Motion estimation with an adaptive search range

An apparatus for estimating motion of a pixel block in a first frame, comprising:

• a computing device, the computing device including a computer processor and computer memory;
• the computing device configured to provide a plurality of operational units, the plurality of operational units including:
• an adaptive motion search unit (AMSU) coupled to search a second frame, stored in computer memory, to calculate a first motion vector associated with a first matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the first matching block including a first error value that is a minimum of at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the first matching block, the AMSU further calculating a second motion vector associated with a second matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the second matching block including a second error value that is a minimum of the at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the second matching block;
• a lattice structure detection unit (LSDU) coupled to detect, by use of the computer processor, a first lattice structure in the first frame, and to produce a lattice structure map from the detected first lattice structure, the lattice structure map including at least one pitch period value associated with at least one repeating structure in the first frame;
• a motion histogram generating unit (MHGU) coupled to generate, by use of the computer processor, a first histogram for the first frame, the first histogram being derived from the first motion vector and the lattice structure map, the first histogram including a relation between the first motion vector and the at least one pitch period value;
• and
• a motion vector selection unit (MVSU) coupled to select, by use of the computer processor, a final motion vector between the first and second motion vectors based on the first and second error value.

An apparatus for estimating motion of a pixel block in a first frame as part of a video encoding scheme, comprising:

• an adaptive motion search unit (AMSU) coupled to search a second frame to calculate a first motion vector associated with a first matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the first matching block including a first error value that is a minimum of at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the first matching block, the AMSU further calculating a second motion vector associated with a second matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the second matching block including a second error value that is a minimum of the at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the second matching block;
• a lattice structure detection unit (LSDU) coupled to detect a first lattice structure in the first frame and to produce a lattice structure map from the detected first lattice structure, the lattice structure map including at least one pitch period value associated with at least one repeating structure in the first frame;
• a motion histogram generating unit (MHGU) coupled to generate a first histogram for the first frame, the first histogram being derived from the first motion vector and the first lattice structure map, the first histogram including a relation between the first motion vector and the at least one pitch period value;
• and
• a motion vector selection unit (MVSU) coupled to select a final motion vector between the first and second motion vectors based on the first and second error value;
• and
• wherein at least one of the AMSU, LSDU, MHGU, and MVSU is an application specific integrated circuit.