Patent ID: 8036269

Claim:
A method for reducing the number of times an external memory must be accessed when processing moving pictures according to a motion prediction technique, in which data is loaded from a frame buffer of an external memory, the method comprising: loading, from the frame buffer, a quantity of pixels of a macroblock of a relevant block size and extra pixel data necessary for performing an inter prediction of said relevant block when performing the inter prediction of said macroblock; storing the pixels of the relevant block size and the extra pixel data in an internal cache memory, and using the stored pixels of the relevant block size and the stored extra pixel data to perform a first inter prediction; and reusing the stored pixels of the relevant block size and the stored extra pixel data which was stored in the internal cache memory during the inter prediction of the relevant block size and sub-blocks of said relevant block following a division of said macroblock for at least one subsequent inter prediction of the sub-blocks.