Single chip motion estimator for video codec applications

Motion estimation is a key function in a video codec intended for use with low bit rate data transmission. Motion compensated codecs have received much attention in the literature recently since they provide a means by which high picture quality can be achieved with an economic bandwidth. This paper describes a single chip video picture motion estimator that operates upon a CIF specification video frame and provides motion vectors for [8×8] pixel blocks for displacements of up to ±16 pixels and which can be cascaded for [16×16] block operation. The very close match between function, algorithm and architecture has allowed significant processing power to be implemented on a single chip