Video signal converting apparatus with reduced processing for aliasing interference

• US 5,365,274 A
• Filed: 05/13/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Seki, Yoshio, Miki, Yoichiro, Tokoi, Masaki, Ishizu, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/061,704
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• Field of Search: 358/138, 358/167, 358/140, 358/141, 348/458, 348/427
• US Class Current: 348/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0125 one of the standards being a high definition standard

Abstract

A video signal conversion apparatus for converting high definition television signals band-width compressed by offset sub-sampling to a conventional standard television signal while removing aliasing interference caused by offset sub-sampling and using less memory capacity than is conventionally required is provided. The image of the sub-sampled signal is restored from the sampling points in the current field by an intra-field interpolation circuit, and the number of scan lines is reduced to the same number in the standard television signal format by a scan line number conversion circuit. Half of the pixels in the current field are then substituted into the signal for the one previous frame for inter-frame interpolation by a signal selector which alternately selects a signal from the scan line number conversion circuit and a signal from field memories, and a time-base operation for removing aliasing interference at the standard television signal rate is executed.

Claims

1. A video signal converting apparatus for converting a MUSE signal to a NTSC signal comprising:

intra-field interpolation means for receiving an original MUSE pixel data and for inserting simulated pixel data between said original data to produce an interpolated signal;

scan line number conversion means for extracting a horizontal line from a predetermined number of horizontal lines from said interpolated signal for producing an extracted signal;

first memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the extracted signal;

second memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the extracted signal and connected in series to said first memory means for sequentially receiving data from said first memory means and for producing a delayed signal; and

selection means for alternatively selecting the pixel data from said scan line number conversion means and from said second memory means and for producing a combined signal which is provided to said first memory means.

2. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selection means comprises a selection switch and a switch control means, said switch control means producing a switch control signal to said selection switch so as to select said extracted signal in line offset and frame offset manner.

3. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second memory means have a capacity to store 263 and 262 horizontal lines, respectively.

4. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said extracted signal and said delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said extracted and delayed signals; and

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said combined signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal.

5. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a diagonal high frequency cut-off filter means inserted between said selection means and said mixer means for removing a diagonal high frequency component from said combined signal.

6. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said diagonal high frequency cut-off filter means comprises:

a vertical high frequency pass filter for passing a predetermined vertical high frequency component;

a horizontal high frequency pass filter for passing a predetermined horizontal high frequency component; and

a subtracter for substracting said diagonal high frequency component extracted by the vertical high frequency pass filter and horizontal high frequency pass filter from said combined signal.

7. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said selection means comprises a selection switch and a switch control means, said switch control means producing a switch control signal to said selection switch so as to select said extracted signal in frame offset manner only.

8. A video signal converting apparatus for converting a MUSE signal to a NTSC signal comprising:

intra-field interpolation means for receiving an original MUSE pixel data and for inserting simulated pixel data between said original data to produce an interpolated signal;

scan line number conversion means for extracting a horizontal line from a predetermined number of horizontal lines from said interpolated signal for producing an extracted signal;

sub-sampling means for sampling every other one of the pixel data in said extracted signal and for producing a sub-sampled signal;

first memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the sub-sampled signal;

second memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the sub-sampled signal and connected in series to said first memory means and for sequentially receiving data from said first memory means for producing a delayed signal; and

selection means for alternately selecting the pixel data from said sub-sampling means and from said second memory means and for producing a combined signal.

9. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said sub-sampling means samples said extracted signal in line offset and frame offset manner.

10. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said sub-sampled signal and said delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said sub-sampled and delayed signals; and

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said combined signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal.

11. A video signal converting apparatus for converting a MUSE signal to a NTSC signal comprising:

intra-field interpolation means for receiving an original MUSE pixel data and for inserting simulated pixel data between said original data to produce an interpolated signal;

scan line number conversion means for extracting a horizontal line from a predetermined number of horizontal lines from said interpolated signal for producing an extracted signal;

first memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the extracted signal;

second memory means for storing one line data;

third memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the extracted signal, said first, second and third memory means connected in series for sequentially sending data therethrough, said third memory means producing a delayed signal;

selection means for alternately selecting the pixel data from said scan line number conversion means and from said third memory means and for producing a combined signal which is provided to said first memory means;

first averaging means for taking an average between input and output signals of said second delay means and for producing a first average signal; and

second averaging means for taking an average between said first average signal and said combined signal and for producing a second average signal.

12. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said selection means comprises a selection switch and a switch control means, said switch control means producing a switch control signal to said selection switch so as to select said extracted signal in line offset and frame offset manner.

13. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

low frequency replacement means for replacing a low frequency component in said second average signal with a low frequency component in said extracted signal, and for producing a replaced signal.

14. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said extracted signal and said delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said extracted and delayed signals; and

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said replaced signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal.

15. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said extracted signal and said delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said extracted and delayed signals;

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said second average signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal, and for producing a mixed signal; and

low frequency replacement means for replacing a low frequency component in said mixed signal with a low frequency component in said extracted signal, and for producing a replaced signal.

16. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a diagonal high frequency cut-off filter means inserted between said second averaging means and said low frequency replacement means for removing a diagonal high frequency component from said second average signal.

17. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a diagonal high frequency cut-off filter means inserted between said second averaging means and said mixer means for removing a diagonal high frequency component from said second average signal.

18. A video signal converting apparatus for converting a MUSE signal to a NTSC signal comprising:

intra-field interpolation means for receiving an original MUSE pixel data and for inserting simulated pixel data between said original data to produce an interpolated signal;

scan line number conversion means for extracting a horizontal line from a predetermined number of horizontal lines from said interpolated signal for producing an extracted signal;

sub-sampling means for sampling every other one of the pixel data in said extracted signal and for producing a sub-sampled signal;

first memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the sub-sampled signal and for producing a first delayed signal;

second memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the sub-sampled signal and connected in series to said first memory means and for producing a second delayed signal;

third memory means having a capacity for storing one field of the sub-sampled signal and connected in series to said second memory means and for producing a third delayed signal;

first selection means for alternately selecting the pixel data from said sub-sampling means and from said second memory means and for producing a first combined signal;

second selection means for alternately selecting the pixel data from said first memory means and from said third memory means and for producing a second combined signal; and

inter-field averaging means for taking an average between said first and second combined signals and for producing an inter-field average signal.

19. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein said inter-field averaging means comprises:

line delay means for delaying one line of said second combined signal;

first adding means for calculating an average between input and output of said line delay means and for producing a first average signal; and

second adding means for calculating an average between said first average signal and said first combined signal.

20. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

low frequency replacement means for replacing a low frequency component in said inter-field average signal with a low frequency component in said extracted signal, and for producing a replaced signal.

21. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 20, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said extracted signal, said first delayed signal and said third delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said extracted and delayed signals; and

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said replaced signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal.

22. A video signal converting apparatus as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

motion detection means for detecting, upon receipt of said extracted signal, said first delayed signal and said third delayed signal, a degree of movement at each area in an image, and for producing a movement level signal indicative of an amount of movement of an image between said extracted and delayed signals;

mixer means for mixing in terms of amplitude, said extracted signal and said inter-field average signal such that the rate of said extracted signal increases as the increase of said movement level signal, and for producing a mixed signal; and

low frequency replacement means for replacing a low frequency component in said mixed signal with a low frequency component in said extracted signal, and for producing a replaced signal.