Patent ID: 6332001
Filing Date: 2001-12-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of coding a moving image according to a motion-compensated interframe coding process, said method comprising:calculating feature parameters which characterize an input block of plural pixels in a frame to be coded and a block of plural pixels from another frame, wherein said feature parameter of the input block is based only on pixel values of the plural pixels in the input block and said feature parameter of the block from said another frame is based only on pixel values of the plural pixels in the block from said another frame;comparing said feature parameters with each other to seek a block similar to the input block from said another frame without conducting a pixel-by-pixel comparison of all of the pixels in the input block and the block;calculating an error between the pixel values of the plural pixels of the input block and the block similar to the input block which has been sought; andcoding a motion vector between the input block and the block similar to the input block whose calculated error is smallest in a search range.