Patent ID: 7349027

Claim:
A scan converter for converting progressive scan video data into interlaced scan video data comprising: a first FIFO memory; a second FIFO memory; a frame memory having a write period and a read period; a video data input means configured to take video data given from an image pickup means in a progressive scan mode and to write the video data at a first transfer rate into said first FIFO memory; a write/read timing control means configured to set said frame memory alternately in the write period and the read period; a data writing means configured to transfer the video data from said first FIFO memory to said frame memory at a second transfer rate within said write period; a data reading means configured to transfer the video data from said frame memory to said second FIFO memory in an interlaced scan mode at the second transfer rate within the read period, a video data output means configured to output the video data from said second FIFO memory at a third transfer rate; wherein the second transfer rate is set to be at least twice as fast as the first transfer rate or the third transfer rate, whichever is faster, said first FIFO memory having a data storage capacity greater than an amount of said video data to be written into said frame memory in each write period; said second FIFO memory having a data storage capacity greater than an amount of said video data to be read out from said frame memory in each said read period.