Multi-level successive elimination algorithm for motion estimation in video coding

In this paper, we present an efficient algorithm to reduce the computation cost of block matching algorithms for motion estimation in video coding. Based on a new insight in block matching algorithms, we extend the successive elimination algorithm to the multi-level case. By using the sum norms of the blocks and the subblocks with reduced sizes, tighter and tighter decision boundaries for eliminating the search positions can be obtained in a multi-level manner. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm combined with full search algorithm and several fast search algorithms is verified by simulation results