Method and device for generating an image data stream, method and device for reconstructing a current image from an image data stream, image data stream and storage medium carrying an image data stream

A device for generating an image data stream, said device comprises:

• means for assigning search regions having different positions in a reference image to different source macro blocks of a current image;
• means for determining in the search regions best matches and corresponding residuals and
• means for encoding the determined residuals in a data stream wherein
• the device comprises means for controlling the determining means or the encoding means such that a processing order during determination of best matches or during encoding of residuals differs from a processing order during assignment of search regions and depends on the different positions of said search regions in said reference image.

A method for reconstructing a current image from an image data stream, said method comprising:

• decoding position information and residuals from the image data stream said position information and said residuals being related to source macro blocks;
• retrieving reference macro blocks of a reference image by help of the position information and
• reconstructing source macro blocks by help of the residuals and of the reference macro blocks wherein either
• a processing order in at least one of the retrieving and reconstructing depends on positions of the reference macro blocks in the reference image.

A device for reconstructing a current image from an image data stream, said device comprising:

• means for decoding position information and residuals from the image data stream said position information and said residuals being related to source macro blocks;
• means for retrieving reference macro blocks of a reference image by help of the position information;
• means for reconstructing the source macro blocks by help of the residuals and of the reference macro blocks and
• means for controlling the retrieving means or the reconstructing means such that a processing order during retrieval or during reconstruction depends on positions of the reference macro blocks in the reference image.