One-dimensional segmentation for coherent motion estimation

A program storage device readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform the method steps for segmenting images for estimating motion, the method executed by a computer comprising the steps of:

• scanning block rows of an image to determine whether image blocks that are adjacent within a row are similar, and grouping similar image blocks into a row segment, wherein an image block is a group of one or more connected pixels and has an associated motion vector and an associated smoothness value, wherein if a block in a row is not similar to a preceding adjacent block, said block is used to initialize a new row segment;
• calculating data for each row segment in an image, and using this data to determine whether a motion vector field for a row segment is consistent, whether discontinuities exist in a row segment that can be corrected, or whether discontinuities exist in a row segment that cannot be corrected;
• and
• correcting those row segment discontinuities that can be fixed, wherein correcting said row discontinuities removes artifacts from a set of motion vectors associated with said row segment.