METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETECTING MOTION VECTOR, COMPUTER READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM, AND MOTION VECTOR DETECTING PROGRAM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correctly detect a motion vector even in the case that a motion smaller than a pixel is included in an image. SOLUTION: A block correlation value calculation part 12 takes out image signals Ss of a plurality of candidate images which are included in a motion search range and are in different positions and have a prescribed block size, from an image signal SB of a second image on the basis of an image signal Sr of a reference image having a prescribed block size in the first image and a signal SP representative of the position of the reference image and calculates the sum of absolute values of errors between the reference image and the candidate images as a correlation value D. A correlation value addition part 18 adds correlation values of close candidate images to calculate a plurality of evaluation values. A minimum addition value discrimination part 20 discriminates the smallest evaluation value out of the plurality of evaluation values. A motion vector determination part 22 discriminates the smallest correlation value in accordance with correlation values used for calculation of the smallest evaluation value and determines a motion vector on the basis of positions of candidate images used for calculation of the discriminated correlation value and the position of the reference image. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO