Adaptive fast block-matching algorithm by switching search patterns for sequences with wide-range motion content

Content with rapid, moderate, and slow motion is frequently mixed together in real video sequences. Until now, no fast block-matching algorithm (FBMA), including the well-known three-step search (TSS), the block-based gradient descent search (BBGDS), and the diamond search (DS), can efficiently remove the temporal redundancy of sequences with wide range motion content. This paper proposes an adaptive FBMA, called A-TDB, to solve this problem. Based on the characteristics of a proposed predicted profit list, the A-TDB can adaptively switch search patterns among the TSS, DS, and BBGDS, according to the motion content. Experimental results reveal that the A-TDB successfully adopts the search patterns to remove the temporal redundancy of sequences with slow, moderate and rapid motion content.