Motion estimation method and apparatus for calculating a motion vector

A motion estimation apparatus for calculating a motion vector to estimate a current picture partially forming a moving picture on the basis of a reference picture partially forming said moving picture, said current picture being partially formed by a current block containing N.times.M pel values which are arranged in the form of a matrix with N rows by M columns, said reference picture being partially formed by a search window containing H.times.L pel values which are arranged in the form of a matrix with H rows by L columns, said search window having a plurality of candidate blocks each equal in size to said current block, and said motion vector being indicative of a displacement between said current block and one of said candidate blocks most similar to said current block, said N and M being integers, respectively, and said H and L being integers greater than said N and M, respectively, comprising:

• a plurality of processor elements for receiving and holding the pel values of said search window and for receiving the pel values of said current block to calculate distortion values each indicative of a difference between said current block and each of said candidate blocks;
• a plurality of intermediate registers for receiving and holding the pel values of said search window, the sum of the number of said processor elements and the number of said intermediate registers being (H-N+1).times.(L-M+1), said processor elements and said intermediate registers respectively forming (H-N+1).times.(L-M+1) matrix elements arranged in the form of a matrix array with (H-N+1) rows by (L-M+1) columns;
• (L-M+1) side register units for receiving and holding the pel values of said search window, said (L-M+1) side register units being related to at least one of each of the (L-M+1) matrix elements of the 1st row and each of the (L-M+1) matrix elements of the (H-N+1)th row, the side register unit related to the matrix element of the .parallel.th column of said matrix array being assumed to be a side register unit of the .parallel.th column, said .parallel. being an integer defined by 1.ltoreq..parallel..ltoreq.(L-M+1);
• an input register unit for receiving and holding the pel values of said search window, said input register unit being electrically connected to the side register unit of the (L-M+1)th column and the matrix elements of the (L-M+1)th column;
• search window supplying means for supplying the pel values of said search window into said input register unit;
• current block supplying means for supplying the pel values of said current block into said processor elements;
• transmission control means for repeatedly transmitting H pel values of said search window from said input register unit to the processor elements and side register unit of the (L-M+1)th column until all of the pel values of said search window are received by the matrix elements and the side register unit of the (L-M+1)th column;
• first shift control means for parallel shifting the pel values from the matrix elements of the .parallel.th column to the matrix elements of the (.parallel.-1)th column of said matrix array and from the side register unit of the .parallel.th column to the side register unit of the (.parallel.-1)th column in simultaneous relationship to each of the repetitions by said transmission control means;
• second shift control means for parallel shifting, (N-1) times in each of said intervals, the pel values from the side register units of the odd columns to the matrix elements occupying intersections of the odd columns and the 1st row of said matrix array, from the matrix elements occupying intersections of the odd columns and the hth row of said matrix array to the matrix elements occupying intersections of the odd columns and the (h+1)th row of said matrix array, and from the matrix elements occupying intersections of the odd columns and the (H-N+1)th row of said matrix array to the side register units of the odd columns, said h being an integer defined by 1.ltoreq.h<(H-N+1), said second shift control means being operated on assumption that the columns of said matrix array including at least one processor element and au of the rows of said matrix array are counted as columns and rows of said matrix array;
• third shift control means for parallel shifting, (N-1) times in each of said intervals, the pel values from the side register units of the even columns to the matrix elements occupying intersections of the even columns and the (H-N+1)th row of said matrix array, from the matrix elements occupying intersections of the even columns and the (h+1)th row of said matrix array to the matrix elements occupying intersections of the even columns and the hth row of said matrix array, and from the matrix elements occupying intersections of the even columns and the 1st row of said matrix array to the side register units of the even columns, said third shift control means being operated on assumption that the columns of said matrix array including at least one processor element and all of the rows of said matrix array are counted as columns and rows of said matrix array;
• odd column input control means for instructing said current block supplying means to input the pel values of said current block into the processor elements of the odd columns of said matrix array in first predetermined order simultaneously when the pel values of each of said candidate blocks are received by each of said processor elements;
• even column input control means for instructing said current block supplying means to input the pel values of said current block into the processor elements of the even columns of said matrix array in second predetermined order different from said first predetermined order simultaneously when the pel values of said candidate blocks are received by each of said processor elements;
• and
• calculation control means for instructing said processor elements to calculate each of said distortion values on the basis of the received pel values of each of said candidate blocks and the received pel values of said current block.