Motion vector searching method using plural search areas

A motion vector searching method using plural search areas comprising:

• lowering resolutions of a present frame to be searched and at least one previous frame by plural stages;
• determining a predetermined number of candidate points in the present frame and the previous frame having the resolution of a certain stage by a search;
• judging whether overlapping degrees among the search areas centering around the determined candidate points satisfy a merging condition;
• if the overlapping degrees satisfy the merging condition in said judging step, merging the corresponding search areas;
• and
• estimating a motion vector using merged search areas.

A motion vector searching method, comprising:

• lowering resolutions of a present frame to be searched and at least one previous frame by plural stages;
• determining a predetermined number of candidate points in the present frame and the previous frame having the resolution of a certain stage by a search;
• judging whether overlapping degrees among the search areas centering around at least one of the determined candidate points and the number of search points satisfy a merging condition;
• if said at least one of the overlapping degrees and the number of search points satisfy the merging condition in said judging step, merging the corresponding search areas;
• and
• estimating a motion vector using merged search areas.

A method for generating a motion vector between image frames using a motion vector estimator, comprising:

• acquiring a present image frame and a previous image frame having a first resolution;
• generating a lower-resolution image from the present frame and a lower-resolution image from the previous frame;
• identifying a predetermined number of search candidate points in the lower-resolution image of the present frame and the lower-resolution image of the previous frame;
• searching areas surrounding respective ones of the search candidate points in the present frame and the previous frame having said first resolution, said searching step including locating respective ones of said areas which overlap;
• merging said overlapping areas if a predetermined merge condition is satisfied;
• and
• estimating a motion vector based on said merged areas.

An image processing system, comprising:

• means for acquiring a present image frame and a previous image frame having a first resolution;
• means for generating a lower-resolution image from the present frame and a lower-resolution image from the previous frame;
• means for identifying a predetermined number of search candidate points in the lower-resolution image of the present frame and the lower-resolution image of the previous frame;
• means for searching areas surrounding respective ones of the search candidate points in the present frame and the previous frame having said first resolution, said searching step including locating respective ones of said areas which overlap;
• means for merging said overlapping areas if a predetermined merge condition is satisfied;
• and
• an estimation unit which estimates a motion vector based on said merged areas.