Moving picture processor, method for processing a moving picture, and computer program product for executing an application for a moving picture processor

• US 20060198444A1
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Wada, Takahisa
• Granted Patent: US 7,885,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/513 Processing of motion vectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/56 Motion estimation with initialisation of the vector search, e.g. estimating a good candidate to initiate a search
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

A moving picture processor includes a first detector configured to detect a reference block most similar to a target block for which motion is to be detected and which is set in a current picture, and to generate a first motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the target block and the reference block. A second detector is configured to detect a first reference area most similar to a first target area obtained by combining the target block and a first adjacent block adjacent to the target block, and to generate a second motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the first target area and the first reference area. A determination circuit is configured to determine a motion vector for the target block, based on the first and second motion vector candidates.

Claims

1. A moving picture processor comprising:

a first detector configured to detect a reference block most similar to a target block for which motion is to be detected and which is set in a current picture, and to generate a first motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the target block and the reference block, the reference block is set in a reference picture different from the current picture in terms of time;

a second detector configured to detect a first reference area most similar to a first target area obtained by combining the target block and a first adjacent block adjacent to the target block, and to generate a second motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the first target area and the first reference area, the first reference area is set in the reference picture; and

a determination circuit configured to determine a motion vector for the target block, based on the first and second motion vector candidates.

2. The moving picture processor of claim 1, further comprising:

a third detector configured to detect a second reference area most similar to a second target area obtained by combining the target block, the first adjacent block, and a second adjacent block adjacent to the target block, and to generate a third motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the second target area and the second reference area, the second reference area is set in the reference picture; and

a motion vector memory configured to store the motion vector determined by the determination circuit,

wherein the determination circuit compares the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other, and determines the motion vector for the target block, in accordance with a comparison result.

3. The moving picture processor of claim 2, wherein the determination circuit compares the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other, and selects identical motion vectors as a motion vector for the target block.

4. The moving picture processor of claim 2, wherein the stored motion vector, the first motion vector candidate, the second motion vector candidate, and the third motion vector candidate are weighted heavily in this order.

5. The moving picture processor of claim 4, wherein the determination circuit calculates a weighted mean of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector when none of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector is identical.

6. The moving picture processor of claim 4, wherein the determination circuit selects a motion vector weighted most heavily when none of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector is identical.

7. The moving picture processor of claim 2, wherein the first detector comprises:

a target block memory configured to store data of the target block;

a reference block memory configured to store data of the reference block;

a first operator configured to execute an matching operation between the target block and the reference block, and to generate a first motion vector and a first error value of the matching operation;

a first motion vector register configured to store the first motion vector;

a first minimum register configured to store the first error value; and

a first minimum determination circuit configured to read the first motion vector out of the first motion vector register as the first motion vector candidate when the first error value becomes minimum.

8. The moving picture processor of claim 7, wherein the second detector comprises:

a first adjacent block memory configured to store data of the first adjacent block;

a first adjacent reference block memory configured to store data of the first adjacent reference block;

a second operator configured to execute a matching operation between the first adjacent block and the first adjacent reference block, and to generate a second motion vector and a second error value of the matching operation;

a second motion vector register configured to store the second motion vector;

a first adder configured to add the first error value to the second error value, and to obtain a first sum;

a second minimum register configured to store the first sum; and

a second minimum determination circuit configured to read the second motion vector out of the second motion vector register as the second motion vector candidate when the first sum becomes minimum.

9. The moving picture processor of claim 8, wherein the third detector comprises:

a second adjacent block memory configured to store data of the second adjacent block;

a second adjacent reference block memory configured to store data of the second adjacent reference block;

a third operator configured to execute a matching operation between the second adjacent block and the second adjacent reference block, and to generate third motion vector and third error value of the matching operation;

a third motion vector register configured to store the third motion vector;

a second adder configured to add the third error value to the first sum, and to obtain second sum;

a third minimum register configured to store the second sum; and

a third minimum determination circuit configured to read the third motion vector out of the third motion vector register as the third motion vector candidate when the second sum becomes minimum.

10. The moving picture processor of claim 2, wherein the first and second adjacent block are adjacent in horizontal direction of the target block.

11. The moving picture processor of claim 10, wherein the determination circuit determines the motion vector of the target block by further utilizing a fourth motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between a third target area and a third reference area most similar to the third target area, the third target area is obtained by combining the target block, the first adjacent block, the second adjacent block, and a third adjacent block vertically adjacent to the target block.

12. The moving picture processor of claim 2, further comprising a picture recognizer configured to recognize a figure of the current picture, and to weight the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector, in accordance with the figure.

13. A method for processing a moving picture comprising:

detecting a reference block most similar to a target block for which motion is to be detected and which is set in a current picture, the reference block is set in a reference picture different from the current picture in terms of time;

generating a first motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the target block and the reference block;

detecting a first reference area most similar to a first target area obtained by combining the target block and a first adjacent block adjacent to the target block, the first reference area is set in the reference picture;

generating a second motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the first target area and the first reference area; and

determining a motion vector for the target block, based on the first and second motion vector candidates.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting a second reference area most similar to a second target area obtained by combining the target block, the first adjacent block, and a second adjacent block adjacent to the target block, the second reference area is set in the reference picture;

generating a third motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the second target area and the second reference area; and

storing the determined motion vector,

wherein the determination of the motion vector includes comparing the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other, and determining the motion vector for the target block, in accordance with a comparison result.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the motion vector comprises:

comparing the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other; and

selecting identical motion vectors as a motion vector for the target block.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining the motion vector comprises calculating a weighted mean of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector when none of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector is identical.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions configured to detect a second reference area most similar to a second target area obtained by combining the target block, the first adjacent block, and a second adjacent block adjacent to the target block, the second reference area is set in the reference picture;

instructions configured to generate a third motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the second target area and the second reference area; and

instructions configured to store the determined motion vector,

wherein the instructions configured to determine the motion vector includes,

instructions configured to comparing the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other; and

instructions configured to determine the motion vector for the target block, in accordance with a comparison result.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions configured to determine the motion vector comprises:

instructions configured to compare the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector with each other; and

instructions configured to select identical motion vectors as a motion vector for the target block.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the instructions configured to determine the motion vector comprises instructions configured to calculate a weighted mean of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector when none of the first to third motion vector candidates and the stored motion vector is identical.

17. A computer program product for executing an application for a moving picture processor, the computer program product comprising:

instructions configured to detect a reference block most similar to a target block for which motion is to be detected and which is set in a current picture, the reference block is set in a reference picture different from the current picture in terms of time;

instructions configured to generate a first motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the target block and the reference block;

instructions configured to detect a first reference area most similar to a first target area obtained by combining the target block and a first adjacent block adjacent to the target block, the first reference area is set in the reference picture;

instructions configured to generate a second motion vector candidate indicating a relative position between the first target area and the first reference area; and

instructions configured to determine a motion vector for the target block, based on the first and second motion vector candidates.