Image size conversion interlaced for image data

• US 6,384,865 B1
• Filed: 05/28/1999
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Personal Computers, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Numata, Kohji
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIR, JEAN WICEL
• Application Number:
  US09/321,836
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.701, 348/448, 348/446, 348/441, 348/443, 348/445, 348/447, 348/456, 348/458, 348/459, 348/715, 382/298, 382/299
• US Class Current: 348/448
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/012 Conversion between an interlaced and a progressive signal for graphics images G09G2310/0229
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios

Abstract

In an image converting apparatus for converting image data of a field format in which a frame consists of a first field and a second field into image data of a resultant frame with a predetermined size. The apparatus includes an even-numbered field decoder for decoding each line of scanning line data of the even-numbered field, an odd-numbered field decoder for decoding scanning line data of the even-numbered field by thinning out every second line, and an original image frame buffer for combining the decoded image data with each other into one frame of image data and for storing the resultant data therein.

Claims

1. An image converting apparatus for converting compressed image data having a field format in which a frame consists of a first field and a second field into image data of a resultant frame with a predetermined size, comprising:

first decoding means for decoding each scanning line data of the first field of the compressed image data;

second decoding means for decoding scanning line data of the second field of the compressed image data while thinning out every second line; and

first storage means for combining image data decoded by the first decoding means with image data decoded by the second decoding means and storing the combined data as a frame image data.

2. An image converting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

correcting means for correcting a time difference between the first and second fields for the lines decoded by the second decoding means of the lines of image data read from the first storage means; and

second storage means for storing therein image data which has undergone correction by the correcting means, in the form of 1-frame image data.

3. An image converting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

black line data area setting means for setting black line data areas respectively over and below the image data read from the first storage means, each of the black line data areas including lines the number of which is ⅛

that of lines of all scanning line data in the frame including the first and second fields of the compressed image data; and

second storage means for storing therein image data including the black line data areas, in the form of 1-frame image data.

4. An image converting apparatus in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

black line data area setting means for setting black line data areas respectively over and below the image data read from the first storage means, each of the black line data areas including lines the number of which is ⅛

that of the lines of all scanning line data in the frame including the first and second fields of the compressed image data;

correcting means for correcting a time difference between the first and second fields for the lines decoded by the second decoding means of the lines of image data read from the first storage means; and

second storage means for storing therein image data, which has undergone correction by the correcting means and which includes the black line data areas, in the form of 1-frame image data.

5. An image converting apparatus in accordance with claim 4, further comprising:

third decoding means for decoding compressed image data in a frame format;

third storage means for storing therein image data decoded by the third decoding means;

image synthesizing means for combining the image data stored in the second storage means with that stored in the third storage means and for thereby synthesizing image data; and

fourth storage means for storing therein the image data synthesized by the image synthesizing means, in a form of 1-frame image data.

6. An image conversion method of converting compressed image data having a field format in which a frame consists of a first field and a second field, into image data of a frame format with a predetermined size, comprising the steps of:

decoding each scanning line data of the first field of the compressed image data;

decoding scanning line data of the second field of the compressed image data while thinning out every second line; and

combining image data decoded for the first field with image data decoded for the second field, thereby producing frame image data.

7. An image conversion method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

combining the decoded data for the first filed with the decoded data for the second field; and

correcting a time difference between the first and second fields for the lines corresponding to the decoded lines of the second field of the lines of the frame image which have been obtained by the combining.

8. An image conversion method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising the step of:

setting black line data areas respectively over and below the frame image data combined the decoded data for the first field with the decoded data for the second field, each of the black line data areas including lines the number of which is ⅛

that of lines of all scanning line data in the frame including the first and second fields of the compressed image data, thereby producing image data for an image with an aspect ratio of 4/3.

9. An image conversion method in accordance with claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

setting black line data areas respectively over and below the frame image data combined the decoded data for the first field with the decoded data for the second field, each of the black line data areas including lines the number of which is ⅛

that of lines of all scanning line data in the frame including the first and second fields of the compressed image data, thereby producing image data for an image with an aspect ratio of 4/3; and

correcting a time difference between the first and second fields for the lines corresponding to the decoded lines of the second field of the lines of frame image data.

10. An image conversion method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising the step of:

combining the frame image data, which includes the black line data areas and which has undergone the correction, with the image data obtained by decoding compressed data of a frame format, thereby synthesizing one frame of image data.