Abstract: Several methods and a system to reuse a search region in motion estimation of multiple target frames are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method includes acquiring a search region of a reference frame. The method also includes maintaining the search region in a memory. In addition, the method includes performing motion estimation of a macroblock of a target frame in a direction using a processor and the search region. The method also includes reusing the search region maintained in the memory to perform motion estimation of an additional macroblock of an additional target frame in an additional direction. The method may include reusing the search region maintained in the memory to perform motion estimation of a separate macroblock of a separate target frame in a separate direction.

Abstract: A method, system and apparatus of lossy compression technique for video encoder bandwidth reduction using compression error data are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes storing an error data from a compression of an original reference data in an off-chip memory, accessing the error data during a motion compensation operation, and performing the motion compensation operation by applying the error data through an algorithm (e.g., determined by the method of storing the error data). The method may include generating a predicted frame in the motion compensation operation using a motion vector and an on-chip video data. In addition, the method may include determining the error data as a difference between a compressed reference data (e.g., is created by compressing the original reference data) and an original reference data (e.g., reconstructed from a prior predicted frame and a decompressed encoder data).

Abstract: This invention enables determination of the best video encoding mode for a macroblock in the SKIP mode and comparing this cost with other modes. This invention avoids sub-pixel interpolations for fractional pixels. This invention models the cost function in a quadratic model and computes the cost for a nearest integer pel and plural adjacent integer pels. This permits determination of the coefficients of the quadratic model. An estimated cost is obtained using the actual fractional pel position in the quadratic model. This method can be used for obtaining the cost of a P Skip mode. This method can be used for the decision of B direct or B skip modes in B frames.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the present invention two streams data encoding corresponding information contained in a multimedia signal are generated with one bitstream (“first stream”) providing for reproduction of the information with a base quality (e.g., according to a corresponding standard), and the second bitstream (“second stream”) containing information which can be used to further enhance the quality of reproduction.

Abstract: A variable dimension vector quantization method that uses a single "universal" codebook. The method can be given the interpretation of sampling full-dimensioned codevectors in the universal codebook and generating subcodevectors of the same dimension as input data subvector, which dimension may vary in time. A subcodevector is selected from the codebook to have minimum distortion between it and the input data subvector. The subcodevector with minimum distortion corresponds to the representative, full-dimensioned codevector in the codebook. The codebook is designed by inverse sampling of training subvectors to obtain full-dimension vectors, then iteratively clustering the training set until a stable centroid vector is obtained.