Patent ID: 7023916

Claim:
A method for motion estimation in a digitized image having pixels, comprising: grouping pixels in picture blocks, in which the pixels are grouped to form at least one first picture area and one second picture area; wherein first motion estimation is carried out in a first search area for at least one first picture block in the first picture area to determine a first motion vector whereby movement of the first picture block is described in comparison to the first picture block in a preceding picture and/or in comparison to the first picture block in a subsequent picture; wherein second motion estimation is carried out in a second search area for at least one second picture block in the second search area to determine a second motion vector whereby movement of the second picture block is described in comparison to the second picture block in a preceding picture and/or in comparison to the second picture block in a subsequent picture; wherein the first search area and the second search area are of different sizes; and wherein the size of the first search area and/or of the second search area is varied as a function of a predetermined picture quality measured by quantization parameter that indicates quantization steps used to code the preceding picture such that if the quantization parameter of the first picture block is smaller than the quantization parameter of the second picture block, then the size of the first search area is larger than the size of the second search area, whereas if the quantization parameter of the first picture block is larger than the quantization parameter of the second picture block, then the size of the first search area is smaller than the size of the second search area, such that a higher quantization parameter indicates a lower picture quality.