Motion vector detector and motion vector detecting method

Abstract

A vector motion detector is provided which corrects the quantity of a motion vector determined with the block matching technique between a reference block taking a reference pixel extracted from a current frame as its origin and a search block extracted from a reference frame and moving within or along the circumference of a search range and which is outside the search range. The vector motion detector makes the motion vector quantity correction so that the motion vector will fall within the search rang. Thus, it can provide a smooth motion of even an image that moves fast.