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Abstract

A method of and apparatus for identifying a Dual Prime motion estimation best match and generating motion vectors pertaining thereto for inter-picture video compression in a motion picture having images of F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 parities. The Dual Prime method of motion estimation described herein includes a method of generating motion vectors. The motion vectors point from a macroblock in a current field to a macroblock in a past field for inter-picture video compression in a motion picture having images of F.sub.1 and F.sub.2 parities. The first step in the method is defining a macroblock in a parity field of the current picture. Next, the preceding field of the same or opposite parity is searched to find a first best match macroblock in the preceding field. Once a best match macroblock is found, a vector is formed from the current macroblock in the current parity field to the first best match macroblock in the preceding parity field. This vector is scaled so that it refers to a second dual prime macroblock in the opposite parity field, that is the parity field of opposite parity with respect to the first best match macroblock which defines the center of a dual prime search window. Then, the average of the first best match macroblock and the set of second dual prime macroblocks in the dual prime search window is taken and the search window is searched to determine the best match dual prime macroblock. The search is typically conducted at half pixel locations inside a one square pixel dual prime search window. The appropriate dual prime motion vector and differential motion vector (dmv) are formed. These are motion vectors which point to both the first best match macroblock and the best match dual prime macroblock.

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