Patent ID: 6904173

Claim:
A method for processing a bitstream of coded data of video sequences of progressive or interlaced pictures, the method comprising: estimating motion vectors of groups of pixels belonging to a top half-frame of a current picture in relation to pixels belonging to a bottom half-frame of a preceding pictures; estimating motion vectors of groups of pixels of a bottom half-frame of the current picture in relation to pixels belonging to the top half-frame of the current picture; calculating for the top half-frame and the bottom half-frame of the current picture a respective top motion coefficient and a bottom motion coefficient based upon the estimation of the motion vectors of the top half-frame and the bottom half-frame; performing a preliminary test using the calculated values of the top and bottom motion coefficients comprising summing the motion coefficients belonging to the top half-frame of the current picture for producing a top sum coefficient, summing the motion coefficients belonging to the bottom half-frame of the current picture producing a bottom sum coefficient, and defining the current picture as a progressive picture if the top sum coefficient and the bottom sum coefficient are lower than respective pre-established first and second positive numbers, otherwise proceeding with recognizing the current picture as an interlaced picture by the substantial equality of the distributions of values of the motion coefficients or as a progressive picture by the substantial inequality of the distributions of values of the motion coefficients; and recognizing the current picture as the interlaced picture by a substantial equality of a distribution of values of the motion coefficients, or as the progressive picture by a substantial inequality of the distributions of values of the motion coefficients.