Patent ID: 8565312

Claim:
An image information coding method for performing a motion vector search based on hierarchical search in an image compression information device adapted to output image compression information, the image information coding method comprising the steps of: compressing a plurality of frame images at a predetermined compression ratio to generate a plurality of reduced screens of lower hierarchical levels; searching for a first motion vector using the plurality of reduced screens; switching between search areas in a memory in which the frame images are stored; and searching for a second motion vector using the first motion vector in the switched search area, wherein when the search area is not an integer multiple of an access unit, whether access to the access unit is canceled is determined based on a proportion of the search area in the access unit, wherein when the proportion of the search area in the access unit is less than a particular threshold, the access to the access unit is canceled, and when the proportion of the search area in the access unit is greater than the particular threshold, the access to the access unit is not canceled.