IMAGE MOTION VECTOR DETECTING APPARATUS

An image motion vector detecting apparatus includes a low-pass filter having a non-zero impulse response for at least one of a delay of a predetermined interval LX in the horizontal direction and a delay of a predetermined interval LY in the vertical direction of input image signals, a memory for storing image signals corresponding to a plurality of representative points arranged at a predetermined horizontal direction interval LX and at a predetermined vertical direction interval LY within a motion vector detection area for input image signals of a given frame, a subtracter for obtaining differences between the stored image signals corresponding to each of the plurality of representative points and input image signals of frames subsequent to the given frame which input image signals correspond to points neighboring each of the plurality of representative point within the motion vector detection area, an adder which adds up the differences thus obtained, a unit for obtaining correlation values for shafts within the motion vector detection area, and a unit for determining a point providing a minimum value among the correlation values, estimating continuous correlation values by making linear interpolation using a correlation value between the minimum value point and four neighboring points in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of the minimum value point, and detecting a motion vector by calculating a shift quantity which provides a minimum value among the estimated continuous correlation values.