Video codec with shared intra-prediction module and method for use therewith

1. A video processing device having an encoding mode where the processing device encodes an input signal and a decoding mode where the video processing device decodes the input signal, the video processing device comprising:

an apparatus that includes:

a motion search module, that generates a motion search motion vector for each macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks;

a motion refinement module, coupled to the motion search module, that generates a refined motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the motion search motion vector, the motion refinement module including an interpolation filter that interpolates a plurality pixels for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks to form a plurality of interpolated pixels;

an intra-prediction module that generates a best intra prediction mode for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks; and

a mode decision module, coupled to the motion refinement module, the direct mode module and the intra-prediction module, that determines a final motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks based on costs associated with the refined motion vector, the direct mode motion vector, and the best intra prediction mode;

wherein the intra-prediction module performs an encoding function when the video processing device is in the encoding mode and performs a decoding function when the video processing device is in the decoding mode.

2. The video processing device of claim 1 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode each operate in one of, an H.264 standard, a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard, and a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard.

3. The video processing device of claim 1 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode selectively operate in accordance with a first standard when a standard selection signal has a first value and in accordance with a second standard when the standard selection signal has a second value.

4. A video processing system having an encoding mode where the processing device encodes an input signal and a decoding mode where the video processing system decodes the input signal, the video processing device comprising:

an apparatus that includes:

a motion search module, that generates a motion search motion vector for each macroblock of a plurality of macroblocks;

a motion refinement module, coupled to the motion search module, that generates a refined motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks, based on the motion search motion vector;

an intra-prediction module that generates a best intra prediction mode for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks wherein the intra-prediction module performs an encoding function when the video processing device is in the encoding mode and performs a decoding function when the video processing device is in the decoding mode;

a mode decision module, coupled to the motion refinement module, the direct mode module and the prediction module, that determines a final motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks based on costs associated with the refined motion vector, the direct mode motion vector, and the best intra prediction mode;

a reconstruction module, coupled to the mode decision module, that generates residual pixel values corresponding to the final motion vector for each macroblock of the plurality of macroblocks when in the video processing device is in the encoding mode and that generates unfiltered reconstructed frames when the video processing device is in the decoding mode and when in a video processing device is in the encoding mode; and

a transform and quantization module, coupled to the reconstruction module, that transforms and quantizes the residual pixel values when the video processing device is in the encoding mode and that forms residual pixel values by inverse transforming and dequantization when in a video processing device is in the decoding mode and when in a video processing device is in the encoding mode.

5. The video processing device of claim 4 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode each operate in one of, an H.264 standard, a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard, and a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard.

6. The video processing device of claim 5 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode selectively operate in accordance with a first standard when a standard selection signal has a first value and in accordance with a second standard when the standard selection signal has a second value.

7. A method comprising:

operating a video processing device in an encoding mode when a mode selection signal has a first value;

operating the video processing device in a decoding mode when the mode selection signal has a second value;

wherein the step of operating the video processing device in the encoding mode utilizes a intra-prediction module to perform an encoding function and wherein the step of operating the video processing device in the decoding mode utilizes the intra-prediction module to perform a decoding function.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode each operate in one of an H.264 standard, a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard, and a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the encoding mode and the decoding mode selectively operate in accordance with a first standard when a standard selection signal has a first value and in accordance with a second standard when the standard selection signal has a second value.