Motion detection of an input image signal during a current period with respect to a restored image signal in a previous period

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an image processing method and apparatus, which can reduce the capacity of a feature amount memory required for motion detection as much as possible so as to attain a cost reduction of the system, and rarely causes a detection error due to noise.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image processing apparatus (method) comprises conversion means (step) for converting an input image signal having a number L.
sub.
1 of gradation levels into an image signal having a number L.
sub.
2 (<L.
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1) of gradation levels, storage means (step) for storing the image signal converted by the conversion means (step), restoration means (step) for restoring the image signal stored in the storage means (step), and detection means (step) for detecting a motion of an image on the basis of the image signal input during a current period and the image signal in a previous period, which is restored by the restoration means (step).
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent form the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.