Patent ID: 6363117
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A process for video compression using fast block motion estimation, the process comprising:searching for a first minimum block distortion measure (BDM) point in a first search window using a first sampling grid of a second search window, wherein the second search window comprises a subset of search locations contained in the first search window; searching for a second minimum BDM point in the first search window using a second sampling grid of a third search window, if the first minimum BDM point is located in a center of the second search window, wherein the third search window comprises a subset of the search locations contained in the first search window, and the third search window is centered according to a location of the first minimum BDM point; searching for a third minimum BDM point in the first search window using a third sampling grid of a fourth search window, if the first minimum BDM point is not located in the center of the second search window, wherein the fourth search window comprises a subset of the search locations contained in the first search window, and wherein the fourth search window is centered according to the location of the first minimum BDM point; searching for a fourth minimum BDM point in the first search window using a fourth sampling grid of a fifth search window, if each previously located minimum BDM point of the first search window is located outside of the second search window, wherein the fifth search window comprises a subset of search locations contained in the first search window, and the fifth search window is centered according to the location of the third minimum BDM point; and searching for a fifth minimum BDM point in the first search window using a fifth sampling grid of a sixth search window, wherein the sixth search window comprises a subset of search locations contained in the first search window, and the sixth search window is centered according to an overall minimum BDM point.