Patent ID: 7852939
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A motion vector detection method for detecting a motion vector by comparing a detection object image which is one image in a moving picture and is a detection object of the motion vector and a reference image as an image at a time different from the detection object image in the moving picture, the method comprising: using a computer to divide the detection object image into plural blocks and to process each divided block, wherein the processing of each block includes, obtaining a wide range search evaluation value by searching for a motion vector for the currently processed block at intervals of “n” pixels in a wide search range having “a” pixels and having a wide range search center point which is at a position in the reference image corresponding to a position of the currently processed block in the detection object image; predicting a predicted motion vector for the currently processed block from past motion vectors for peripheral blocks of the currently processed block, and obtaining a narrow range search evaluation value by searching for the motion vector for the currently processed block at intervals of “m” pixels (n>m>=1) in a narrow search range having “b” pixels (a>b>1) and having a narrow range search center point which is at a position of the predicted motion vector; comparing the wide range search evaluation value and the narrow range search evaluation value, and determining, from a result of the comparison, a position corresponding to a high search evaluation value to be a re-search center point of the motion vector for the currently processed block; and detecting the motion vector for the currently processed block by re-searching in a re-search range having “c” pixels (a>c>=b) and a center at the re-search center point, wherein “n”, “a”, “m”, “b” and “c” are positive integers.