Motion vector detection method and apparatus

Abstract

A motion vector detection method includes extracting a first block from the m-th picture, extracting second blocks having a large correlation with respect to the first block from a (m+n)-th picture ((m+n)>m-th), detecting first motion vectors between the first and second blocks, extracting a third block located in spatially the same position as that of the first block from a (m+i)-th picture ((m+n)>(m+i)>m-th), computing second motion vectors of (n−1) / n times the first motion vectors, extracting a fourth block corresponding to a movement position of the third block from the (m+n)-th picture according to the second motion vector, and selecting an optimum motion vector maximizing a correlation between the third and fourth blocks from the first motion vectors.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §120 from U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 383,631, filed Mar. 10, 2003 and is based upon and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC §119 from the Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-073207, filed Mar. 15, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a motion vector detection method and apparatus. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Generally, an image display unit is classified roughly into an impulse type display that continues to emit light during afterglow time of fluorescent material after writing of image, and a hold model display that continues to display a previous frame till writing of image is performed afresh. There are a CRT display and a field emission type display (referred to as FED) in the impulse type display....

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a motion vector detection method of detecting a motion vector between a m-th frame (m is an integer) and a (m+n)-th frame (n is an integer not less than i+1 and i is an integer not less than 1), the method comprising: computing a plurality of motion vector candidates between the m-th frame and the (m+n)-th frame; scale-converting the motion vector candidates according to a ratio of a frame difference between a (m+i)-th frame and the (m+n)-th frame to a frame difference between the (m+i)-th frame and the m-th frame; forming virtually an image on the (m+i)-th frame according to each of the scale-converted motion vector candidates; and selecting, from the motion vector candidates, an optimum motion vector that maximizes a correlation between the image virtually formed and an actual image on the (m+i)-th frame.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a motion vector detection method of detecting a motion vector between a m-th frame (m is an integer) and a (m+n)-th frame (n is an integer not less than i+1 and i is an integer not less than 1), the method comprising: extracting a first block from a motion vector search area of the m-th frame; extracting a plurality of second blocks having a large correlation with respect to the first block from a motion vector search area of the (m+n)-th frame; detecting a plurality of first motion vectors between the first block and the plurality of second blocks; extracting, from a (m+i)-th frame, a third block that is located in spatially the same position as that of the first block; computing a plurality of second motion vectors that are (n−1) / n times the first motion vectors; extracting, from the (m+n)-th frame, a fourth block corresponding to a movement position of the third block according to each of the second motion vectors; and selecting, from the plurality of first motion vectors, an optimum motion vector that maximizes a correlation between the third block and the fourth block.

Problems solved by technology

Problems of the hold type display are indistinct phenomena occurring in an image display.

However, in an image display system such as a hold type display, when an interpolation image is formed by the motion compensation using the motion vector that is not a precision, the display image is deteriorated.

For this reason, when an interpolation image is formed by motion compensation using an error motion vector, the possibility that the display image has deteriorated greatly is still left.

Further, a process for a large number of frames is necessary to improve detection precision of a motion vector, resulting in increasing a processing time.

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