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

This paper describes novel electronic architecture for a real-time image re storation of live TV signals at live TV frame rates with a latency of two f rames. 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 performan ce. 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 ne ed any computational source, it is very fast, and it is quite inexpensive. In addition, such a "parallel analog computer" can be easily incorporated i nto 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 c an perform any kind of separable spatial frequency filtering and can be ele ctronically 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, a nd medical diagnostics. (C) 2001 Academic Press.