Motion vector detecting device

A motion vector detecting device comprising:

• image data input circuitry for receiving template block pixel data and search area pixel data, and sub-sampling both of the template block pixel data and the search area pixel data at a sub-sampling rate, said image data input circuitry allowing the sampling rate of the template block pixel data and the search area pixel data to be changed;
• operation circuitry for receiving subsampled template block pixel data and subsampled search area pixel data from said image data input circuitry, and calculating an estimation value representing a candidate of a motion vector according to a block matching method with respect to the template block;
• and
• motion vector determining circuitry for receiving the estimation value from said operation circuitry, and determining the motion vector with respect to said template block in accordance with the received estimation value,
• said operation circuitry including;
• a shift register circuit including shift registers for transferring pixel data in one direction, said shift registers successively transferring and storing the search area pixel data applied from said image data input circuitry,
• a plurality of element processors provided corresponding to the shift registers of said shift register circuit, each of said plurality of element processors including a data register for storing the template block pixel data applied from said image data input circuitry, and a calculating circuit receiving pixel data stored in said data register and storage data in a corresponding shift register, for performing a predetermined operation on received data to produce and output a component of said estimation value, said plurality of element processors storing data of different pixels of said template block, and
• a path setting circuit for changing a data transfer path of said shift register circuit in accordance with information on the sub-sampling rate.