Abstract: An image coding apparatus records stereoscopic video partially as 2D video so as to enable display to be performed while seamlessly switching between 3D video and 2D video, and includes: a control unit that sets one of a 2D coding mode and a 3D coding mode which are modes of coding the stereoscopic video so that, when displayed in 3D, the stereoscopic video is displayed as 2D video and 3D video respectively; and a coding unit that, in the case where the control unit switches from the 3D coding mode to the 2D coding mode, codes the to stereoscopic video according to a 3D coding standard in the 3D coding mode, and codes the stereoscopic video according to the 3D coding standard using a coding condition in the 2D coding mode, the coding condition being a condition for causing the stereoscopic video to be viewed as the 2D video when displayed.

Abstract: A stereo video coding apparatus which codes, out of a first viewpoint video and second viewpoint video, at least a second image included in the second viewpoint video, and includes: a judgment unit and a selection unit which output one of a prediction image generated by applying motion compensation to the second viewpoint video and a prediction image generated by applying disparity compensation to the first viewpoint video, by selectively switching between the prediction images; a subtractor; an orthogonal transform unit; a quantization unit; and a control unit which determines a quantization step size to be used by the quantization unit. The control unit determines a quantization step size to be applied to the second image to be a value smaller than a quantization step size to be applied to a first image that is paired with the second image, when the judgment unit selects the prediction image generated by applying disparity compensation.

Abstract: To provide a motion vector estimating device which is capable of calculating the optimum motion vector by a trade-off between the bit rate of a motion vector and a differential amount, and estimating a motion vector in a pipeline structure at high speed, a motion vector estimating method which enables the same.

Abstract: To provide an image coding apparatus and an image coding method that allow selecting, according to an image in a macroblock to be coded, a most appropriate intra prediction mode for controlling the amount of generated code. The image coding apparatus includes: a block feature quantity calculating unit (102) which calculates, based on pixel values of pixels in the current macroblock in an input image, statistical information of each of the pixel values; an intra-prediction block size determining unit (103) which determines, based on the calculated statistical information, an intra-prediction block size according to a predetermined reference such that a larger intra-prediction block size is more likely to be selected when a degree of change in the pixel value corresponding to a predetermined direction in the current macroblock is smaller; and a coding unit (105) which performs intra-prediction coding on the current macroblock, in units of the intra-prediction block having the determined size.

Abstract: A video coding apparatus includes: a change amount detection unit that detects, based on pixel data included in a target block to be coded, an amount of change indicating a displacement between a top field and a bottom field caused by a difference in image capture time between the top field and the bottom field which are consecutive; a quantization width determination unit that determines, as a quantization width used for the target block, a first quantization width when the amount of change is a first value, and a second quantization width when the amount of change is a second value that is larger than the first value, the second quantization width being smaller than the first quantization width; and a quantization unit that quantizes the target block using the quantization width determined by the quantization width determination unit.

Abstract: A coding method conversion apparatus converts the first coded data coded by the first coding method into the second coded data. The coding method conversion apparatus includes: an H.264 decoder which decodes the first coded data; a deblocking filter strength calculation unit which calculates a filter strength of deblocking filtering of a second coding method, using at least one piece of decoding information except a coding type of the first coded data, the decoding information being obtained by decoding the first coded data; and a deblocking filter which performs the deblocking filtering to reduce noise in a boundary of blocks according to the filter strength calculated by the deblocking filter strength calculation unit.

Abstract: To provide a recording and reproducing apparatus that recovers contents having approximately the same quality as the original contents in a short time and requiring only light processing load, at the time of (a) moving the contents from the first recording medium to the second recording medium, (b) rewriting the contents in order to disable reproduction of the contents, (c) reconstructing the original contents by recovering the contents from the second recording medium to the first recording medium. The recording and reproducing apparatus includes a move processing unit 72a and a recovery processing unit 73a. The former records reconstruction information on the second recording medium in association with the second contents, the reconstruction information being used in reconstructing one or more parts of the contents that have been rewritten in order to disable reproduction of the contents at the time of moving the contents.

Abstract: A device coding a moving picture in units of a group including pictures, including: a generation unit generating quantization matrices; a selection unit selecting a quantization matrix for a current picture; a unit storing the quantization matrices in a header part of the group, and coding the current picture; a unit including a virtual buffer, and performing buffer simulation based on an amount of bits to be outputted; and a unit determining whether bit amount reducing is required for the current picture, based on a result of the buffer simulation, wherein the generation unit generates a normal quantization matrix used in common for at least one of the pictures, and a quantization matrix for bit amount reducing used only when the bit amount reducing is required, and the selection unit selecting the quantization matrix for bit amount reducing used for the current picture, when the bit amount reducing is required.

