Patent ID: 7336848

Claim:
A method for improving the sharpness of pictures contained in a video signal, comprising the steps of: (a) processing said pictures on the basis of a step/edge enhancement algorithm to obtain step/edge enhanced pictures, (b) processing said pictures on the basis of a texture enhancement algorithm to obtain texture enhanced pictures, (c) mixing said step/edge enhanced pictures with said texture enhanced pictures to obtain a video signal containing sharpness improved pictures, wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed in dependence of motion information being related to said pictures, wherein said step/edge enhancement algorithm enhances each picture in two different ways, wherein in a first way, only information of the picture currently processed is used to enhance said picture, thereby obtaining first step/edge enhanced pictures, and in a second way, information of the picture currently processed as well as information of pictures previously or succeedingly processed is used to enhance said picture, thereby obtaining second step/edge enhanced pictures, wherein each of said first step/edge enhanced pictures is mixed with its corresponding picture of said second step/edge enhanced pictures according to said motion information, thereby obtaining said step/edge enhanced pictures.