retain image data of a desired range from the image data of the reference frame stored in the reference frame image memory, the secondary memory reading out data of the matching processing range from the retained image data and supplying the read data to the primary memory.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the reference frame image memory is a memory that retains image data converted to a predetermined format, and

format conversion from the predetermined format is performed in supply of the image data retained in the reference frame image memory to the secondary memory.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the reference frame image memory is a memory that retains image data subjected to compression processing in a predetermined format, and

the image data subjected to the compression processing are supplied after being subjected to expansion processing in supply of the image data retained in the reference frame image memory to the secondary memory.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein

the image processor sets a position at which the image data of the reference frame are added to the image data of the target frame based on detection of the motion vector, and executes addition processing of images of a plurality of frames at the set position.

5. The image processing device according to claim 4, wherein

one of noise removal and noise reduction of an image is performed in the addition processing of the images of the plurality of frames by the image processor.

6. An image processing method comprising:

calculating a motion vector between image data of a target frame and image data of a reference frame in units of a block;

retaining image data of a past frame as the image data of the reference frame;

retaining a matching processing range of the reference frame in such a state that reference to the matching processing range in the image processing is possible in calculation of the motion vector in the image processing; and

reading out and retaining image data of a desired range from the image data of the reference frame retained in the reference frame retention processing, and reading out part of the retained image data and sending the part of the retained image data to the matching processing range retention processing.

7. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein

the reference frame retention processing is processing of retaining image data converted to a predetermined format, and

format conversion from the predetermined format is performed when the image data retained in the reference frame retention processing are read out and the intermediate retention processing is executed.

8. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein

the reference frame retention processing is processing of retaining image data subjected to compression processing in a predetermined format, and

the image data subjected to the compression processing are supplied after being subjected to expansion processing when the image data retained in the reference frame retention processing are read out and the intermediate retention processing is executed.

9. The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein

the image processing is processing of setting a position at which the image data of the reference frame are added to the image data of the target frame based on detection of the motion vector, and adding images of a plurality of frames at the set position.

10. The image processing method according to claim 9, wherein

one of noise removal and noise reduction of an image is performed in the processing of adding the images of the plurality of frames in the image processing.