Dynamic frame padding in a video hardware engine

A method comprising:

• receiving a current coding unit;
• defining a search area around the current coding unit for motion estimation, wherein the search area is defined by a first set of boundaries;
• receiving a set of reference pixels of a plurality of reference pixels corresponding to a reference frame around the current coding unit, wherein the set of reference pixels are received from an unpadded reference frame;
• and
• in response to a part area of the search area outside the reference frame, padding a set of duplicate pixels in the part area between an edge of the reference frame and one of the first set of boundaries.

A method comprising:

• receiving a current coding unit;
• determining a motion vector corresponding to the current coding unit;
• determining a motion reference coding unit based on the motion vector, wherein the motion reference coding unit comprises a second set of boundaries for a search area;
• receiving a set of reference pixels of a plurality of reference pixels corresponding to the motion reference coding unit, wherein the set of reference pixels are received from an unpadded reference frame;
• and
• padding a set of identical pixels in a part area between an edge of a reference frame and one of the second set of boundaries when the part area of the search area of the motion reference coding unit is outside the reference frame.

A computing device comprising:

• a processing unit;
• a memory module coupled to the processing unit;
• and
• a video processing unit coupled to the processing unit and the memory module, the video processing unit comprising a video hardware engine, the video hardware engine comprising a motion estimation engine, the motion estimation engine configured to:
• receive a current coding unit;
• define a search area around the current coding unit for motion estimation, wherein the search area is defined by a first set of boundaries;
• receive a set of reference pixels corresponding to a reference frame around the current coding unit, wherein the set of reference pixels are received from an unpadded reference frame;
• and
• in response to a part area of the search area outside the reference frame, pad a set of duplicate pixels in the part area between an edge of the reference frame and one of the first set of boundaries.