An Efficient Wavelet-Based Motion Estimation Algorithm

In this paper, we propose a wavelet-based fast motion estimation algorithm for video sequence encoding with a low bit-rate. By using one of the properties of wavelet transform, multi-resolution analysis (MRA), and the spatial interpolation of an image, we can simultaneously reduce the prediction error and the computational complexity inherent in video sequence encoding. In addition, by defining a significant block (SB) based on the differential information of wavelet coefficients between successive frames, the proposed algorithm enables us to make up for the increase in the number of motion vectors when the MRME algorithm is used. As a result, we are not only able to improve the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), but also reduce the computational complexity by up to 67%. key words: motion estimation, wavelet video coding, multi-layers, interpolation