Abstract: A video coding device (100) includes a buffer simulation unit (103) that calculates an occupation amount of a virtual buffer to be used for controlling a coding amount, by using, for each picture, (a) a code length of a code that is an intermediate result of compression coding and (b) a code length of a compressed code that is a final result of the compression coding. This means that, for a picture that has not yet processed by an arithmetic coding unit (102), an occupation amount of the virtual buffer is calculated by using a code length of codes provided from a binarization unit (101).

Abstract: To provide an image coding apparatus capable of completing a coding process within a predetermined period. An image coding apparatus, which codes an input image on a block basis using pipeline processing, 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; a judging unit which judges, on a block basis, whether the code amount of the coded data is larger than a predetermined threshold; and a control unit which changes, to a predetermined specified coding type, the coding type of a first block and the coding type of a second block which is at least one of blocks currently being pipeline-processed, when the code amount of coded data generated by coding the first block is judged to be larger than the threshold.

Abstract: Video signal coding apparatus includes: a quantization unit which quantizes, using coefficient values in a first quantization matrix, a luminance signal of each of a first picture and a second picture coded after the first picture, and quantizes, using coefficient values in a second quantization matrix, a chrominance signal of each of the first picture and the second picture; a code amount obtainment unit which obtains a luminance code amount and a chrominance code amount of each of the first picture and the second picture; a rate calculation unit which 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, obtained by the code amount obtainment unit; and a rate control unit which 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

Abstract: The image coding apparatus comprises: a decoding unit 102 which decodes first coded data to generate a decoded picture and decoding information containing motion vectors; a coding unit 104 which codes, 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; a basic motion information generating unit 105 which generates basic motion information from either the decoding information or the coding information which has been selected based on a coding condition indicating a picture type of a current decoded picture to be coded by the coding unit, wherein the coding unit 104 determines a search range for estimating motion vectors of the current decoded picture, according to the basic motion information generated by the basic motion information generating unit 105, and estimates motion vectors of the current decoded picture in the determined search range.

Abstract: To provide an image coding apparatus and an image coding method for reliably suppressing delays in image coding processing while suppressing increases in circuit size. An image coding apparatus (100) includes: an image coding unit (101) which generates a coded picture by sequentially coding a plurality of input pictures; a skipped picture generation unit (104) which generates a skipped picture; an entropy coding unit (102) which performs entropy coding on the coded picture and the skipped picture; and a coding control unit (103) which determines whether or not entropy coding has generated a coded picture including a macroblock having a code amount exceeding a threshold value, and which causes the skipped picture generation unit (104) to generate a skipped picture based on a specific picture that is one of the plurality of input pictures that corresponds to the coded picture, without causing the image coding unit (101) to perform coding.

Abstract: The 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: The image coding apparatus comprises: a decoding unit 102 which decodes first coded data to generate a decoded picture and decoding information containing motion vectors; a coding unit 104 which codes, 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; a basic motion information generating unit 105 which generates 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 is search range, and generates the second coded data including the coded picture and coding information containing the estimated motion vectors.

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: The picture coding apparatus, which optimizes data amount of coded picture data without entailing an increase in circuit size and/or power consumption, includes: a picture input unit which obtains a moving picture signal Vin; a buffer; a lead detecting unit which detects a lead portion from the moving picture represented by the moving picture signal Vin; a coding unit which codes the moving picture signal Vin in the lead portion detected by the lead detecting unit, according to a coding condition for temporary coding; and a coding condition generating unit which generates a coding condition for actual coding, based on the result of the coding by the coding unit and the coding condition for temporary coding. Then, 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.

Abstract: The image coding apparatus according to the present invention is an image coding apparatus, including an imaging unit, a chroma quantization width adjustment unit configured to determine a chroma quantization width using a first method when the amount of the incident light on the imaging unit is larger than the predetermined amount, and to adjust the chroma quantization width such that the chroma quantization width is larger than a quantization width determined using the first method when the light amount judging unit judges that the amount of the incident light is smaller than the predetermined amount, and a luma quantization width adjustment unit configured to determine a luma quantization width using a second method without being dependent on the amount of the incident light.

Abstract: To provide a recording and reproducing apparatus that recovers contents having approximately the same quality as the original contents in a short time and requiring only light processing load, at the time of (a) moving the contents from the first recording medium to the second recording medium, (b) rewriting the contents in order to disable reproduction of the contents, (c) reconstructing the original contents by recovering the contents from the second recording medium to the first recording medium. The recording and reproducing apparatus includes a move processing unit 72a and a recovery processing unit 73a. The former records reconstruction information on the second recording medium in association with the second contents, the reconstruction information being used in reconstructing one or more parts of the contents that have been rewritten in order to disable reproduction of the contents at the time of moving the contents.

Abstract: To provide a motion vector estimating device which is capable of calculating the optimum motion vector by a trade-off between the bit rate of a motion vector and a differential amount, and estimating a motion vector in a pipeline structure at high speed, a motion vector estimating method which enables the same.