Device and method for searching for a motion vector

Abstract

In a motion vector searching device which includes a motion vector searching portion (101-110) supplied with an input picture signal representative of a succession of pictures for dividing each of the pictures of the input picture signal into blocks and for searching for a motion vector as a searched motion vector for each of the blocks of each of the pictures in a search area of the input picture signal for each of the blocks of each of the pictures, a learning portion (113, 313) learns tendencies of the searched motion vectors for previous pictures previous to a current picture of the pictures of the input picture signal to produce tendency information representative of the tendencies. A determining portion (114) determines the search area for each of the blocks of the current picture on the basis of the tendency information to cause the motion vector searching portion to search for the motion vector as the searched motion vector for each of the blocks of the current picture in the search area for each of the blocks of the current picture.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.