Patent ID: 8175161

Claim:
A parallel processing apparatus for motion estimation between two video frames in a search area of video image frames, the search area including a plurality of blocks of image pixels comprising: a matrix of a plurality of elementary processors configured in rows and columns and having a plurality of row inputs for inputting current and reference block rows, a plurality of local connections between the elementary processors for transmitting a partial match result only along matrix rows, and a plurality of row outputs for outputting a set of partial match values with one value for each pixel row of a current block of image pixels; a plurality of search area delay buffers coupled to each row of the plurality of row inputs of the matrix, respectively, for accepting pixels of the search area as input and forming a reference block row; a plurality of current block delay buffers coupled to each row of the plurality of row inputs of the matrix, respectively, for accepting pixels of the current block as input; a sum module coupled to the plurality of row outputs for computing final match values from said plurality of row outputs; and a sorting module for sequentially selecting a best match value from the final match values outputted from the sum module, and generating a corresponding motion vector, wherein the current block pixels are inputted into elementary processor registers in parallel and column by column from said current block delay buffers loaded with the current block pixels during a preceding current block processing cycle.