Video signal reproduction processing method and apparatus for reproduction of a recorded video signal as either a sharp still image or a clear moving image

• US 5,668,914 A
• Filed: 06/22/1995
• Issued: 09/16/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Masugane, Kazuyuki, Inuiya, Masafumi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRUONG, KHOI
• Application Number:
  US08/493,701
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 358/335, 358/336, 358/340, 358/337, 358/339, 358/906, 360/33.1, 360/38.1, 348/606, 348/607, 348/701
• US Class Current: 386/271
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/144 Movement detection for video coding H04N19/503; analysis of motion in general G06T7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/79 Processing of colour television signals in connection with recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/877 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate memory
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

Both a sharp print image and a natural reproduced move image can be obtained from a signal recorded on a recording medium. A recording signal, read from the recording medium, is converted into digital data and is delayed by one field. Data representing the current image in the n-th field and data representing an image in the (n-1)-th field one field ahead of the current image, are applied to a subtracting circuit, to extract a component representing moving image portions. An interpolated image for making movement correction is created from the extracted component representing the moving image portions by an interpolating circuit. Data representing the interpolated image and the data representing the current image in the n-th field are synthesized by a synthesizing circuit, to output composite data as data representing an image which has been subjected to movement correction. Since the image is subjected to the movement correction, a natural reproduced movie image smoothly moving is obtained even when the recording signal is recorded at high shutter speed.

Claims

1. A method of video signal reproduction processing comprising the steps of:

a) reading a video signal from a recording medium, the video signal having been recorded on the recording medium with a high shutter speed and including image data representing a current image and image data representing a preceding image one frame ahead of the current image;

b) processing the image data of the read video signal to blur contour of the current image and the preceding image;

c) extracting from the processed image data of said step b) image data representative of moving portions of the blurred current image; and

d) synthesizing a composite video signal based on the extracted image data and the image data representing the current image.

2. The method of video signal reproduction processing of claim 1, wherein said step d) comprises delaying the read video signal of said step a) prior to synthesis.

3. The method of video signal reproduction processing of claim 1, where said step b) comprises changing luminance values of respective pixels of the current image respectively to average luminance values of pixels surrounding the respective pixels of the current image and changing luminance values of respective pixels of the preceding image respectively to average luminance values of pixels surrounding the respective pixels of the preceding image.

4. The method of video signal reproduction processing of claim 1, wherein said step c) comprises:

c1) delaying the read video signal of said step a) by a period of time equivalent to one frame period; and

c2) subtracting the delayed video signal of said step c1) from the read video signal of said step a) and providing the difference therebetween as the extracted image data.

5. A video signal reproduction processing method comprising the steps of:

reading a video signal from a recording medium, the video signal having been recorded on the recording medium as a modulated movie video signal representing an image of a subject picked up at high shutter speed;

demodulating the read video signal to obtain a reproduced video signal;

processing the reproduced video signal representing a current image and a video signal representing a preceding image one frame ahead of the current image so that contours of the current image and the preceding image are respectively blurred;

extracting a signal representing a moving image portion whose contour is blurred in the current image on the basis of signals representing the current image and the preceding image whose contours are respectively blurred; and

synthesizing the extracted signal representing the moving image portion and the signal representing the current image, to output a signal representing a composite image.

6. A video signal reproduction processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading a video signal from a recording medium, the video signal having been recorded on the recording medium as a modulated movie video signal representing an image of a subject picked up at high shutter speed;

reproduction processing means for demodulating the read video signal to provide a reproduced video signal;

defusing means for processing the reproduced video signal representing the current image and a video signal representing the preceding image one frame ahead of the current image so that contours of the current image and the preceding image are respectively blurred;

extracting means for extracting a signal representing a moving image portion of the current image having blurred contour on the basis of the reproduced video signals representing the current image and the preceding image having contours respectively blurred by said defusing means; and

synthesizing means for synthesizing the extracted signal representing the moving image portion and the reproduced video signal representing the current image, to output a signal representing a composite image.

7. A video signal reproduction processing apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading a video signal from a recording medium, the video signal having been recorded on the recording medium with a high shutter speed and including image data representing a current image and image data representing a preceding image one frame ahead of the current image;

contour blurring means, coupled to said reading means, for processing the image data of the read video signal to blur contour of the current image and the preceding image;

extraction means for extracting from an output of said contour blurring means image data representative of moving portions of the blurred current image; and

synthesizing means, coupled to said reading means and said extraction means, for synthesizing and outputting a composite video signal based on the extracted image data and the image data representing the current image.

8. The video signal reproduction processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein said synthesizing means comprises delay means for delaying the read video signal output from said reading means prior to synthesis.

9. The video signal reproduction processing apparatus of claim 8, where said contour blurring means comprises diffusion means for changing luminance values of respective pixels of the current image respectively to average luminance values of pixels surrounding the respective pixels of the current image and for changing luminance values of respective pixels of the preceding image respectively to average luminance values of pixels surrounding the respective pixels of the preceding image.

10. The video signal reproduction processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein said extraction means comprises:

delay means for delaying the read video signal output from said reading means by a period of time equivalent to one frame period; and

subtraction means for subtracting an output of said delay means from the read video signal output from said reading means and for providing the difference therebetween as the extracted image data.