Motion estimation optimization in a MPEG-1-like video coding scheme for low-bit-rate applications
Miguel Roser, Paulo Villegas · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 1994
In this paper we present a work based on a coding algorithm for visual information that follows the International Standard ISO-IEC IS 11172, `Coding of Moving Pictures and Associated Audio for Digital Storage Media up to about 1.5 Mbit/s', widely known as MPEG1. The main intention in the definition of the MPEG 1 standard was to provide a large degree of flexibility to be used in many different applications. The interest of this paper is to adapt the MPEG 1 scheme for low bitrate operation and optimize it for special situations, as for example, a talking head with low movement, which is a usual situation in videotelephony application. An adapted and compatible MPEG 1 scheme, previously developed, able to operate at px8 Kbit/s will be used in this work. Looking for a low complexity scheme and taking into account that the most expensive (from the point of view of consumed computer time) step in the scheme is the motion estimation process (almost 80% of the total computer time is spent on the ME), an improvement of the motion estimation module based on the use of a new search pattern is presented in this paper.