Abstract: An apparatus and method for skipping fractional motion estimation (FME) in high efficiency video coding (HEVC) are disclosed. The apparatus includes a current sum of absolute differences (SAD) acquisition unit, a redundancy determination unit, and a motion estimation skip unit. The SAD acquisition unit acquires the SAD from an integer motion estimation (IME) unit when the IME unit performs IME on a coding tree block (CTB). The redundancy determination unit determines whether or not the CTB is an estimated redundant block using the current SAD. The motion estimation skip unit provides an FME unit with an FME skip signal of the CTB depending on whether or the CTB is an estimated redundant block.

Abstract: An encoding apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes: an encoder configured to request for storage of an original frame; a frame processing unit configured to generate an encoded frame having the original framed encoded therein; and a frame memory configured to store the encoded frame. Here, the frame processing unit is configured to generate the original frame by encoding the encoded frame stored in the frame memory according to a request of the encoder, and the encoder is configured to perform encoding according to the original frame.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for skipping fractional motion estimation (FME) in high efficiency video coding (HEVC) are disclosed. The apparatus includes a current sum of absolute differences (SAD) acquisition unit, a redundancy determination unit, and a motion estimation skip unit. The SAD acquisition unit acquires the SAD from an integer motion estimation (IME) unit when the IME unit performs IME on a coding tree block (CTB). The redundancy determination unit determines whether or not the CTB is an estimated redundant block using the current SAD. The motion estimation skip unit provides an FME unit with an FME skip signal of the CTB depending on whether or the CTB is an estimated redundant block.

Abstract: A motion estimation apparatus and method are disclosed. The motion estimation apparatus includes processing element (PE) array units, sub-SAD calculation units, motion vector calculation units, and a minimum motion vector selector. The PE array units each perform parallel processing for each of the three types of coding units. The sub-SAD calculation units calculate respective SAD values for the three types of coding units. The motion vector calculation units calculate respective motion vectors for the three types of coding units. The minimum motion vector selector selects a minimum motion vector from among the motion vectors.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an apparatus and a method of providing recompression of a video capable of recompressing and transmitting flags of data having an association with neighboring data in a video block and an original video by a simple logic. To this end, the apparatus of providing recompression of a video includes: a recompressing unit recompressing a compressed video frame based on information obtained by comparing a selected block selected from the compressed video frame and an adjacent block adjacent to the selected block with each other; and a frame memory controlling unit storing the recompressed video frame in a frame memory. Therefore, a hardware volume may be decreased while original video data are maintained.

Abstract: Disclosed is a motion estimation apparatus and method capable of reduce a memory bandwidth by accessing reference image data occupying the largest part of the memory bandwidth based on a result of motion estimation skip determination. The motion estimation apparatus includes a motion estimation skip determination unit, a sum absolute of absolute difference (SAD) processing unit and a multiplexer (MUX) unit. The motion estimation skip determination unit determines the presence of motion estimation skip by reading current image data and skip reference image data, and outputs a motion vector in a skip mode. The SAD processing unit calculates an SAD value by reading the current image data and reference image data and outputs a motion vector in a normal mode. The MUX unit outputs the motion vector in the skip mode or the motion vector in the normal mode as a final motion vector based on a skip flag signal.

Abstract: A video decoding apparatus and method based on a data and function splitting scheme are disclosed. The video decoding apparatus based on a data and function splitting scheme includes a variable length decoding unit performing variable length decoding and parsing on a bit stream to acquire residual data and a decoding parameter, and splitting the residual data and the decoding parameter by row; and N (N is a natural number of 2 or larger) number of clusters splitting dequantization and inverse discrete cosine transform (IDCT), motion vector prediction, intra prediction and motion compensation, video restoration, and deblocking function into M number of functions, acquiring the residual data, the decoding parameter, and macroblock (MB) processing information of an upper cluster by column, and splitting the information acquired by column into M number of functions to process the same.

Abstract: A high-speed motion estimation method for estimating a motion of a picture at high speed in a high-speed motion estimation apparatus including an integer-times motion estimation unit and a decimal-times motion estimation unit. The integer-times motion estimation unit (1) receives pixel data of a picture for estimation of motion from an external frame memory, (2) stores pixel data of a current region in a current macroblock storage where multiple inputs/outputs are made, (3) stores pixel data of an estimation region in an estimation region macroblock storage of a sharable multiple input/output bank type, and (4) predicts an integer-times motion vector using both stored pixel data. The decimal-times motion estimation unit reads the pixel data of the estimation region from the estimation region macroblock storage which is sharable, and predicts a decimal-times motion vector using the read pixel data of the estimation region and the integer-times motion vector.

Abstract: Provided is an adaptive motion search range determining apparatus and method for encoding UHD-class high-resolution images. The adaptive motion search range determining apparatus includes an MVD average/standard deviation calculation unit calculating an value average and a standard deviation of MVDs of neighboring macroblocks of a current macroblock, and a motion search range determination unit determining a motion search range of the current macroblock using the value average and the standard deviation. According to the adaptive motion search range determining apparatus, it is possible to enable each macroblock to have an adaptive search range by variably adjusting a motion vector search range of a current macroblock with reference to motion vectors of neighboring macroblocks of the current macroblock.

