Fast block motion estimation using quadrant-based multi dodecagon search algorithm

The block matching motion estimation is a very time consuming part in video compression standard. In this paper, we propose anew fast motion estimation algorithm, which improves on the UMHexagonS search algorithm. The multi-hexagon-grid search pattern is replaced by a quadrant-based multi-dodecagon grid search (QBMDD) pattern in order to reduce the computational complexity and effectively predict the optimal motion vectors. The proposed algorithm can find a motion vector with fewer search points than the UMHexagonS algorithm. The simulation experimentation results show that the proposed algorithm has a better performance compared with the UMHexagonS algorithm and it reduces the number of search points and maintains similar peak signal noise ratio (PSNR) values, without loss of its coding accuracy.