Video signal processing method and device

• US 7,221,404 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2003
• Issued: 05/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kaneko, Naoki, Imai, Seiko, Hoshino, Takaya, Sarugaku, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke; Brian P.
• Application Number:
  US10/492,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20050002637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 348/458, 348/459, 348/443, 348/448, 348/606, 348/607, 348/625, 348/628, 382/263, 382/264, 382/260, 382/266
• US Class Current: 348/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/20 Circuitry for controlling amplitude response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/208 for compensating for attenuation of high frequency components, e.g. crispening, aperture distortion correction
• 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

Abstract

To enable a satisfactory suppression of overemphasized component after converting the number of scanning lines of video signal, when the video signal is converted in the number of scanning lines and a high-frequency component at least in a vertical direction of the converted video signal is emphasized, signals delayed by a plurality of stages of time equal to or more than a time required for converting the number of scanning lines are obtained by a delay circuit 18, and an appropriate delay signal is selected from among the plurality of delay signals by a selection circuit 19. The selected delay signal is compared with the emphasized video signal in emphasized-component detector circuits 16a, 16b and the overemphasized component is detected. Processing to suppress the emphasis is performed by suppressor circuits 13a, 13b with respect to a portion where the overemphasized signal component is detected.

Claims

1. A video-signal processing method comprising the steps of:

converting the number of scanning lines of a video signal,

emphasizing a high-frequency component at least in a vertical direction of the video signal converted in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step,

obtaining a delay signal delayed by a plurality of stages of time equal to or more than a time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step,

selecting an appropriate delay signal from among the plurality of delay signals obtained in said delay step,

detecting an overemphasized component by comparing the delay signal selected in said selection step with the video signal emphasized in said emphasis step, and

suppressing the emphasis with respect to a portion where the overemphasized signal component is detected in said detection step.

2. A video-signal processing method according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of stages of delay signals in said delay step are a signal delayed by approximately a time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step and a signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step.

3. A video-signal processing method according to claim 1, wherein

the plurality of stages of delay signals in said delay step are a signal delayed by approximately a time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step and a signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step, and

in said selection step, a signal higher in level is selected from the two delay signals.

4. A video-signal processing method according to claim 1, wherein

the number of scanning lines of an original video signal are converted twice in the number-of-scanning-line conversion step,

the plurality of stages of delay signals in said delay step being the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step and the signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step, and

in said selection step, processing to select a signal higher in level being performed with respect to one of two adjacent lines and the signal delayed by the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion step being always selected with respect to the other line.

5. A video-signal processing method according to claim 1, wherein

in said delay step, delay processing is performed for obtaining simultaneously the plurality of line signals employed for emphasizing in said emphasis step, and

in said selection step an appropriate delay signal is selected from among the plurality of line signals.

6. A video-signal processing apparatus comprising

a number-of-scanning-line conversion means for converting the number of scanning lines of a video signal,

an emphasis means for emphasizing a high-frequency component at least in a vertical direction of the video signal converted by said number-of-scanning-line conversion means,

a delay means for obtaining signals delayed by a plurality of stages of time equal to or more than a time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means,

a selection means for selecting an appropriate delay signal from among the plurality of delay signals obtained by said delay means,

a detector means for detecting an overemphasized component by comparing the delay signal selected by said selection means with the video signal emphasized by said emphasis means, and

a suppression means for suppressing the emphasis with respect to a portion where the overemphasized-signal component is detected by said detection means.

7. A video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the plurality of stages of signals delayed by said delay means are a signal delayed by approximately a time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means and a signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means.

8. A video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the plurality of stages of delay signals by the delay means are the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in the number-of-scanning-line conversion means and the signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means, and

said selection means selects a signal higher in level from the two delay signals.

9. A video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said number-of-scanning-line conversion means is the means for converting twice the number of scanning lines of the original video signal,

the plurality stages of delay signals by said delay means are the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means and the signal further delayed by approximately one field period from the signal delayed by approximately the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means, and

said selection means selects the signal higher in level from the two delay signals with respect to one of the adjacent two lines and always selects the signal delayed by the time required for converting in said number-of-scanning-line conversion means with respect to the other line.

10. A video-signal processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

said delay means performs delay-processing to obtain simultaneously a plurality of line signals employed for emphasizing by said emphasis means, and

said selection means selects an appropriate delay signal from among the plurality of line signals.