Motion refinement engine with selectable partitionings for use in video encoding and methods for use therewith

A motion compensation module for use in a video encoder for encoding a video input signal that includes a sequence of images that are segmented into a plurality of macroblocks, the motion compensation module comprising:

• at least one processing device that includes:
• a motion search module, that generates a temporal motion search motion vector for a plurality of subblocks for a plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks and generates a selected group of the plurality of partitionings based on a group selection signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes of selection for the selected group of partitionings, and wherein the selected group of the plurality of partitionings are selected as a subset of the plurality of partitionings to be refined via temporal motion refinement, the selected group of the plurality of partitionings being less than the plurality of partitionings;
• and
• a motion refinement module, coupled to the motion search module, that responds to the selected group of the plurality of partitionings to generate a refined temporal motion vector for the plurality of subblocks for the selected group of the plurality of partitionings of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the temporal motion search motion vector for each of the plurality of subblocks of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks.

A method for use in a video encoder for encoding a video input signal that includes a sequence of images that are segmented into a plurality of macroblocks, the method comprising:

• generating a temporal motion search motion vector for a plurality of subblocks for a plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks;
• generating a selected group of the plurality of partitionings based on the temporal motion search motion vector for the plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks based on a corresponding group selection signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes of selection for the selected group of partitionings, and wherein the selected group of the plurality of partitionings are selected as a subset of the plurality of partitionings to be refined via temporal motion refinement, the selected group of the plurality of partitionings being less than the plurality of partitionings;
• and
• generating a refined temporal motion vector for the plurality of subblocks for the selected group of the plurality of partitionings of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the temporal motion search motion vector for each of the plurality of subblocks of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks.

A method for use in a video encoder for encoding a video input signal that includes a sequence of images that are segmented into a plurality of macroblocks, the method comprising:

• generating a temporal motion search motion vector for a plurality of subblocks for a plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks;
• generating a selected group of the plurality of partitionings based on the temporal motion search motion vector for the plurality of partitionings of a macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks based on a group selection signal that indicates one of a plurality of modes of selection for the selected group of partitionings, and wherein the selected group of the plurality of partitionings are selected as a subset of the plurality of partitionings to be refined via temporal motion refinement, the selected group of the plurality of partitionings being less than the plurality of partitionings;
• and
• generating a refined temporal motion vector for the plurality of subblocks for the selected group of the plurality of partitionings of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the temporal motion search motion vector for each of the plurality of subblocks of the macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks.