• Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.278-288
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• 2007

We propose the fast full search algorithm that reduces the computational load of the block matching algorithm which is used for a motion estimation in the video coding. Since the conventional spiral search method starts searching at the center of the search window and then moves search point to estimate the motion vector pixel by pixel, it is good for the slow motion picture. However we proposed the efficient motion estimation method which is good for the fast and slow motion picture. Firstly, when finding the initial threshold value, we use the expanded predictor that can approximately calculate minimum threshold value. The proposed algorithm estimates the motion in the new search order after partitioning the search window and adapt the directional search order in the re-divided search window. At the result, we can check that the proposed algorithm reduces the computational load 94% in average compared to the conventional spiral full search algorithm without any loss of image quality.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.30 no.11C
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• pp.1091-1097
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• 2005

In this paper, we propose fast motion estimation algorithm. Local statistics of a motion vector is highly correlated to motion vectors of its neighboring blocks. According to the property, block-based motion search range is adaptively determined in order to reduce unnecessary search points. Based on the determined search range, motion vector is obtained by variable step search motion estimation. Experimental results show that comparing to Full search motion estimation, the motion searching points of proposed algorithm is reduced as much as $98\%$. Moreover, PSNR and Bit Rate are almost same to Full search method.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.32 no.1C
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• pp.9-15
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• 2007

We propose the fast full search algorithm that reduces the computation of the block matching algorithm which is used for motion estimation of the video coding. Since the conventional spiral search method starts searching at the center of the search window and then moves search point to estimate the motion vector pixel by pixel, it is good for the slow motion pictures. However the proposed method is good for the fast and slow motion because it estimates the motion in the new search order after partitioning the search window. Also, when finding the motion vector, this paper presents the method that reduces the complexity by computing the matching error in the order which is determined by local image complexity. The proposed algorithm reduces the computation up to 99% for block matching error compared with the conventional spiral full search algorithm without any loss of image quality.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.1080-1087
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• 2005

Significant computations for full search (FS) motion estimation have been a big obstacle in real-time video coding and recent MPEG-4 AVC (advanced video coding) standard requires much more computations than conventional MPEG-2 for motion estimation. To reduce an amount of computation of full search (FS) algorithm for fast motion estimation, we propose a new and fast matching algorithm without any degradation of predicted images like the conventional FS. The computational reduction without any degradation in predicted image comes from fast elimination of impossible candidate motion vectors. We obtain faster elimination of inappropriate motion vectors using efficient matching units from localization of complex area in image data and dithering order based matching scan. Our algorithm reduces about $30\%$ of computations for block matching error compared with the conventional partial distortion elimination (PDE) algorithm, and our algorithm will be useful in real-time video coding applications using MPEG-4 AVC or MPEG-2.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Broadcast Engineers Conference
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• 2009.11a
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• pp.67-70
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• 2009

H.264/AVC 동영상 표준은 기존의 동영상 표준과 비교했을 때 뛰어난 압축률을 보인다. 특히 세밀한 움직임 예측을 통해 영상을 효율적으로 압축하지만 움직임 예측은 H.264/AVC 동영상 표준의 높은 복잡도의 원인 중 하나이다. 따라서 H.264/AVC의 부호화 시간을 단축하기 위해서는 고속 움직임 추정 기법이 필수적이다. 일반적으로 영상 신호는 인접한 화면과 매크로블록 사이에서 상관관계가 높고 부호화하고자 하는 매크로블록의 움직임벡터는 인접한 매크로블록에서 결정된 최적의 움직임 벡터와 유사한 방향성을 가진다. 그러므로 고정된 탐색 영역의 크기를 이용하면 불필요한 영역까지 움직임 예측 과정이 수행되어 계산량이 증가한다. 본 논문에서는 영상의 공간적, 시간적 상관도를 이용하여 탐색 영역의 크기를 결정하는 방법을 제안한다. 인접하는 블록들의 움직임 벡터의 표준편차를 이용하여 움직임이 작은 영역에서는 작은 탐색 영역을 이용하여 움직임 예측을 수행하고 반대로 움직임이 큰 영역에서는 큰 탐색 영역을 이용하여 움직임 예측을 수행한다. 또한 현재 화면과 참조 화면의 거리차가 클수록 참조 화면으로 선택되는 확률이 낮다는 사실을 이용하여 적응적으로 탐색 영역의 크기를 조절한다. 제안한 방법은 기존의 전 영역 탐색 방법과 유사한 부호화 성능을 보이면서 움직임 예측 시간이 평균 약 58.93% 감소하는 것을 확인할 수 있다.

