Multi-standard reconfigurable motion estimation processor for hybrid video codecs

This study presents a programmable and configurable motion estimation (ME) processor capable of performing ME across several state-of-the-art video codecs that include multiple tools to improve the accuracy of the calculated motion vectors. The core can be programmed using a C-style syntax optimised to implement arbitrary block matching algorithms and configured with different execution units depending on the selected codec, the available inter-coding options and required performance. This flexibility means that the core can support the latest video codecs such as H.264, VC-1 and AVS at high-definition resolutions and frame rates. The configuration and programming phases are supported by an integrated development environment that includes a compiler and profiling tools enabling a designer without specific hardware knowledge to optimise the microarchitecture for the selected codec standard and motion search technique leading to a highly efficient implementation.