Fast block-based motion estimation via DC matching

This paper introduces a fast block-based motion estimation algorithm based on matching DC components. The idea is simple: blocks cannot match well if their corresponding DC components do not match well. We can take advantage of this observation to translate the expensive 2D block matching problem to a simpler 1D matching one by quickly eliminating a majority of matching candidates. Our novel motion estimation algorithm offers computational scalability through a single parameter and global optimum can still be achieved. Moreover, an efficient implementation of computing DCs and buffering recyclable data is also presented. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm is several times faster than the exhaustive search algorithm with nearly identical prediction performance.