Patent ID: 8649436

Claim:
A method for prediction mode selection for video compression among a plurality of prediction modes, comprising the steps of: calculating prediction information for each of the prediction modes, wherein the calculating step further comprises: calculating, by using a 16*16 partition mode, a first motion vector, a first reference picture index, and a first prediction direction; and calculating, by using a skip mode, a second motion vector, a second reference picture index, and a second prediction direction; comparing the calculated prediction information of the 16*16 partition mode to the calculated prediction information of the skip mode; retaining certain ones of the prediction modes as a function of said compared prediction information, wherein the retaining step further comprises: removing the skip mode if said first motion vector not equals said second motion vector, said first reference picture index not equals said second reference picture index, or said first prediction direction not equals said second prediction direction; and retaining the skip mode if said first motion vector equals said second motion vector, said first reference picture index equals said second reference picture index, and said first prediction direction equals said second prediction direction; and selecting a prediction mode from the retained prediction modes.