An optimal-joint-coordinate block matching algorithm for motion-compensated coding

Summary form only given. Block matching motion estimation/compensation has emerged as an efficient technique in removing temporal redundancies in video signals. Based on a certain distortion function, this technique searches for the best match between a block of pixels in the current picture frame and a number of blocks in close proximity in the previous frame. Most of the published block matching algorithms reduce the search area surrounding the optimum match at each search step. This paper describes a novel methodology to advance the search towards the joint coordinate of the two optimum matches in each step. A new block matching algorithm, namely optimal joint coordinate (OJC) search method, is built on this methodology to avoid redundant searches. Our algorithm relies on intensive and valid simulation results. The distortion function present in the search region is a convex function with elliptical contours.