Patent ID: 7236527

Claim:
A motion vector search apparatus that searches for inter-frame motion vectors of motion pictures, the motion vector search apparatus comprising: a target frame input component that inputs a search target frame to be coded; a reference frame input component that inputs as a reference frame a frame on which a motion vector search has been performed; a search pattern determination component that uses each of a plurality of specific blocks set within the search target frame and each corresponding one of reference blocks set within the reference frame to perform a block matching for each of the specific blocks within a predetermined range of the reference frame and determine a search pattern for a motion vector for the entire frame according to block matching results for the plurality of specific blocks; and a motion vector search component that uses the search pattern determined by the search pattern determination component to execute a block matching in predetermined units of blocks on the inputted search target frame to be coded and generate motion vectors, wherein the search pattern determination component comprises: a difference calculation component that calculates difference information of a difference between each of the specific blocks and each of the corresponding reference blocks; a component that determines a reference block that matches each of the specific blocks according to the difference information obtained by the difference calculation component, and outputs motion vectors of the specific blocks, respectively; a general motion vector calculation component that calculates a general motion vector of the entire frame from the motion vectors of the plurality of specific blocks; and a pattern determination component that determines a search pattern according to the general motion vector, and wherein the general motion vector calculation component comprises: a deviation calculation component that calculates a deviation among the motion vectors of the plurality of specific blocks; an average calculation component that calculates an average of the motion vectors of the plurality of specific blocks; and a general calculation component that calculates a general motion vector of the entire frame from the deviation and the average of the motion vectors of the plurality of specific blocks calculated.