Densely-centered uniform P-search: A fast motion estimation algorithm

Video compression technology promises to be the key to the transmission of motion video. A number of techniques have been introduced in the past few years, particularly that developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). The MPEG algorithm uses Motion Estimation to reduce the amount of data that is stored for each frame.;Motion Estimation uses a reference frame as a codebook for a modified Vector Quantization process. While an exhaustive search for Motion Estimation Vectors is time-consuming, various fast search algorithms have been developed.;These techniques are surveyed, and the theoretical framework for a new search algorithm is developed: Densely-Centered Uniform P-Search. The time complexity of Densely-Centered Uniform P-Search is comparable to other popular Motion Estimation techniques, and shows superior results on a variety of motion video sources.