Apparatus and method for processing moving image data

• US 6,040,873 A
• Filed: 05/14/1997
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsukamoto, Junichi, Fukushima, Shinichi, Izumi, Nobuaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US08/856,247
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 348/559, 348/700-702, 348/452, 348/208, 348/220, 348/231-233, 348/153, 348/154, 348/155
• US Class Current: 348/559
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/59 involving spatial sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. alteration of picture size or resolution

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing moving image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image frame which is suitable for display on a display device. A moving portion of the image data corresponding to the desired image frame is detected and the image data corresponding to the detected moving portion is interpolated in accordance with a predetermined interpolation technique. A stationary image corresponding to the interpolated image data may be displayed on the display device with relatively high quality. The motion detection and field interpolation processing may eliminate or reduce stripes or the like which may otherwise be present in the displayed stationary image due to a deviation of the image data between the fields of the respective frame. Coefficients utilized for the motion detecting processing may be taken from previously stored values or may be set by an operator.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing moving image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image picture and suitable for display on a display device, said apparatus comprising:

means for designating a first region in an image picture;

motion detecting means for detecting motion in the designated first region in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient, in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by an operator to a desired value;

interpolating means for interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by use of a predetermined interpolation technique;

means for causing the interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator; and

means, operative when the operator determines that the display is unacceptable, for performing one of (i) designating a second region in the image picture, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator.

2. An apparatus for processing moving image data according to claim 1, further comprising means for generating a data file from the moving image data.

3. A method for processing moving image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image picture and suitable for display on a display device, said method comprising the steps of:

designating a first region in an image picture;

detecting motion in the designated first region in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient, in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by an operator to a desired value;

interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by use of a predetermined interpolation technique;

causing the interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator; and

performing one of (i) designating a second region in the image picture, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator, when the operator determines that the display is unacceptable.

4. A method for processing moving image data according to claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

displaying an operation format;

generating display format information for display on said display device;

capturing image data and writing the same to a recording medium as a stationary data file; and

retrieving a desired stationary data file for use as the image picture.

5. An apparatus for processing image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image and for displaying an image corresponding thereto, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving image data corresponding to a plurality of frames and representative of a moving picture, in which each of said frames includes a first field and a second field;

means for selecting a desired frame;

means for designating a first region in the selected frame;

motion detecting means for detecting motion in the designated first region in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient, in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by an operator to a desired value;

interpolating means for interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by utilizing image data of the first and second fields of the respective frame so as to obtain said stationary image data;

display means for displaying an image corresponding to said stationary image data for observation by an operator; and

means, operative when the operator determines that the displayed image is unacceptable, for performing one of (i) designating a second region in the selected frame, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region so as to obtain second stationary image data and displaying the same on the display means for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region so as to obtain third stationary image data and causing the same to be displayed on the display means for observation by the operator.

6. A method for processing image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image and for displaying an image corresponding thereto, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving image data corresponding to a plurality of frames and representative of a moving picture, in which each of said frames includes a first field and a second field;

selecting a desired frame;

designating a first region in the selected frame;

detecting motion in the designated first region in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient, in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by an operator to a desired value;

interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by utilizing image data of the first and second fields of the respective frame so as to obtain said stationary image data;

displaying an image corresponding to said stationary image data for observation by an operator; and

performing one of (i) designating a second region in the selected frame, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region so as to obtain second stationary image data and displaying the same for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region so as to obtain third stationary image data and causing the same to be displayed for observation by the operator, when the operator determines that the displayed image is unacceptable.

7. An apparatus for processing moving image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image picture and suitable for display on a display device, said apparatus comprising:

an image capturing board for receiving said moving image data from an external source; and

a central processing unit for selecting the image data corresponding to a desired picture, for detecting motion in a first designated region thereof in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by an operator to a desired value, for interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by use of a predetermined interpolation technique, for causing the interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator, and, when the operator determines that the display is unacceptable, for performing one of (i) designating a second region in the image picture, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region and causing the latest interpolated image data to be outputted for display on the display device for observation by the operator.

8. An apparatus for processing moving image data according to claim 7, further comprising means for generating a data file from the moving image data.

9. An apparatus for processing image data so as to obtain stationary image data representative of a desired image and for displaying an image corresponding thereto, said apparatus comprising:

an image capture board for receiving image data corresponding to a plurality of frames and representative of a moving picture, in which each of said frames includes a first field and a second field;

a graphical user interface for selecting a desired frame and for designating a first region in the selected frame;

a video display for displaying an image for observation by an operator; and

a central processing unit for detecting motion in the designated first region in accordance with at least one motion detection coefficient in which each said motion detection coefficient is setable by the operator to a desired value, for interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detection results by utilizing image data of the first and second fields of the respective frame so as to obtain said stationary image data, and for performing one of (i) designating a second region in the selected frame, detecting motion in the second designated region in accordance with the at least one motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the motion detecting results of the second designated region so as to obtain second stationary image data and displaying the same on the display for observation by the operator and (ii) resetting at least one said motion detection coefficient, detecting motion in the first designated region in accordance with the at least one reset motion detection coefficient, interpolating the image data in accordance with the latest motion detecting results of the first designated region so as to obtain third stationary image data and causing the same to be displayed on the display for observation by the operator, when the operator determines that the displayed image is unacceptable.