Motion vector detecting apparatus and image stabilizer including the same

• US 5,172,226 A
• Filed: 05/15/1991
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Uomori, Kenya, Morimura, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US07/700,464
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 358/105, 358/222, 358/136, 358/166, 358/125, 358/167
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

In a motion vector detecting apparatus and an image stabilizer including the motion vector detecting apparatus, the motion vector detecting apparatus includes a motion vector arithmetic unit for calculating a motion vector of an inputted image signal, an integrator for integrating the motion vector, a still decision unit for judging whether or not the inputted image signal represents a still image, a coring value determiner for determining a coring value on the basis of outputs from the integrator and the still decision unit and a coring circuit which controls the coring value on the basis of an output from the coring value determiner so as to perform coring processing on an output of the motion vector arithmetic unit.

Claims

1. A motion vector detecting apparatus for detecting a motion vector of an inputted image signal, comprising:

a motion vector arithmetic unit for calculating the motion vector of the inputted image signal;

an integrator for integrating the motion vector;

a still decision unit for judging whether or not the inputted image signal represents a still image;

a coring value determiner for determining a coring value on the basis of outputs from said integrator and said still decision unit; and

a coring circuit which controls the coring value on the basis of an output from said coring value determiner so as to perform coring processing on an output of said motion vector arithmetic unit.

2. A motion vector detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein by using a minimum value of said motion vector arithmetic unit, said still decision unit judges whether or not the inputted image signal represents the still image.

3. A motion vector detecting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein by using the inputted image signal, said still decision unit judges whether or not the inputted image signal represents the still image.

4. An image stabilizer for correcting sway of an outputted image, comprising:

a motion vector detecting apparatus for detecting a motion vector of an inputted image signal;

said motion vector detecting apparatus including a motion vector arithmetic unit for calculating the motion vector of the inputted image signal, an integrator for integrating the motion vector, a still decision unit for judging whether or not the inputted image signal represents a still image, a coring value determiner for determining a coring value form outputs on the basis of said integrator and said still decision unit and a coring circuit which controls the coring value on the basis of an output from said coring value determiner so as to perform coring processing on an output of said motion vector arithmetic unit;

a vector determiner for determining the motion vector of the inputted image signal in a whole screen; and

an output controller which performs control in accordance with the motion vector determined by said vector determiner so as to either magnify and shift a portion of an inputted image or shift the portion of the inputted image such that the sway of the outputted image is reduced.

5. An image stabilizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein by using a minimum valve of said motion vector arithmetic unit, said still decision unit judges whether or not the inputted image signal represents the still image.

6. An image stabilizer as claimed in claim 4, wherein by using the inputted image signal, said still decision unit judges whether or not the inputted image signal represents the still image.

7. An image stabilizer as claimed in claim 4, further including a memory and an interpolator;

wherein said memory writes the inputted image therein so as to temporarily store the inputted image and shifts the inputted image on pixel by one pixel in accordance with said output controller at the time of read-out from said memory;

and wherein said interpolator performs an arithmetic operation of interpolation for shifting the inputted image through a distance less than one pixel and controls the outputted image so as to reduce the sway of the outputted image.