A Parallel Algorithm for Advanced Video Motion Estimation on Multicore Architectures

The new advanced video coding (AVC) standards further exploit temporal correlation between images on a sequence by considering multiple reference frames and variable block sizes. It improves the compression efficiency at the cost of a significant computational load increasing. Specialized hardware processors have been proposed to perform real time motion estimation on AVC, but the non-recurring engineering cost of these solutions is too high. This paper describes a parallel algorithm that exploits the capacity of the current multi-core processors to implement real time motion estimation for AVC. In particular, by using the computational capacity and the fast memory system of the heterogeneous multicore CELL processor, synergistic processors can be used to speedup motion estimation while the main processor execute in parallel the other parts of the AVC system. Experimental results show that motion estimation can be performed in less than 40 ms per frame, for CIF video format, up to 5 reference frames, and variable block size, by programming the proposed parallel algorithm to the CELL processor.