Survey on Block Matching Motion Estimation Algorithms and Architectures with New Results

Abstract

Abstract. Block matching motion estimation is the heart of video coding systems. During the last two decades, hundreds of fast algorithms and VLSI architectures have been proposed. In this paper, we try to provide an extensive exploration of motion estimation with our new developments. The main concepts of fast algorithms can be classified into six categories: reduction in search positions, simplification of matching criterion, bitwidth reduction, predictive search, hierarchical search, and fast full search. Comparisons of various algorithms in terms of video quality and computational complexity are given as useful guidelines for software applications. As for hardware implementations, full search architectures derived from systolic mapping are first introduced. The systolic arrays can be divided into inter-type and intra-type with 1-D, 2-D, and tree structures. Hexagonal plots are presented for system designers to clearly evaluate the architectures in six aspects including gate count, required frequency, hardware utilization, memory bandwidth, memory bitwidth, and latency. Next, architectures supporting fast algorithms are also reviewed. Finally, we propose our algorithmic and architectural co-development. The main idea is quick checking of the entire search range with simplified matching criterion to globally eliminate impossible candidates, followed by finer selection among potential best matched candidates. The operations of the two stages are mapped to the same hardware for resource sharing. Simulation results show that our design is ten times more area-speed efficient than full search architectures while the video quality is competitively the same.

Block-based motion estimation algorithms — a survey

“…In contrast with classification proposed by Huang et al [6], the usage of spatiotemporal correlations is considered only as a supporting technique not as a separate class of ME algorithms. ged in the cross (+) pattern around the centre.…”

“…In the case when the processing speed is a critical factor, BBGDS can be recom− mended. Additionally, the performance of each algorithm can be improved by introducing the search centre prediction based on spatially and/or temporally adjacent MVs [6]. Several multiresolution (hierarchical) algorithms are compared in Ref.…”

H.264 Motion Estimation and Applications

“…The number of candidates to evaluate are ((2*Sx) +1)*((2*Sy) +1) which is predominantly high compared to any of the search algorithms. There are several other fast block-matching algorithms, which reduce the number of evaluated candidates yet try to keep good block matching (Yu-Wen, 2006) accuracy. Note that since these algorithms test only limited candidates, they might result in selecting a candidate corresponding to local minima, unlike full search, which always results in global minima.…”

Predictive Block-Matching Algorithm for Wireless Video Sensor Network Using Neural Network

“…Motion estimation plays an important role in predictive coding [6] [7]. Therefore, in the field of video stream transmission for WMSNs, an energy-efficient block-matching algorithm is of high importance.…”

“…There are variety of block-matching search algorithms for motion estimation, such as three-step search, four-step search, diamond search, modified diamond-square search and gradient descent search, etc. [6] [7]. Prediction technique proposed by Zhang and Zafar [8], [9] uses a simple prediction model to reduce the search windows size for block-matching, therefore significantly reduced the calculation complexity of motion estimation, with only small sacrifice on image quality.…”