Data processing method and apparatus

• US 6,430,524 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Tetsujiro, Kobayashi, Naoki, Ohta, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): ASSOUAD, PATRICK J
• Application Number:
  US09/500,411
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 702/189, 702/190, 702/191, 702/193, 702/194, 702/195, 708/300
• US Class Current: 702/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/10 Complex mathematical operations function generation by table look-up G06F1/03; evaluation of elementary functions by calculation G06F7/544
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/18 for evaluating statistical data , e.g. average values, frequency distributions, probability functions, regression analysis forecasting specially adapted for a specific administrative, business or logistic context G06Q10/04

Abstract

A data processing apparatus for processing input data and for outputting the processed data as output data achieves effective noise reduction. An input-reliability calculator calculates an input reliability indicating the reliability of the input data. An output-reliability calculator calculates an output reliability indicating the reliability of the output data. A correction-value calculator calculates a correction value for correcting the input reliability. A data processing unit processes the input data based on the input reliability corrected with the correction value and the output reliability, thereby obtaining the output data.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus for processing input data and for outputting the processed data as output data, comprising:

input-reliability calculating means for calculating an input reliability indicating the reliability of the input data;

output-reliability calculating means for calculating an output reliability indicating the reliability of the output data;

correction-value calculating means for calculating a correction value for correcting the input reliability; and

data processing means for processing the input data based on the input reliability corrected with the corrected value and-based on the output reliability, and for outputting the output data.

2. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising weight-coefficient calculating means for calculating a weight coefficient based on the corrected input reliability and the output reliability, wherein said data processing means applies weights to given input data and previously obtained output data based on the weight coefficient calculated by said weight-coefficient calculating means, and adds the weighted given input data and the weighted previously obtained output data, thereby obtaining output data in response to the input data.

3. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said input-reliability calculating means calculates an average value of the input data as a provisional true value of given input data, and determines the input reliability according to the provisional true value.

4. A data processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said correction-value calculating means calculates, as the correction value, provisional-true-value reliability representing the reliability of the provisional true value of the input data.

5. A data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correction-value calculating means calculates an average value of the variance of the input data as the correction value.

6. A data processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said input-reliability calculating means determines the average value of the input data to be the provisional true value of the given input data, and calculates the reciprocal of the square of an error of the input data with respect to the provisional true value as the input reliability, and wherein said data processing means adds the average value of the variance of the input data to the reciprocal of the input reliability, and determines the reciprocal of the added value to be the corrected input reliability.

7. A data processing method for processing input data and for outputting the processed data as output data, comprising:

an input-reliability calculating step of calculating an input reliability indicating the reliability of the input data;

an output-reliability calculating step of calculating an output reliability indicating the reliability of the output data;

a correction-value calculating step of calculating a correction value for correcting the input reliability; and

a data processing step of processing the input data based on the input reliability corrected with the corrected value and based on the output reliability, and of outputting the output data.

8. A data processing method according to claim 7, further comprising a weight-coefficient calculating step of calculating a weight coefficient based on the corrected input reliability and the output reliability, wherein in said data processing step, weights are applied to given input data and previously obtained output data based on the weight coefficient calculated in said weight-coefficient calculating step, and the weighted given input data and the weighted previously obtained output data are added, thereby obtaining output data in response to the input data.

9. A data processing method according to claim 7, wherein in said input-reliability calculating step, an average value of the input data is calculated as a provisional true value of given input data, and the input reliability is determined according to the provisional true value.

10. A data processing method according to claim 9, wherein in said correction-value calculating step, provisional-true-value reliability representing the reliability of the provisional true value of the input data is calculated as the correction value.

11. A data processing method according to claim 7, wherein in said correction-value calculating step, an average value of the variance of the input data is calculated as the correction value.

12. A data processing method according to claim 11, wherein, in said input-reliability calculating step, the average value of the input data is determined to be the provisional true value of the given input data, and the reciprocal of the square of an error of the input data with respect to the provisional true value is calculated as the input reliability, and wherein, in said data processing step, the average value of the variance of the input data is added to the reciprocal of the input reliability, and the reciprocal of the added value is determined to be the corrected input reliability.