KR19980050450A - Forward and reverse motion estimator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a forward and backward motion estimator that can improve motion estimation performance by adjusting a motion estimation range according to a type of image to be processed in a motion estimation operation. If estimation can be performed and only one direction of motion estimation is required according to the type of image to be processed, motion estimation is performed for a search range that is twice as wide as the motion estimation range used for forward and reverse motion estimation. It is possible to contribute to the high performance and miniaturization of the system using this device.

Description

Forward and reverse motion estimator

The present invention relates to forward and reverse motion estimation apparatuses that can improve motion estimation performance by adjusting a motion estimation range according to the type of image to be processed during the motion estimation operation.

Since the conventional motion estimating apparatus considers only one direction, two motion estimating apparatuses should be used when forward and backward motion estimation are required simultaneously according to the type of image. In addition, when only one direction of motion estimation is required, the performance of image encoding can be improved by performing motion estimation over a range larger than the motion estimation range used for bidirectional motion estimation. There is a difficulty in varying the motion estimation range as described above.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention can perform forward and reverse motion estimation using one motion estimating apparatus, and further, motion estimation operation of only one terminal direction is required according to the type of image to be processed. In this case, an object of the present invention is to provide a motion estimation apparatus capable of performing motion estimation on a search range that is twice as wide as the motion estimation range used for forward and reverse motion estimation.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, the first selection means for receiving the reference block data; First and second storage means for storing corresponding preset search area data among forward and reverse (or forward for extended search area) search area data; forward and reverse (or forward for extended search area) search area data Third and fourth storage means for storing data of a corresponding search area preset among the data; and forward and reverse (or extended) data in an even or odd column among data output at intervals of two clocks from the first and second storage means. Second and third selection means for alternately selecting data forward to the search region every clock; Vertical and horizontal motion estimation means connected to the second and third selection means and the first selection means and outputting an average absolute error after motion estimation for the corresponding search area; Fourth and fourth to alternately select forward and backward (or forward for the extended search region) data existing in even or odd columns among data output at intervals of two clocks from the third and fourth storage means. 5 means for selecting; Second vertical and horizontal motion estimation means connected to the fourth and fifth selection means to perform absolute motion estimation for the corresponding search area, and serve as an input of the first selection means; And sixth selection means connected to the fourth selection means via a 32 clock delay unit to generate data constituting a corresponding search area; Seventh selection means connected to said third selection means via a 16 clock delay, and connected to said fifth selection means with a 16 clock delay and a 32 clock delay in order to generate data constituting a search area; The data connected to the sixth and seventh selection means constituting the search area and the first reference means are connected to each other through 16 clock delays, and the same reference block data is repeatedly used to estimate the movement of the search area. Third vertical and horizontal motion estimation means for outputting an average absolute error; And a comparison means for receiving the average absolute error from the first to third motion estimating means, comparing these values to determine the smallest average absolute error value in the entire search range, and outputting the average absolute error value as a motion vector. .

1 is a block diagram of a reference block and search area data;

2 is a configuration diagram of divided search area data;

3 is a configuration diagram of a basic computing device;

4 is a configuration diagram of a vertical motion estimating apparatus;

5 is a block diagram of a vertical and horizontal motion estimation field apparatus,

6 is a block diagram of a forward and reverse motion estimation apparatus.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

61 to 64 reservoir 65 to 68, 73 to 75 selector

69 to 72,80: retarder 76 to 78: vertical and horizontal motion estimator

79: comparator

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described an embodiment of the present invention;

First, the reference block and the search region data used in the present invention are configured as shown in Figs.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the size of the reference block data used in the present invention is 8x8. Fig. 1 (b) is forward or reverse search region data used when forward and backward motion estimation is required at the same time, where the motion estimation range is 56 (H) x24 (V). 1 (b) shows basic search area data and FIG. 1 (c) shows extended search area data when the processed image requires only one direction of motion estimation. At this time, the motion estimation range is 112 (H) x24 (V). FIG. 2 shows the search area data of FIG. 1 (b) or (c) divided into three groups. In the present invention, motion estimation for each search area data of FIG. 2 is performed using three identical motion estimation apparatuses. Do this.

