Patent ID: 9113170
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A motion vector decision apparatus used in a moving image encoding apparatus for performing inter-prediction encoding of an encoding target image using a reference image and a motion vector, comprising: a vector setting unit adapted to sequentially select and set one of a plurality of candidate vectors serving as candidates of the motion vector; a difference calculation unit adapted to calculate a difference in pixel value between a block image included in the encoding target image, and a block image included in the reference image and corresponding to the candidate vector set by said vector setting unit; an order storage unit adapted to store, out of the differences calculated for all of the plurality of candidate vectors, a predetermined number of differences in ascending order; a vector storage unit adapted to store the predetermined number of candidate vectors corresponding to the differences stored in said order storage unit; a determination unit adapted to determine whether the block image of the encoding target image includes a repetitive pattern, based on distances between, out of the predetermined number of candidate vectors stored in said vector storage unit, a candidate vector corresponding to a minimum difference stored in said order storage unit and remaining candidate vectors; a vector code amount calculation unit adapted to calculate a vector code amount of each of the plurality of candidate vectors; and a motion vector decision unit adapted to calculate a cost for each of the plurality of candidate vectors by adding a corresponding difference to a result of multiplication of the vector code amount and a weight coefficient, and deciding a candidate vector with a minimum cost as a motion vector for the block image included in the encoding target image, wherein said motion vector decision unit decides the motion vector based on the cost calculated using a first weight coefficient as the weight coefficient when said determination unit determines that the block image includes no repetitive pattern, and decides the motion vector based on the cost calculated using a second weight coefficient larger than the first weight coefficient as the weight coefficient when said determination unit determines that the block image includes the repetitive pattern.