• The Journal of Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences
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• v.37 no.2A
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• pp.113-118
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• 2012

In this paper, we propose the removal of search point using motion vector correlation and distance between reference frames in H.264/AVC. We remove the search points in full search method and predictive motion vectors in enhanced predictive zonal search method. Since the probability that the reference frame far from the current frame is selected as the best reference frame is decreased, we apply the weighted average based on distance between the current and reference frame to determine the fianl search range. In general, the size of search range is smaller than initial search range. We reduce motion estimation time using the final search range in full search method. Also, the refinement process is adaptively applied to each reference frame. The proposed methods reduce the computational throughput of full search method by 57.13% and of enhanced predictive zonal search by 14.71% without visible performance degradation.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.991-999
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• 2010

In this paper, we propose a fast motion estimation algorithm for video encoding. Conventional fast motion estimation algorithms have a serious problem of low prediction quality in some frames. However, full search based fast algorithms have low computational reduction ratio. In the paper, we propose an algorithm that significantly reduces unnecessary computations, while keeping prediction quality almost similar to that of the full search. The proposed algorithm uses distribution probability of motion vectors and adaptive search patterns and block matching criteria. By taking different search patterns and error criteria of block matching according to distribution probability of motion vectors, we can reduces only unnecessary computations efficiently. Our algorithm takes only 20~30% in computational amount and has decreased prediction quality about 0~0.02dB compared with the fast full search of the H.264 reference software. Our algorithm will be useful to real-time video coding applications using MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 AVC standards.

• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2009.04a
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• pp.157-158
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• 2009

본 논문에서는 움직임 추정을 위한 탐색 영역내의 스캔 방법을 움직임 벡터가 나올 확률에 근거하여 가변적으로 적용하여 불필요한 후보 블록을 제거하는 PDE(patial distortion elimination) 기반의 고속 블록 매칭 알고리즘을 제안한다. 제안한 방법은 기존의 방법보다 불필요한 계수를 효율적으로 제거하기 위하여 탐색 영역 안에서 움직임 벡터가 존재 할 확률이 가장 높은 영역은 전영역 탐색을 적용하고, 움직임 벡터가 존재할 확률이 낮은 영역은 한 픽셀 건너 뛰어서 블록 정합하여 계산 비용을 효율적으로 감소시켯다. 제안한 알고리즘은 극히 낮은 화질 저하를 가지며, 기존의 H.264에서 사용되고 있는 전역 탐색 알고리즘에 비해 P프레임의 경우 85% 이상의 계산 비용 감소가 있어 H.264를 이용하는 비디오 압축 응용 분야에 유용하게 사용될 수 있을 것이다.

• Journal of KIISE:Information Networking
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.162-165
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• 2010

In the paper, we propose an algorithm that significantly reduces unnecessary computations, while keeping prediction quality almost similar to that of the full search. In the proposed algorithm, we can reduces only unnecessary computations efficiently by taking different search patterns and error criteria of block matching according to distribution probability of motion vectors. Our algorithm takes only 20~30% in computational amount and has decreased prediction quality about 0~0.02dB compared with the fast full search of the H.264 reference software. Our algorithm will be useful to real-time video coding applications using MPEG-2/4 AVC standards.

• Journal of KIISE:Software and Applications
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.949-955
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• 2005

In this Paper, we propose fast block matching algorithm by dividing complex areas based on complexity order of reference block and square sub-block to reduce an amount of computation of full starch(FS) algorithm for fast motion estimation, while keeping the same prediction quality compared with the full search algorithm. By using the fact that matching error is proportional to the gradient of reference block, we reduced unnecessary computations with square sub-block adaptive matching scan based image complexity instead of conventional sequential matching scan and row/column based matching scan. Our algorithm reduces about $30\%$ of computations for block matching error compared with the conventional partial distortion elimination(PDE) algorithm without any prediction quality, and our algorithm will be useful in real-time video coding applications using MPEG-4 AVC or MPEG-2.