Method and apparatus for motion vector estimation

• US 20040071215A1
• Filed: 04/20/2001
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dynamic Data Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Bellers, Erwin B.
• Granted Patent: US 6,782,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation

Abstract

A method to enhance motion estimation is provided. The method includes providing a motion estimator, obtaining at least two candidate motion vectors from the motion estimator and applying an error function having a penalty that depends on the position and size of the candidate motion vectors. A device for recursive motion vector estimation having enhanced convergence is also provided. The device includes a vector generator and a best vector selector. The best vector selector comprises means to evaluate candidate motion vectors by applying an error function having at least a penalty that depends on the position and size of the candidate motion vectors.

Claims

1. A method to enhance motion estimation, said method comprising:

providing a motion estimator;

obtaining at least two candidate motion vectors from said motion estimator; and

applying an error function having a penalty that depends on the position and size of said candidate motion vectors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate motion vectors are associated with a region representation of a video image.

3. A device for recursive motion vector estimation having enhanced convergence which comprises:

a vector generator for generating a plurality of candidate motion vectors associated with selected regions in at least a first and a second video image;

a best vector selector for comparing said candidate motion vectors of selected regions in a first and a second video image, said best vector selector comprising means for evaluating said candidate motion vectors by applying an error function having at least a penalty that depends on the position and size of said candidate motion vectors.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the error function is calculated by a function of the sum-of-the-absolute differences or the mean-squared error.