Mixed-signal architecture for real-time two-dimensional live tv image restoration

This paper describes novel electronic architecture for a real-time image restoration of live TV signals at live TV frame rates with a latency of two frames. The spatial filtering is obtained from two electronic analog filters, one for the raster lines and one for the columns. The very fast response of analog filters makes possible truly real-time video frame rate performance. The digital part of the system serves the purpose of pipelined parallel data conversion and flow, rather than that of image processing (filtering). This architecture exhibits some very important advantages. It does not need any computational source, it is very fast, and it is quite inexpensive. In addition, such a "parallel analog computer" can be easily incorporated into any complex system with video signal data as a simple "plug-in" between the camera and monitor. An important aspect is that the system carries low digitalization noise, thus yielding good SNR characteristics. The system can perform any kind of separable spatial frequency filtering and can be electronically tuned to obtain exact performance parameters. Because of these advantages, this architecture is promising for a variety of systems such as supermarket multicamera security, military and aerospace vision systems, and medical diagnostics. (C) 2001 Academic Press.