Abstract: There is provided a video encoding apparatus allowing for enhanced video encoding speed according to the H.264 video coding standard. The video encoding apparatus allows the memories included in the video encoding apparatus to be shared by a plurality of elements through the rearrangement and the structural change of the memories considering an efficient hierarchical motion estimation algorithm. Therefore, the video encoding apparatus has the effects of reducing the amount of transmitted and received data between the frame memory and the video encoding apparatus and enhancing video encoding speed.

Abstract: Provided are a network load reducing method and a node structure for a multiprocessor system with a distributed memory. The network load reducing method uses a multiprocessor system including a node having a distributed memory and an auxiliary memory storing a sharer history table. The network load reducing method includes recording the history of a sharer node in the sharer history table of the auxiliary memory, requesting share data with reference to the sharer history table of the auxiliary memory, and deleting share data stored in the distributed memory and updating the sharer history table of the auxiliary memory.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for accessing a memory according to a processor instruction. The apparatus includes: a stack offset extractor extracting an offset value from a stack pointer offset indicating a local variable in the processor instruction; a local stack storage including a plurality of items, each of which is formed of an activation bit indicating whether each item is activated, an offset storing an offset value of a stack pointer, and an element storing a local variable value of the stack pointer; an offset comparator comparing the extracted offset value with an offset value of each item and determining whether an item corresponding to the extracted offset value is present in the local stack storage; and a stack access controller controlling a processor to access the local stack storage or a cache memory according to a determining result of the offset comparator.

Abstract: Disclosed are motion estimation apparatus and method. The present invention can reduce an external memory access in an area in which a macroblock is large while preventing image quality from deteriorating due to motion estimation according to coding units, by obtaining a minimum motion vector using a prediction method in 64×64 and 32×32 modes for the coding units meeting a high efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard and obtaining a motion vector using a full search method in other modes.

Abstract: A high-speed motion estimation apparatus includes a current region memory, an integer-times motion estimation unit, and a decimal-times motion estimation unit. The current region memory receives pixel data of a current region from an external frame memory to store the pixel data. The integer-times motion estimation unit stores pixel data of an estimation region which are read from the frame memory, and predicts an integer-times motion vector by using the pixel data of the current region and the pixel data of the estimation region. The decimal-times motion estimation unit reads the pixel data of the estimation region, and predicts a decimal-times motion vector by using the read pixel data and the predicted integer-times motion vector.

Abstract: Provided is a method for partitioning a block in inter prediction including selecting one standard reference frame from at least one reference frame which is a comparison target in inter prediction, searching whether or not a higher-level macroblock of a current frame is partitioned based on the selected standard reference frame, determining a partition size of the higher-level macroblock of the current frame, searching whether or not the higher-level macroblock in which the partition size is determined is partitioned by comparing with any certain reference frame other than the standard reference frame, and stopping a block size search on the higher-level macroblock of the current frame if a partition size of the higher-level macroblock of the current frame determined by comparing with the standard reference frame and a partition size of the higher-level macroblock of the current frame determined by comparing with the certain reference frame are different from each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a motion estimation apparatus and method capable of reduce a memory bandwidth by accessing reference image data occupying the largest part of the memory bandwidth based on a result of motion estimation skip determination. The motion estimation apparatus includes a motion estimation skip determination unit, a sum absolute of absolute difference (SAD) processing unit and a multiplexer (MUX) unit. The motion estimation skip determination unit determines the presence of motion estimation skip by reading current image data and skip reference image data, and outputs a motion vector in a skip mode. The SAD processing unit calculates an SAD value by reading the current image data and reference image data and outputs a motion vector in a normal mode. The MUX unit outputs the motion vector in the skip mode or the motion vector in the normal mode as a final motion vector based on a skip flag signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a motion estimation apparatus and method using a prediction algorithm between macroblocks. In the motion estimation method, an average of a motion vector of a macroblock 1 and a motion vector of a macroblock 3 is determined as a prediction motion vector. A prediction sum of absolute difference (SAD) value of the macroblock 2 is calculated, which is an SAD value based on the prediction motion vector. A reference SAD value for neighboring macroblocks of the macroblock 2 is compared with a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined threshold value from the prediction SAD value. Normal motion vector estimation is performed on the macroblock 2 based on the compared result.

Abstract: A caching apparatus for video motion estimation and compensation includes: an external memory including a plurality of banks and configured to allocate one pixel row to one bank to store the pixel row; a memory controller configured to cause successively-inputted read requests to access different banks of the external memory and transmit a read command for a next read request to the external memory while reference data corresponding to a first-coming read request is outputted; and a data processor configured to successively make read requests for the reference data to the memory controller when reference data read requests are successively inputted, store the reference data inputted from the memory controller, and output the stored reference data.

Abstract: Provided is an adaptive motion search range determining apparatus and method for encoding UHD-class high-resolution images. The adaptive motion search range determining apparatus includes an MVD average/standard deviation calculation unit calculating an value average and a standard deviation of MVDs of neighboring macroblocks of a current macroblock, and a motion search range determination unit determining a motion search range of the current macroblock using the value average and the standard deviation. According to the adaptive motion search range determining apparatus, it is possible to enable each macroblock to have an adaptive search range by variably adjusting a motion vector search range of a current macroblock with reference to motion vectors of neighboring macroblocks of the current macroblock.

Abstract: Provided is a motion estimation apparatus for moving picture coding.