A Fast Motion Estimation Algorithm for SAD Optimization in Sub-pixel

The motion estimation is the most important technique in the image compression of the video standards. In the case of next generation standards in the video codec as H.264, a high compression-efficiency can be also obtained by using a motion compensation. To obtain the accurate motion search, a motion estimation should be achieved up to 1/2 pixel and 1/4 pixel units. To do this, the computational complexity is increased although the image compression rate is increased. Therefore, in this paper, we propose the advanced sub-pixel block matching algorithm to reduce the computational complexity by using statistical characteristics of SAD (sum of absolute difference). Generally, the probability of the minimum SAD values is high when searching point is in the distance 1 from the reference point. Thus, we reduced the searching area and then we can overcome the computational complexity problem. The main concept of proposed algorithm, which based on TSS (three step search) method, first we find three minimum SAD points which is in integer distance unit, and then, in second step, the optimal point is in 1/2 pixel unit either between the most minimum SAD value point and the second minimum SAD point or between the most minimum SAD value point and the third minimum SAD point In third step, after finding the smallest SAD value between two SAD values on 1/2 pixel unit, the final optimized point is between the most minimum SAD value and the result value of the third step, in 1/2 pixel unit i.e., 1/4 pixel unit in totally. The conventional TSS method needs an eight search points in the sub-pixel steps in 1/2 pixel unit and also an eight search points in 1/4 pixel, to detect the optimal point. However, in proposed algorithm, only total five search points are needed. In the result, 22% improvement of processing speed is obtained.