Patent ID: 8009923

Claim:
A method for performing motion estimation for a frame associated with a video signal, the method comprising: receiving at least a reference frame, a first frame, and a second frame; providing a first plurality of vectors, the first plurality of vectors intersecting the first frame within a first block and intersecting the reference frame within a first plurality of blocks respectively; determining a second plurality of vectors based on at least information associated with the first plurality of vectors, the second plurality of vectors intersecting the second frame within a second block and intersecting the reference frame at a plurality of locations; processing information associated with the plurality of locations; determining a plurality of search areas corresponding to the plurality of locations in the second frame, each of the plurality of locations being located within at least one of the plurality of search areas; processing information associated with the second block and the plurality of search areas; determining a second plurality of blocks within the plurality of search areas respectively based on at least information associated with the second block and the plurality of search areas, each of the second plurality of blocks being located within at least one of the plurality of search areas; processing information associated with the second plurality of blocks; selecting a third block from at least the second plurality of blocks based on at least information associated with the second plurality of blocks; and determining a motion vector based on at least information associated with the third block and the second block.