Abstract: A method and an apparatus for filtering motion vector fields provided by a motion estimator apparatus are disclosed. The method includes receiving an input image, determining a motion vector field associated with the input image, determining a local segmentation image, forming a lattice map to identify periodic structures, using the local segmentation image and the lattice map to obtain an image segment pixel count and an image/motion segment pixel count, and using the segment pixel count and the image/motion segment pixel count to provide a filtered motion vector field. Some embodiments further include a motion estimation apparatus including an image delay apparatus, a lattice detector to find lattice structures in the input and delayed images, a histogram generator and a histogram analyzer to provide a set of horizontal and vertical search masks, a motion vector estimator to provide a motion vector field, and a motion vector filter as provided herein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating motion of a pixel block in a first frame, the method including searching a first area in a second frame to identify a first matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the first matching block including a first error value that is a minimum of at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the first matching block, calculating a first motion vector associated with the first matching block. The method further including searching a second area in the second frame to identify a second matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the second matching block including a second error value that is a minimum of the at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the second matching block, calculating a second motion vector associated with the second matching block and selecting a final motion vector between the first and second motion vectors based on the first and second error value.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for filtering motion vector fields provided by a motion estimator apparatus are disclosed. The method includes receiving an input image, determining a motion vector field associated with the input image, determining a local segmentation image, forming a lattice map to identify periodic structures, using the local segmentation image and the lattice map to obtain an image segment pixel count and an image/motion segment pixel count, and using the segment pixel count and the image/motion segment pixel count to provide a filtered motion vector field. Some embodiments further include a motion estimation apparatus including an image delay apparatus, a lattice detector to find lattice structures in the input and delayed images, a histogram generator and a histogram analyzer to provide a set of horizontal and vertical search masks, a motion vector estimator to provide a motion vector field, and a motion vector filter as provided herein.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating motion of a pixel block in a first frame, the method including searching a first area in a second frame to identify a first matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the first matching block including a first error value that is a minimum of at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the first matching block, calculating a first motion vector associated with the first matching block. The method further including searching a second area in the second frame to identify a second matching block that corresponds to the pixel block, the second matching block including a second error value that is a minimum of the at least one error criteria between the pixel block and the second matching block, calculating a second motion vector associated with the second matching block and selecting a final motion vector between the first and second motion vectors based on the first and second error value.