System and method for filtering video signals
First Claim
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1. A video filtering system for reducing noise in a motion video sequence comprising:
- a source of frame signals;
a computer processor for filtering frame signals in the video sequence;
an input line for sending said frame signals from the source to the computer processor;
an encoder having a frame buffer for storing frame signals corresponding to at least a current frame and a prior frame; and
a frame buffer input line for sending said frame signals from the frame buffer to the computer processor;
wherein the computer processor comprises;
means, operably engaged to the frame buffer, for comparing the frame signals for the current frame with the prior frame to generate a first frame difference;
means, operably engaged to the comparing means, for determining a weighting factor based, at least in part, on the first frame difference; and
means, operably engaged to the determining means, for generating the filtered signal for an intermediate frame based, at least in part, on the weighting factor and the signal for the prior frame.
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Abstract
Motion video is represented by digital signals. The digital signals can be compressed by coding to reduce bitspace. Noise in the signal, however, reduces the efficiency of coding. The present invention is a system and method for reducing noise in video signals by filtering. The signal for the current frame is weightedly averaged with signals for a future and prior frame. The future and prior frames are given less weight as they differ more from the current frame. When motion compensation information is available, the motion compensated future and prior frames can be used for averaging, further improving filtering.
143 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A video filtering system for reducing noise in a motion video sequence comprising:
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a source of frame signals; a computer processor for filtering frame signals in the video sequence; an input line for sending said frame signals from the source to the computer processor; an encoder having a frame buffer for storing frame signals corresponding to at least a current frame and a prior frame; and a frame buffer input line for sending said frame signals from the frame buffer to the computer processor; wherein the computer processor comprises; means, operably engaged to the frame buffer, for comparing the frame signals for the current frame with the prior frame to generate a first frame difference; means, operably engaged to the comparing means, for determining a weighting factor based, at least in part, on the first frame difference; and means, operably engaged to the determining means, for generating the filtered signal for an intermediate frame based, at least in part, on the weighting factor and the signal for the prior frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of filtering noise-contaminated video signals comprising the steps of:
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storing the signals for a current frame, an adjacent prior frame and an adjacent future frame; calculating a first frame difference between the current frame and the adjacent prior frame; calculating a first weighting factor based, at least in part, on the frame difference; multiplying the first weighting factor by the first frame difference to create a first product; adding the first product to the adjacent prior frame to create an intermediate frame; calculating a second frame difference between the intermediate frame and the adjacent future frame; calculating a second weighting factor based, at least in part, on the second frame difference; multiplying the second weighting factor by the second frame difference to create a second product; and adding the second product to the adjacent future frame to create a filtered frame. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of filtering noise-contaminated video signals for intercoded pictures based on the signals for a current frame, a prior reference frame and an adjacent future frame, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a motion compensated prior reference frame; comparing the current frame to the prior reference frame to create an error signal; comparing the current frame to the motion compensated prior reference frame to create a motion compensated error signal; selecting either the prior reference frame or the motion compensated reference frame which has the smaller error signal as a best frame; calculating a first frame difference between the current frame and the best frame; calculating a first weighting factor based, at least in part, on the first frame difference; calculating a first weighted average of the best frame and the current frame based, at least in part, on the first weighting factor wherein the weighted average is an intermediate frame; calculating a second frame difference between the intermediate frame and the adjacent future frame; calculating a second weighting factor based, at least in part, on the second frame difference; and calculating a second weighted average of the intermediate frame and the adjacent future frame based, at least in part, on the second weighting factor, wherein the second weighted average is a filtered frame. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A method of filtering noise-contaminated video signals for intercoded pictures based on the signals for a current frame, a prior reference frame and a future reference frame, comprising the steps of:
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calculating a motion compensated prior reference frame; comparing the current frame to the prior reference frame to create a prior error signal; comparing the current frame to the motion compensated prior reference frame to create a motion compensated prior error signal; selecting the prior reference frame or the motion compensated reference frame which has the smaller prior error signal as a prior best frame; calculating a first frame difference between the current frame and the prior best frame; calculating a first weighting factor based, at least in part, on the first frame difference; calculating a first weighted average of the prior best frame and the current frame based, at least in part, on the first weighting factor wherein the weighted average is an intermediate frame; calculating a motion compensated future reference frame; comparing the current frame to the future reference frame to create a future error signal; comparing the current frame to the motion compensated future reference frame to create a motion compensated future error signal; selecting the future reference frame or the motion compensated reference frame which has the smaller future error signal as a future best frame; calculating a second frame difference between the future best frame and the intermediate frame; calculating a second weighting factor based, at least in part, on the second frame difference; and calculating a second weighted average of the intermediate frame and the future best frame based, at least in part, on the second weighting factor, wherein the second weighted average is a filtered frame. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for filtering noise contaminated signals for motion video comprising:
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a means for storing signals for a current frame, a prior frame and a future frame; and a computer processor operably engaged to said signal storing means having;
means for calculating a first frame difference between the current frame and the prior frame;means for calculating an intermediate frame signal as a weighted average of the current frame signal and the prior frame signal such that the prior frame is given less weight as the frame difference increases; means for calculating a second frame difference between the intermediate frame signal and the future frame signal; and means for calculating a filtered frame as a weighted average of the intermediate frame signal and the future frame signal such that the future frame is given less weight as the second frame difference increases. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A video filtering system for reducing noise in frame signals in a bitstream comprising:
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a computer processor for filtering the frame signals; a decoder having a frame buffer and a motion estimator; an input line for sending the frame signals from the decoder to the computer processor; an output line for sending filtered signals from the computer processor to a display; a frame buffer input line for sending signals from the frame buffer to the computer processor; means for comparing a current frame with a prior frame to generate a first frame difference; and means for calculating a weighting factor based, at least in part, on the first frame difference; and means for calculating a weighted average of the prior frame and the current frame based, at least in part, on the weighting factor. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification