A Modified Hexagon-Based Search Algorithm for Fast Block Matching Motion Estimation

Hexagon-based Search (HEXBS) is one of the most famous and efficient fast block matching motion estimation algorithms. Based on the directional characteristic of SAD distribution and the center-biased characteristic of motion vector, a modified hexagon-based search algorithm for block matching motion estimation, MHEXBS, was proposed in this paper. MHEXBS uses small hexagon-based search pattern to refine the motion vector, and large hexagon-based search pattern to locate the best matching block with large motion vector approximately. Although the proposed MHEXBS may also be trapped in local minima, those experimental results demonstrate that the computational complexity of MHEXBS decreased about 99.01–99.53 % compared with that of FS, or about 14.77–53.75 % compared with that of HEXBS, while it caused little, if any, loss in encoding efficiency. MHEXBS is especially efficient for those video series with simple and slow motion characteristics.

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