Spatial block merge mode

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more neighboring blocks spatially located with a current block of video content to form a merge mode for the current block;

analyzing the motion vector differences of the one or more neighboring blocks; selecting motion parameters of the one or more neighboring blocks for encoding the current block;

encoding the current block using the selected motion parameters; and

transmitting information to a decoder to indicate which motion parameters from the one or more selected neighboring blocks to use in decoding the current block, wherein the encoded current block will share the same motion parameters as the selected neighboring block, and

wherein the merge mode information sending no bits, flags or indexes to indicate the selected neighboring block.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences comprises assigning, MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D as motion vectors (MVs) of spatial neighboring blocks A, B, C, and D.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences comprises assigning reftdx A , reftdx B , reftdx C , reftdx D as reference pictures pointed by MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D , individually.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises scaling MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D to the same reference picture.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises calculating spatial MV differences between MV A and MV D and between MV B and MV C .

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises comparing the norm of ΔMV AD to the norm of ΔMV BC .

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the top block B, if the norm of ΔMV AD is smaller than or equal to the norm of ΔMV BC , wherein the current block and B will share the same MV B and reftdx B .

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the with the left block A if the norm of ΔMV AD is greater than the norm of ΔMV BC , wherein the current block and A will share the same MV A and reftdx A .

9. A method comprising:

receiving a merge mode for a current block of video content, wherein the merge mode is selected from a candidate list, wherein the candidate list comprises neighboring blocks that are spatially located with the current block;

analyzing the motion vector differences of the neighboring blocks; and

determining which candidate block is identified in the merge mode candidate list for decoding a current block of video content,

wherein the merge mode information sending no bits, flags or indexes to indicate the selected candidate block.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises assigning, MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D as motion vectors (MVs) of spatial neighbors A, B, C, and D, and assigning reftdx A , reftdx B , reftdx C , reftdx D as reference pictures pointed by MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D , individually.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises scaling MV A , MV B , MV C , MV D to the same reference picture.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises calculating spatial MV differences between MV A and MV D and between MV B and MV C .

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises comparing the norm of ΔMV AD to the norm of ΔMV BC .

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the top block B, if the norm of ΔMV AD is smaller than or equal to the norm of ΔMV BC , wherein the current block and B will share the same MV B and reftdx B .

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the with the left block A if the norm of ΔMV AD is greater than the norm of ΔMV BC , wherein the current block and A will share the same MV A and reftdx A .

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises calculating spatial MV differences between MV A and MV D and between MV B and MV D .

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein analyzing the motion vector differences additionally comprises comparing the norm of ΔMV AD to the norm of ΔMV BD .

18. The method of claim 9 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the top block B, if the norm of ΔMV AD is smaller than or equal to the norm of ΔMV BD , wherein the current block and B will share the same MV B and reftdx B .

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein the encoding comprises merging the current block with the with the left block A if the norm of ΔMV AD is greater than the norm of ΔMV BD , wherein the current block and A will share the same MV A and reftdx A .

20. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to be operable to:

determine one or more neighboring blocks spatially located with a current block of video content to form a merge mode for the current block;

analyze the motion vector differences of the one or more neighboring;

select motion parameters of the one or more neighboring blocks for encoding the current block; and

signal information to a decoder to indicate which motion parameters from a candidate block on the merge mode candidate list to use in decoding the current block, wherein the merge mode information sending no bits, flags or indexes are used to indicate the selected candidate block.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , further operable to:

determine motion parameters for at least one spatially-located neighboring block to the current block of video content, the at least one spatially-located block located in a same picture as the current block; and

identify the at least one spatially-located block in a merge mode candidate list.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the signal comprises a set of rules at an encoder to allow the decoder to determine which motion parameters from the candidate block on the merge mode candidate list to use.

23. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for controlling the one or more computer processors to be operable to:

receive signaling including a merge mode candidate list, the merge mode candidate list identifying candidate blocks in which motion parameters are candidates to be used for the current block;

analyze the motion vector differences of the one or more neighboring;

determine which candidate block is identified in the merge mode candidate list for decoding a current block of video content; and

use motion parameters for the spatially-located block in decoding the current block of video content, the spatially-located block located in the same picture as the current block,

wherein the merge mode information sending no bits, flags or indexes are used to indicate the selected candidate block.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the merge mode candidate list includes at least one spatially-located block to the current block, the at least one spatially-located block located in a same picture as the current block, and if the at least one spatially-located block is identified in the candidate list for decoding the current block, further operable to:

use motion parameters for the at least one spatially-located block in decoding the current block of video content.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein determine which candidate block comprises to follow a set of rules to determine which merge mode to use to determine which motion parameters from the candidate block to use in decoding the current block.