Patent ID: 7113543

Claim:
A method of video motion estimation, comprising: (a) predicting a motion mode for a first block; (b) estimating motion of said first block using said motion mode predicted in foregoing step (a); (c) when a prediction error of said estimating motion of step (b) is less than a first threshold, using said motion mode predicted in step (a) as the motion mode of said first block and using the results of said step (b) for said first block; and (d) when said prediction error of said estimating motion of step (b) is not less than said first threshold of step (c), then (i) estimating motion of said first block using a second motion mode, said second motion mode differing from said motion mode predicted in step (a), and (ii) when a prediction error of said estimating motion of substep (i) is less than said prediction error of step (b), using said second motion mode as the motion mode for said first block and using the results of said step (i) for said first block; (iii) when said prediction error of said estimating motion of substep (i) is not less than said prediction error of step (b), using said motion mode predicted in step (a) as the motion mode of said first block and using the results of said step (b) for said first block.