Methods and apparatus for interpolating picture information

• US 5,796,438 A
• Filed: 06/23/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hosono, Yoshimasa
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/494,103
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 348/452, 348/458, 348/441, 348/553, 348/910, 348/552, 348/578, 348/580, 348/581, 348/564, 348/588, 348/699-701, 348/556, 348/572, 348/426, 348/428, 386/131, 386/123, 386/112, 386/105, 386/52
• US Class Current: 348/458
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/4007 based on interpolation, e.g. bilinear interpolation image demosaicing G06T3/4015; edge-driven or edge-based scaling G06T3/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0067 Converting to still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 348/91 Flicker reduction

Abstract

A method for processing the information of a still picture of high resolution displayed on a television screen is disclosed. The method includes the steps of receiving the picture information encoded by a pre-set encoding method, generating the averaging information specifying which interpolation is to be performed on the received picture information, decoding the picture information by a decoding method corresponding to the encoding method, storing the decoded picture information in a memory, reading out the stored picture information for processing the decoded picture information with interpolation, and outputting the interpolated picture information as a picture for display. An apparatus for carrying out the information processing method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for processing a picture, comprising the steps of:

receiving picture information encoded by a pre-set encoding method;

generating averaging information which specifies an interpolation method to be performed on the received picture information;

decoding said picture information by a decoding method corresponding to said encoding method;

storing the decoded picture information;

reading out the stored decoded picture information stored for processing the decoded picture information with said interpolation method;

outputting the interpolated decoded picture information as a picture for display; and

thinning out the interpolated picture information for generating a reduced-size picture,

outputting the reduced-size picture as a picture for display,

wherein said decoded picture information is stored in a memory having a display region for storing a pre-set number of reduced-size pictures, and all of the reduced-size pictures stored therein are output as pictures for display each time said reduced-size picture is stored.

2. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 1, wherein said averaging information includes vector information concerning an extent of vertical and horizontal shifting of one-frame picture information for performing averaging interpolation.

3. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 2, wherein said picture information is a bitstream conforming to the MPEG standard.

4. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 3, wherein said averaging information is a bitstream conforming to the MPEG standard.

5. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 4, wherein said averaging information is a bitstream of a B-picture.

6. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 2, wherein said decoded picture information is processed with half-pel definition in said interpolation method.

7. The method for processing a picture as claimed in claim 4, wherein said step of decoding said picture information comprises the steps of:

separating control data and compressed data from said picture information and said averaging information;

de-quantizing said compressed data for generating coefficient data;

inverse orthogonal transforming said coefficient data for generating difference picture data; and

summing said difference picture data and reference picture data for generating prediction picture data which is outputted.

8. An apparatus for processing a picture, comprising:

means for receiving picture information encoded by a pre-set encoding method;

means for generating averaging information which specifies an interpolation method to be performed on the received picture information;

means for decoding said picture information by a decoding method corresponding to said encoding method;

memory means for storing the decoded picture information;

means for reading out the decoded picture information stored in said memory means for processing the decoded picture information with said interpolation method;

means for outputting the interpolated decoded picture information as a picture for display; and

means for thinning out the interpolated picture information for generating a reduced-size picture,

said outputting means outputting the reduced-size picture as a picture for display,

wherein said memory means has a display region for storing a pre-set number of reduced-size pictures, said outputting means outputting all of the reduced-size pictures stored therein as pictures for display each time said reduced-size picture is stored.

9. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 8, wherein said averaging information includes the vector information concerning the extent of vertical and horizontal shifting of a one-frame picture information for performing averaging interpolation.

10. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 9, wherein said interpolating means interpolates the decoded picture information with half-pel definition for generating a prediction picture.

11. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 9, wherein said picture information is a bitstream conforming to the MPEG standard.

12. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 11, wherein said averaging information is a bitstream conforming to the MPEG standard.

13. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 12, wherein said averaging information is a bitstream of a B-picture.

14. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 13, wherein said means for decoding the picture information comprises:

means for separating control data and compressed data from said picture information and said averaging information;

means for de-quantizing said compressed data for generating coefficient data;

means for inverse orthogonal transforming said coefficient data for generating difference picture data; and

means for summing said difference picture data and reference picture data for generating prediction picture data which is outputted.

15. The apparatus for processing a picture as claimed in claim 14, wherein said averaging information further comprises:

a temporal reference specifying the picture display sequence;

data specifying that the picture type of a corresponding picture is a B-picture;

a macroblock type specifying whether the corresponding macroblock is intra or non-intra block;

the information specifying that said compressed data are all zero; and

the information that the macroblock next following the first macroblock is a skip macroblock.