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Motion vector detection method and apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Pulse Or Digital Communications, Bandwidth Reduction Or Expansion, Television Or Motion Video Signal, Predictive, Motion VectorMotion vector detection method and apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070153904, Motion vector detection method and apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of and claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC .sctn.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 .sctn.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. There are a liquid crystal display unit (referred to as LCD) and an electroluminescence display (refer to as ELD) in a hold type display unit. [0006] Problems of the hold type display are indistinct phenomena occurring in an image display. The occurrence of the indistinct phenomenon causes in that the images of a plurality of frames are piled up and projected on the retina when a moving object exists in the images over a plurality of frames, and the eyes of an inspection person followed the movement of the moving object. [0007] A display image of a frame continues to be displayed until the display image is changed to that of a frame subsequent thereto. However, an operator is to observe the display image of the frame while predicting that of the frame subsequent thereto and moving the former display image in a moving direction of the moving object. In other words, the tracking motion of eyes of the operator has continuity, and the eyes allows sampling whose interval is shorter than the frame interval. The eyes are therefore casted on an image as if the image were formed between two adjacent frames. As a result, the image is observed as an indistinct image. [0008] The shortening of the frame interval is preferable in order to solve the problem. It is conceivable as a concrete technique to perform interpolation between adjacent frames by forming an interpolation image using motion compensation used in MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) 1 and MPEG2. In the motion compensation, a motion vector detected by block matching is used. [0009] MPEG 1 and MPEG2 premise basically to increase a compression ratio, and whether the motion vector reproduces real movement precisely is not matter. Because the error of a motion vector appears as the error of a prediction signal generated by the motion compensation, and the error signal between the prediction signal and the input image signal is encoded by DCT. 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. [0010] On the other hand, detection methods of high precision are thought since it is required in MPEG 4 to reproduce actual movement using the motion vector. For example, Mr. Tei et al. (Nippon Hoso Kyokai) provides a method of utilizing a data group of rhombuses formed by a plurality of frames and blocks in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication 10-304369. This technique uses a principle that a usual image performs a uniform motion (including a stationary state) with a plurality of frames, and can expect an improvement of motion vector detection precision. [0011] In a motion vector detection technique described by Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication 10-304369, a measure for inspecting whether a detected motion vector is right really is not provided. 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. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING [0014] FIG. 1 shows a diagram for explaining a motion vector detection method related to the first embodiment of the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2 is a flowchart that shows a motion vector detection procedure related to the embodiment; [0016] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an output result and effect of an image formed by the embodiment; [0017] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image from which an error motion vector is detected; [0018] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a motion vector detection apparatus related to the embodiment; [0019] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a motion vector detection method related to the second embodiment of the present invention; [0020] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a motion vector detection procedure related to the embodiment; Continue reading about Motion vector detection method and apparatus... Full patent description for Motion vector detection method and apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Motion vector detection method and apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Motion vector detection method and apparatus or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Motion vector detection method and apparatus Next Patent Application: Motion vector encoding device and decoding device Industry Class: Pulse or digital communications ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Motion vector detection method and apparatus patent info. 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