Patent ID: 8422559

Claim:
A matching-pixel sub-sampling motion estimation method for video compression utilized in a video coding apparatus, the method comprising: utilizing the video coding apparatus to perform the following steps: dividing a first frame into a plurality of macroblocks; and performing block matching for a current macroblock pair on a candidate macroblock pair of a second frame by: sub-sampling the current macroblock pair and the candidate macroblock pair according to a sub-sampling pattern; and calculating an error measure between the current and candidate macroblock pairs; wherein the sub-sampling pattern is constructed by a plurality of repeating units, and each repeating unit is composed of a first and a second pattern unit, where a pattern of the first pattern unit is different from a pattern of the second pattern unit; wherein the size of a pattern unit is 4*4 pixels, the size of a repeating unit is 4*8 pixels, the first pattern unit is a repeating unit of a four-queen pattern, and the second pattern unit is derived from the first pattern unit.