System and method for data compression

A system for compressing video data comprising:

• means for generating in a graphics pipeline, from video graphics data modeling objects, vertex data corresponding to said objects;
• means for rendering said video graphics data to produce a current frame of pixel data and a reference frame of pixel data;
• based upon said vertex data, means for defining a search area within said reference frame for calculating a motion vector for a block of pixel data within said current frame.

A system for compressing video data comprising:

• a first processor adapted to generate in a graphics pipeline, from video graphics data modeling objects, vertex data corresponding to said objects and to render said video graphics data to produce a current frame of pixel data and a reference frame of pixel data;
• a second processor adapted to define, based upon said vertex data, a search area within said reference frame for calculating a motion vector for a block of pixel data within said current frame.

A system for compressing video data comprising:

• a processor adapted to receive from a graphics pipeline a current frame of pixel data, a reference frame of pixel data and vertex data corresponding to objects being rendered by said graphics pipeline, said processor being further adapted to define, based upon said vertex data, a search area within said reference frame, to calculate a motion vector for a block of pixel data within said current frame and to compress said current frame based upon said motion vector.