Abstract: An integrated circuit for video/audio processing in which design resources obtained by development of video/audio devices can also be used for other types of video/audio devices. The integrated circuit includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU, a stream input/output for inputting/outputting a video and audio stream to and from an external device, a media processor that executes the media processing including at least one of compressing and decompressing the video and audio stream inputted to the stream input/output, an AV input/output that converts the video and audio stream subjected to the media processing by the media processor into video and audio signals and outputting these signals to the external device. A memory interface controls a data transfer between the microcomputer, the stream input/output, the media processor and the AV input/output and an external memory.

Abstract: An integrated circuit for video/audio processing in which design resources obtained by development of video/audio devices can also be used for other types of video/audio devices. The integrated circuit includes a microcomputer that includes a CPU, a stream input/output for inputting/outputting a video and audio stream to and from an external device, a media processor that executes the media processing including at least one compressing and decompressing the video and audio stream inputted to the stream input/output, an AV input/output that converts the video and audio stream subjected to the media processing by the media processor into video and audio signals and outputting these signals to the external device. A memory interface controls a data transfer between the microcomputer, the stream input/output, the media processor and the AV input/output and an external memory.

Abstract: A video encoding device, in the case where a video of the progressive format is inputted, processes a frame as a picture, in the case where a video of the interlace format is inputted, processes a field as a picture. A video encoding device generates code string by generating display control information corresponding to a format of the video and describing the display control information in the code string. The display control information includes sequence unit display control information which is commonly used in a display process of all pictures that belong to a sequence to be decoded and picture unit display control information which is individually used in a display process of a picture to be decoded. A second code string generator stores each of the sequence unit display control information and the picture unit display control information in an extended information area generated in units of pictures.

Abstract: A video decoding device, in the case where a video of the progressive format is inputted, processes a frame as a picture, in the case where a video of the interlace format is inputted, processes a field as a picture. A video decoding device performs display control corresponding to a format of the both video by analyzing display control information in display control information analyzer. The display control information includes sequence unit display control information which is commonly used in a display process of all pictures that belong to a sequence to be decoded and picture unit display control information which is individually used in a display process of a picture to be decoded. A second code string analyzer acquires each of the sequence unit display control information and the picture unit display control information from an extended information area in units of pictures.

Abstract: Video signal coding apparatus includes a quantization unit which quantizes a luminance signal of each of a first picture and a second picture coded after the first picture, and quantizes a chrominance signal of each of the first picture and the second picture. A code amount obtainment unit obtains a luminance code amount and a chrominance code amount of each of the first picture and the second picture; and a rate calculation unit calculates a rate of the chrominance code amount with respect to the luminance code amount for each of the first picture and the second picture. A rate control unit changes a coefficient value of at least one of the first matrix and the second matrix used in quantizing the second picture, before the quantization unit quantizes the second picture, so that the rate for the second picture becomes smaller than the rate for the first picture.

Abstract: A video image encoding device, in a first mode, variable-length-encodes a residual coefficient to generate a coefficient code string, outputs the coefficient code string and the header information in a state in which the header information is associated with the coefficient code string, in a second mode, directly uses a differential image as a coefficient code string without variable-length-encoding the differential image, and outputs the coefficient code string and the header information in a state in which the header information is associated with the coefficient code string.

Abstract: A video image decoding device receives, as the code string to be decoded, a first code string to be decoded including information based on an encoded residual coefficient and header information or a second code string to be decoded including a residual image obtained in encoding the code string to be decoded and header information. The video image decoding device, when the code string to be decoded that is received by the receiver is the first code string to be decoded, adds the residual decoded image and the predictive image to each other to generate and output a reconstructed image and, when the code string to be decoded received by the receiver is the second code string to be decoded, adds a residual image included in the second code string to be decoded and the predictive image to each other to generate and output a reconstructed image.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes a coding unit which generates coded data on a block basis, by coding the input image; a switching unit which selects and outputs either the coded data or uncompressed image data corresponding to the coded data; and a judging unit which judges, on a block basis, whether the code amount of the coded data is larger than a predetermined threshold. A control unit changes, to a predetermined specified coding type, the coding type of a first block and the coding type of a second block when the code amount of coded data generated by coding the first block is judged to be larger than the threshold, and the switching unit outputs the uncompressed image data corresponding to the coded data when the coding type of the coded data is the specified coding type.

Abstract: A video encoding apparatus includes: an obtaining unit which sequentially obtains pictures included in video signals; and an encoding unit which (i) encodes an anchor picture in a first video signal using only an intra prediction, and outputs the anchor picture in an I-picture format, (ii) encodes an anchor picture in a second video signal using only the intra prediction, and outputs the anchor picture in a P-picture format, and (iii) encodes pictures other than the anchor pictures and included in the first and second video signals using the intra prediction or an inter prediction in a temporal direction.

Abstract: A provided three-dimensional video encoding apparatus adaptively switches a method of setting a reference picture according to a parallax between right and left sides, thereby improving encoding efficiency. A parallax acquisition unit 101 calculates parallax information on a first viewpoint video signal and a second viewpoint video signal according to a parallax matching method or the like. A reference picture setting unit 102 determines, from the parallax information, reference picture setting information on the selection of the reference picture in the encoding of a picture to be encoded, and the allocation of a reference index to the reference picture. An encoding unit 103 compresses and encodes the image data of the picture to be encoded, according to reference picture selection information.

