Patent ID: 8139640

Claim:
A video image system having a decoder for video image decompression, the system comprising: a data storage system; a processor in the decoder that is configured to interact with the data storage system to execute instructions to: access a sequence of predicted and bi-directionally predicted frames each comprising pixel values arranged in picture areas, wherein at least one of the picture areas in at least one of the bi-directionally predicted frames is predicted from picture areas in one or more reference frames using direct mode prediction; and determine a predicted motion vector with a frame-distance method, wherein the frame-distance method comprises: given a predicted picture area in a first reference frame, a bi-directionally predicted frame of the predicted picture area, and at least one motion vector between the predicted picture area in the first reference frame and a co-locating picture area in a second reference frame, determining a predicted motion vector that is linearly proportional to the at least one motion vector and a distance between the bi-directionally predicted frame of the predicted picture area and at least one of the first or second reference frames, wherein the video image system is configured to utilize direct mode prediction, and wherein both the first and second reference frames are in a display order that is prior to a display order of the bi-directionally predicted frame of the predicted picture area.