Patent ID: 6687301
Filing Date: 2004-02-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of block matching motion estimation in digital video sequences, comprising the steps of:accepting at a encoder a first input signal representing a current image frame and a second input signal representing a reference image frame; and in the encoder, dividing the current image frame and the reference image frame each into plural blocks of a general rectangular shape; for each block of the current image frame, searching the reference frame for a corresponding block; calculating a motion vector representing a position difference between each of the blocks of the current frame and the corresponding blocks of the reference frame; determining a mean motion vector for one block of the reference frame; establishing a search window based on a horizontal displacement and a vertical displacement of the one block; from the motion vector calculating step, determining a mean absolute difference of the motion vector of the one block; determining a target probability of finding a minimum of the mean absolute difference searching within the search area and outside the search area, within the search window; determining whether the minimum of the mean absolute difference is within the search area or outside the search area; and locating the minimum of the mean absolute difference and outputting from the encoder a displacement estimation signal.