Abstract: Provided is an image coding apparatus including a decoding unit 102 decoding first coded data to generate a decoded picture and decoding information containing motion vectors and including a coding unit 104 coding, in a second coding scheme, the decoded picture generated by the decoding unit 102, to generate second coded data including a coded picture and coding information containing motion vectors. The image coding apparatus also includes a basic motion information generating unit 105 generating basic motion information from either the decoding information or the coding information, wherein the coding unit 104 determines a search range for estimating motion vectors of the decoded picture, according to the basic motion information generated by the basic motion information generating unit 105, estimates motion vectors of the decoded picture in the determined search range, and generates the second coded data including the coded picture and coding information containing the estimated motion vectors.

Abstract: Provided is an image coding apparatus including a decoding unit 102 decoding first coded data to generate a decoded picture and decoding information containing motion vectors and including a coding unit 104 coding, in a second coding scheme, the decoded picture generated by the decoding unit 102, to generate second coded data including a coded picture and coding information containing motion vectors. The image coding apparatus also includes a basic motion information generating unit 105 generating basic motion information from the decoding information or the coding information selected based on a coding condition indicating a picture type of a current decoded picture to be coded. The coding unit 104 also determines a search range for estimating motion vectors of the current decoded picture, according to the basic motion information, and estimates motion vectors of the current decoded picture in the determined search range.

Abstract: The present invention provides a motion vector estimation apparatus which can decrease circuit size by reducing the amount of computations for detecting a motion vector. The motion vector estimation apparatus in the present invention includes a motion vector estimation unit which estimates a motion vector MV0F for the target block BL0 by searching within a reference picture P1 for a block with an image similar to an image in the target block BL0, which is included in a picture B2; a prediction calculation unit and a prediction range control unit which specify a search range in the reference picture P1 based on the motion vector MV0F and; the motion vector estimation unit estimates the motion vector MV1F for the target block BL1 by searching in the search range for a block with an image similar to an image in the target block BL1, which is included in the picture B3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a content management device manages not to reproduce a part of contents in output source/destination concurrently, and manages to reproduce the whole contents in the original sequence continuously. A content management device is a device for managing reproduction of content from the first medium for which data corresponding to a part of the content output to the second medium. This device includes an outputting circuitry configured to output data corresponding to the part of the content, and a reproduction controller configured to disable reproduction of the part of the content recorded in the first medium when the outputting circuitry outputs the data corresponding to the part.

Abstract: A picture coding apparatus includes a picture feature amount extracting unit which extracts respective feature amounts of the current picture and a picture having a specific relationship with the current picture; a correlation degree calculating unit which calculates, based on the feature amount extracted by the feature amount extracting unit, a correlation degree indicating a degree of image similarity between the current picture and the picture having a specific relationship with the current picture; a picture type determining unit which determines, depending on the calculated correlation degree, a picture type for the current picture, from two picture types on which different inter-picture prediction is performed; and a coding unit which codes the current picture according to the determined picture type.

Abstract: A motion vector estimation apparatus that can reduce an amount of calculation for video coding processing and thus achieve a higher bit rate and lower consumption power, while contributing to improvement in image quality and coding efficiency include: a reduced picture generation unit which generates a reduced current picture to be coded and a reduced reference picture; a region partition unit which partitions a reduced current picture to be coded into regions and generates reduced region images; a region motion vector estimation unit which estimates a region motion vector of a reduced region image; a confidence level calculation unit which calculates a confidence level of a region motion vector; and a block size narrowing-down unit which narrows down candidate block sizes so as to determine a block size to be used for coding a current block to be coded, based on a region motion vector and a confidence level of the region motion vector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a content management device that enables to reproduce a content with original quality even after the content has been converted to have lower quality to be moved, and further enables to notify a user of information regarding the moved content. The content management device includes: a communication unit connected to a communication pathway and configured to output a copy of recorded content received via a communication pathway for storing on an external medium; a content control unit configured to control the output of the recorded content and disable the reproduction of the recorded content when the copy is output; and a content information output unit configured to output externally attribute information comprising at least reproduction status information.

Abstract: A motion vector estimating device estimating a motion vector having high accuracy is provided. An eliminating unit eliminates each of pictures in a set of input pictures for each picture. A picture reducing unit reduces left pictures after the elimination, and generates reduced pictures. An overall motion vector estimating unit reads the reduced pictures, stored in the frame memory, as either reduced inputted pictures or reduced reference pictures, and estimates an overall motion vector between reduced pictures. Based on the overall motion vector estimated between the reduced pictures, a correction motion vector calculating unit calculates a motion vector between two reduced pictures as a correction motion vector. The correction motion vector calculating unit calculates the motion vector in the order of the inputted pictures in a pre-eliminated set of input pictures. A coding unit estimates the motion vector for each macroblock, using a determined search range, and performs cording processing.

Abstract: In order to improve the accuracy of a code amount estimated by using a predictive residual when coding at a low data rate, an encoder is utilized to perform picture coding processing on a picture to be coded which is an input signal, by using a technique such as H.264. Specifically, a code amount predictor predicts the code amount on the basis of an evaluation value obtained by predictive-residual code amount evaluation value generating unit, a coding-condition code amount evaluation value generating unit, and a motion-vector-information code amount evaluation value generating unit. The predicted code amount is used for controlling coding in the encoder.

Abstract: A picture coding apparatus, optimizing a data amount of coded picture data without entailing an increase in circuit size and/or power consumption, includes a picture input unit obtaining a moving picture signal Vin. Further, the picture coding apparatus includes a buffer, includes a lead detecting unit detecting a lead portion from the moving picture represented by the moving picture signal Vin, includes a coding unit coding the moving picture signal Vin in the lead portion detected by the lead detecting unit, according to a coding condition for temporary coding, and includes a coding condition generating unit generating a coding condition for actual coding, based on the result of the coding by the coding unit and the coding condition for temporary coding. Additionally, coding unit codes the moving picture signal Vin representing the moving picture including the aforementioned lead portion, according to the coding condition for actual coding.