Apparatus and method for converting frame rate

• US 7,006,157 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2003
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Sohn, Young-wook
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/367,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20030156641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 348/441, 348/451, 348/452, 348/459, 348/443, 348/699, 348/700, 348/701, 348/402.1, 348/416.1
• US Class Current: 348/699
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/145 Movement estimation for video coding H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/014 involving the use of motion vectors motion estimation and compensation in video coding H04N19/51

Abstract

Provided are a method and apparatus for performing frame rate conversion. With the apparatus, current video data and previous video data are compared with each other and a motion vector is detected based on the compared result; an error in the detected motion vector is compensated for based on adjacent motion vectors; and one of the detected motion vector and a compensated motion vector is selected as a final motion vector, based on errors in the detected and compensated motion vectors. Accordingly, a more reliable motion vector can be selected to perform frame rate conversion, thereby more naturally depicting an image.

Claims

1. A frame rate conversion apparatus comprising:

a motion vector detecting unit comparing previous and current video data and detecting a motion vector based on the compared result;

a motion vector compensating unit compensating for an error in the detected motion vector based on adjacent motion vectors and generating a compensated motion vector; and

a motion vector selecting unit selecting one of the detected motion vector and the compensated motion vector based on the error in the detected motion vector and an error in the compensated motion vector.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion vector selecting unit comprises:

a first error calculator calculating a first error value based on absolute differences between the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the detected motion vector;

a second error calculator calculating a second error value based on absolute differences between the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the compensated motion vector; and

a motion vector selector comparing the first and second error values, and selecting one of the detected and compensated motion vectors as the final motion vector, based on the comparing of the first and second error values.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first error calculator comprises:

a first block data extractor extracting first block data in units of blocks from the current video data;

a second block data extractor extracting second block data in units of blocks from the previous video data at a predetermined position, the predetermined position obtained by moving a position of the first block data by a position of the detected motion vector;

a first absolute difference calculator calculating absolute differences between the first and second block data; and

a first absolute difference adder adding the absolute differences calculated by the first absolute difference calculator.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second error calculator comprises:

a third block data extractor extracting third block data from the current video data in units of blocks;

a fourth block data extractor extracting fourth block data from the previous video data at a predetermined position, the predetermined position obtained by moving a position of the third block data by the compensated motion vector;

a second absolute difference calculator calculating absolute differences between the third and fourth block data; and

a second absolute difference adder adding the absolute differences calculated by the second absolute difference calculator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motion vector detecting unit detects a plurality of motion vectors, and wherein the motion vector compensating unit comprises:

a memory unit holding detected motion vectors in units of lines; and

a motion vector filter extracting motion vectors, which are to be compensated, from the memory unit in units of blocks, and compensating errors in the extracted motion vectors based on adjacent motion vectors.

6. A frame rate conversion method comprising:

comparing current and previous video data and detecting a motion vector based on the compared result;

compensating an error in the detected motion vector based on adjacent motion vectors; and

selecting one of the detected motion vector and a compensated motion vector as a final motion vector, based on errors in the detected and compensated motion vectors.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein selecting one of the detected and compensated motion vectors comprises:

calculating a first error value using absolute error values of the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the detected motion vector;

calculating a second error using absolute error values of the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the compensated motion vector; and

selecting one of the detected and compensated motion vectors as the final motion vector, based on a result of comparing the first and second error values.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the first error value comprises:

extracting first block data from the previous video data in units of blocks;

extracting second block data from the current video data at a changed position of the first block data moved in accordance with the detected motion vector, the second block data corresponding to the first block data;

calculating absolute differences between the first and second block data; and

adding the calculated absolute values together.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein calculating the second error value comprises:

extracting third block data from the previous video data in units of blocks;

extracting fourth block data from the current video data in units of blocks at a changed position of the third block data moved in accordance with the compensated motion vector, the fourth block data corresponding to the third block data;

calculating absolute differences between the third and fourth block data; and

adding the calculated absolute differences together.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein compensating an error in the motion vector comprises:

storing the detected motion vector in a memory unit in units of lines;

extracting a motion vector, which is to be compensated, from the memory unit in units of blocks; and

filtering the motion vector by compensating an error in the motion vector based on adjacent motion vectors.

11. A computer-readable recording medium for recording a computer program code for enabling a computer to provide a service of frame rate conversion, the service comprising steps of:

comparing current and previous video data and detecting a motion vector based on the compared result;

compensating an error in the detected motion vector based on adjacent motion vectors; and

selecting one of the detected motion vector and a compensated motion vector as a final motion vector, based on errors in the detected and compensated motion vectors.

12. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 11, wherein selecting one of the detected and compensated motion vectors comprises:

calculating a first error value using absolute error values of the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the detected motion vector;

calculating a second error using absolute error values of the previous video data and the current video data, the current video data being obtained in consideration of the compensated motion vector; and

selecting one of the detected and compensated motion vectors as the final motion vector, based on a result of comparing the first and second error values.

13. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 12, wherein calculating the first error value comprises:

extracting first block data from the previous video data in units of blocks;

extracting second block data from the current video data at a changed position of the first block data moved in accordance with the detected motion vector, the second block data corresponding to the first block data;

calculating absolute differences between the first and second block data; and

adding the calculated absolute values together.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 12, wherein calculating the second error value comprises:

extracting third block data from the previous video data in units of blocks;

extracting fourth block data from the current video data in units of blocks at a changed position of the third block data moved in accordance with the compensated motion vector, the fourth block data corresponding to the third block data;

calculating absolute differences between the third and fourth block data; and

adding the calculated absolute differences together.

15. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 11, wherein compensating an error in the motion vector comprises:

storing the detected motion vector in a memory unit in units of lines;

extracting a motion vector, which is to be compensated, from the memory unit in units of blocks; and

filtering the motion vector by compensating an error in the motion vector based on adjacent motion vectors.