Patent ID: 7777751

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a plurality of memory circuits configured to store a plurality of pixels used in a motion estimation stage of a video encoder, wherein said plurality of memory circuits comprise a search memory; a plurality of address calculation circuits configured to control addressing to said plurality of memory circuits; and a logic circuit configured to (i) control which of said pixels are stored in which of said plurality of memory circuits and (ii) control accessing of said plurality of pixels, wherein (a) said logic circuit controls access to said plurality of memory circuits in response to an address signal and a directional signal received from a search controller circuit, (b) said directional signal selects a first search direction for accessing said plurality of pixels in said plurality of memory circuits to the (A) right, (B) left, (C) above, or (D) below a current pixel, (c) said directional signal selects a second search direction for accessing said plurality of pixels in said plurality of memory circuits to the (A) right, (B) left, (C) above, or (D) below said current pixel, (d) said first search direction is different from said second search direction, and (e) said second search direction is selected after completion of accessing said plurality of pixels in said first search direction.