Frame Interpolation Algorithm Using Improved 3-D Recursive Search

A low-complexity and high efficiency method for Motion-Compensated Frame Interpolation is developed in this paper. The 3-D recursive search technique is used together with bilateral motion estimation scheme to predict the block motion vector field without yielding the hole and overlapping problems. A stepwise multi-stage block-motion estimation scheme is designed to deal with the complex motion object in a block. To reduce the block artifact and keep the computational efficiency, a simplified median filter is developed to smooth the estimated motion vector field. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm provides a better image quality than several broadly used methods both objectively and subjectively. The high computational efficiency makes this proposed algorithm a useful tool for real-time decoder of high-quality video sequences.