Patent ID: 8576911

Claim:
A method of motion estimation, the method comprising: receiving a first plurality of macroblocks in a reference frame at one time, wherein the first plurality of macroblocks are to be used for motion estimation related to a current frame; and performing the motion estimation for a second plurality of macroblocks in the current frame by using the received first plurality of macroblocks in the reference frame, wherein any additional portion of the reference frame is received only after a time when the first plurality of macroblocks in the reference frame are used for movement estimation for the second plurality of macroblocks, wherein the performing of the motion estimation comprises: calculating a first similarity between a first macroblock in the current frame and the received first plurality of macroblocks in the reference frame, and searching for a second macroblock having a first highest similarity to the first macroblock, in the first plurality of macroblocks; comparing a second similarity between the second macroblock and the first macroblock with a third similarity between a third macroblock having a second highest similarity in a previously received reference frame and the first macroblock; and selectively updating information related to a fourth similarity of a macroblock in the reference frame having a third highest similarity to the first macroblock, to information related to the second similarity of the second macroblock based on a result of the comparing, wherein the information related to the fourth similarity of the macroblock having a third highest similarity is information on the third macroblock.