3 is a block diagram of a basic computing device repeatedly used in the forward or reverse motion estimation apparatus of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, input R (u, v) (0≤u, v≤7) is the reference block data of FIG. It is entered in the right direction. Input S (u, v) is 8x8 candidate block data located at (8i + u, v) (0≤i≤6) in any search region group shown in FIG. In this case, forward and backward (or forward for the extended search region) data are inputted alternately every clock. At this time, each data is input in an inverted state. The output R (u + 1, v) is a signal in which the input R (u, v) is delayed two clocks by the two clock delay 31. The output SAD (u, v) represents the average absolute error value of the reference block and the candidate block at the position (8i + u, v) in any search region group shown in FIG. Next, a process of outputting SAD (u, v) using the input R (u, v) and S (u, v) by the basic computing device of FIG. 3 will be described. First, the 8-bit adder 32 outputs input R (u, v), S (u, v), sum0 which is a sum of 1, and a carry c generated at this time. The exclusive logical sum 34 outputs an inverse logical sum of c, which is the inverted value of c, with each bit of sum0 as abs. The 14-bit adder 35 outputs sum1, which is the sum of abs, sad1, and cn, and this value is stored in the storage 36. The storage 37 is used to alternately calculate operations for the forward and backward or extended search regions every two clock intervals.

4 is a configuration diagram of a vertical motion estimator including 16 basic arithmetic units of FIG. 3, 16 selectors for outputting an inverted value of a selected value, and one selector for selecting and outputting one of eight inputs. The input R (0, v) is the reference block data of FIG. The inputs SE and SO are data composed of even and odd columns of search area data, respectively. The output R (0, v + 1) is a signal delayed by 16 clocks as the input R (0, v) passes through eight basic computing units. The output SAD_v is a signal in which average absolute error values at all candidate positions in the vertical direction calculated by the vertical motion estimation apparatus are selected and output by the selector. Then, the vertical motion estimation apparatus of FIG. 4 operates as follows. First, the inputs SE and SO are appropriately selected by the selectors 41, 43 or 45 which output the inverted values and are input to the basic computing device of 42, 44 or 46. At this time, the reference block data of R (u, v) is input to each basic operator PE (u, v), and is internally delayed by two clocks and input to the basic computing unit PE (u + 1, v) on the right. Each basic arithmetic unit then outputs the average absolute error values at each position existing in the vertical direction in the search area to the selector 47 as described above using the above inputs, and the selector 47 performs motion estimation. Valid average absolute error values generated during the process are selected and output as SAD_v.

5 shows a vertical and horizontal motion estimator composed of eight vertical motion estimators and one selector. In Fig. 5, PIPE (u, v) of the vertical motion estimation apparatuses 51, 52, and 53 inputs SE, SO, which is search area data, and R (0, v), which is reference block data, as inputs. The average absolute error values at the candidate positions are calculated and then output to the selector 54. The selector 54 selects valid average absolute error values generated from each vertical motion estimator and outputs them to SAD.

6 is a configuration diagram of a vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus having three identical structures, and operates as follows. First, the basic block data of FIG. 1A is input through the input REF. Through the input SA, the forward and backward (or forward with respect to the extended search area) search area data of FIGS. 2 (b) and (c) are input. Among the search area data input through the input SA, the forward and reverse (or forward to the extended search area) data of the search area I configured as shown in FIG. 2 (a) are stored in the storages 63 and 64, respectively. The forward and backward (or forward for the extended search region) data of the search region III configured as shown in FIG. 2 (c) are stored in the storage 63 and 64, respectively. Next, among the data output from the storages 61 and 62 at intervals of two clocks, the forward and reverse (or forward to the extended search region) data present in the even or odd columns are stored in the selector 65 or 66. Are alternately selected every clock and input to the vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus 76 which performs motion estimation for the search region I of FIG. Similarly, among the data output at intervals of two clocks from the storages 63 and 64, the forward and reverse (or forward to the extended search region) data present in even or odd columns are selected by the selector 67 or 68. Selected alternately per clock, it is input to the vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus of 78 for performing motion estimation for the search region III in FIG. The 32 clock retarders 71 and 72 and the selectors 73 and 74 generate data constituting the search region II of FIG. 2 (b) from the search region data of FIGS. The horizontal motion estimation device 77 is used to supply. In the vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus of the present invention, the same reference block data should be used repeatedly. For this purpose, the selector 75 is used, and the selector 75 selects the reference block data output from the 78 for the first reference block data required and supplies them to each vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus. In this case, since the valid search area data is input to the vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus 77 after 16 clocks, the clock delay unit 80 is used to delay the reference block data by 16 clocks. Each vertical and horizontal motion estimator 76, 77, 78 is a comparator that compares the average absolute errors SAD_I, SAD_II, and SAD_III which are generated after performing motion estimation for each search region of Figs. 1 (a, b, c). Output to (79). The comparator 79 then compares these values to determine the smallest mean absolute error value in the entire search range and outputs it as a motion vector MV.

