US 6,549,576 B1 · Motion vector detecting method and apparatus

Abstract

A current image is supplied to a current image input circuit 10. Also, a reference image is inputted to a reference image input circuit 11. A search range setting circuit 12 sets a search range for detecting motion vectors to the reference image inputted from the reference image input circuit 11. A motion vector storage circuit 17 stores the motion vectors detected up to the present. A search order setting circuit 13 sets scan order of the search range set by the search range setting circuit 12 using information on the motion vectors stored in the motion vector storage circuit 17. A scan circuit 14 scans the inside of the search range of the reference image set by the search range setting circuit 12 in order set by the search order setting circuit 13. The search order setting circuit 13 sets search order using the information on the motion vectors stored in the motion vector storage circuit 17. Concretely, for example, a vector of the motion vector detection result of a block residing in the same position as the previous frame is set as a predictive vector of the motion vector of a block of an object of processing. Then, the end position of the predictive vector is set to the scan start position and scanning is spirally performed from the scan start position toward the vicinity of the outside of the search range.

Claims31

Dependent claims

A motion vector detecting apparatus comprising:

a current image input circuit for receiving a current image;
a reference image input circuit for receiving a reference image;
a search range setting circuit for setting a search range for motion vector detection within the reference image;
a motion vector storage circuit for storing a previously determined motion vector;
a search order setting circuit for setting an order for scanning the inside of the search range;
a scan circuit for scanning the inside of the search range according to the order;
and
a motion vector output circuit for obtaining a motion vector from a block of the current image and a block of positions in the reference image scanned by the scan circuit;
wherein the search order setting circuit sets the search order on the basis of the previously determined motion vector.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Motion vector detecting method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Motion vector detecting method and apparatus

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31