The vertical and horizontal motion estimation apparatus of the present invention configured as described above can perform forward and reverse motion estimation using one motion estimation apparatus, and requires only one direction of motion estimation operation according to the type of image to be processed. In this case, the motion estimation can be performed over a search range that is twice as wide as the motion estimation range used for forward and reverse motion estimation, which contributes to high performance and miniaturization of a system using the device.

Claims (3)

A forward and backward motion estimating apparatus comprising: first selecting means (75) for receiving reference block data; First and second storage means (61, 62) for storing corresponding search area data preset among forward and backward (or forward directions to an extended search area) search area data; Third and fourth storage means (63, 64) for storing data of a corresponding search region that is preset among forward and backward (or forward directions to an extended search region) search region data; Among the data output from the first and second storage means (61, 62) at intervals of two clocks, forward and reverse (or forward for the extended search region) data present in even or odd columns are alternately selected every clock. Second and third selecting means (65,66) to make; Vertical and horizontal motion estimation means (76) connected to the second and third selection means (65,66) and the first selection means (75) to output an average absolute error after motion estimation for the corresponding search area; Among the data output at intervals of two clocks from the third and fourth storage means (63, 64), the forward and reverse (or forward for the extended search region) data present in even or odd columns are alternately selected every clock. Fourth and fifth selecting means (67,68); Second vertical and horizontal motion estimation means connected to the fourth and fifth selection means 67 and 68 to perform absolute after motion estimation for the corresponding search area, and serve as an input of the first selection means 75; (78); Sixth selecting means (73) connected to said second selecting means (65) and connected to said fourth selecting means (67) through a 32 clock delay (71) to generate data constituting a corresponding search area; 16 clock delays 69 are connected to the third selection means 66 and 16 clock delays and 32 clock delays are connected to the fifth selection means 68 to generate data constituting the search area. Seventh selecting means 74 to make; Data connected to the sixth and seventh selecting means 73 and 74 to form a search area and the first reference means 75 are connected to each other through a 16 clock delay unit 80 to repeatedly repeat the same reference block data. Third vertical and horizontal motion estimating means (77) for outputting an average absolute error generated after estimating the motion with respect to the search area by using the first and second motions; A comparison means 79 which receives the average absolute error from the first to third motion estimation means 77, compares these values, determines the smallest average absolute error value in the entire search area, and outputs the result as a motion vector; Motion estimation apparatus characterized in that it comprises. The method of claim 1, The first to third vertical and horizontal motion estimating means 76 to 78 are input to search area data and reference block data to calculate and output average absolute error values at respective candidate positions in the search area. First to eighth vertical motion estimators; And a selector (54) for selecting valid average absolute error values generated from the first to eighth vertical motion estimators and outputting the average absolute error values. The method of claim 2, The first to eighth vertical motion estimators may include first to eighth selectors configured to receive data consisting of even and odd columns of search area data, respectively; First to eighth basic calculators connected to the first to eighth selectors, respectively, and sequentially receiving reference block data and outputting an average absolute error at each position existing in a vertical direction in the search area; And a ninth selector which receives the average absolute error from the first to eighth basic calculators and selects and outputs valid average absolute error values generated during the motion estimation.