Abstract: A moving picture encoding method capable of using a reference frame number in multi-frame motion prediction and variable-length code reference frame information corresponding to the number includes the steps of: calculating a reference frequency of the reference frame; acquiring, with the reference frequency, reference frame identification information so that a ratio of a reference frame index code occupying a bit stream is reduced; and multiplexing the reference frame identification information together with encoded moving picture data. Instead of the calculation of the reference frequency, the reference frequency of the reference frame may be estimated by calculating a frame similarity.

Abstract: A video encoding method comprises the steps of converting syntax data of an image block into a binary sequence; encoding each symbol of the binary sequence subject to its corresponding context; estimating the number of bits required for the binary arithmetic encoding of the syntax data of the image block; deciding whether to encode the syntax data of the image block to output it responding to the estimated bit number; and updating the context corresponding the syntax data decided to be encoded and to be outputted and not updating the context corresponding to the syntax data decided not to be encoded and not to be outputted. The estimating step uses the maximum value of the number of arithmetic encoding output bits for its input symbols as the aforementioned number of bits.

Abstract: A terminal, information generating servers and a positional information server are provided. The information generating servers are installed in respectively corresponding to a plurality of objects. Each object may be divided into small blocks as one or more spatial regions and a case is included in which the block is the small block. One or more image acquisition cameras are provided which acquire an internal image of each object or an external image in which surroundings of each object are seen from the object. A display image to be transmitted to the terminal is generated from the internal image or the external image of each object based on at least one of terminal positional information indicating a position of the terminal and terminal directional information indicating a direction of the terminal. While pointing a to-be-identified target object among the objects, the terminal detects, detects the terminal positional information and the terminal directional information.

Abstract: Intended is to obtain a video encoding device, a video encoding method, and a video encoding program which enable to prevent reduction in compression efficiency caused by drastic changes in symbol occurrence probabilities in context adaptive coding, and a video decoding device, a video decoding method and a decoding program corresponding thereto. The video data 101 is input into video encoding device on a macroblock basis, and after quantization, the PCM determination unit 139 determines whether the coded data 123 is PCM mode or not. Even when the coded data 123 is PCM mode, the context updating unit 301 executes context updating processing so as to improve efficiency of binary arithmetic coding. According to the determination of PCM mode or non PCM mode, the third switch 148 supplies either binary arithmetic coding output or PCM coding output as its output data.

Abstract: An image encoding apparatus, an image encoding method, and an image encoding program capable of minimizing image degradation, controlling a code amount in units smaller than a picture, and ensuring that encoding of the picture is completed within a certain time period is provided. A symbol number estimating device estimates the total bin number of a plurality of macro blocks constituting a picture. An entropy encoding selector outputs the entropy encoding mode selecting signal to an entropy encoder using the inputted bin number, in order to select one of a CABAC device or a VLC device. A CPU performs image encoding by executing a control program stored in a program storing portion.

Abstract: It is possible to provide a dynamic image encoding technique capable of performing high image quality encoding while eliminating formation of a vector field subjectively not desired. A dynamic image encoding device includes: inter-frame prediction means for inter-frame predicting an image in a block unit; motion vector calculation means for calculating a reference frame and a motion vector used for the inter-frame prediction of the block; prediction motion vector calculation means for calculating a prediction motion vector for prediction-encoding the motion vector of the block; skip mode motion vector calculation means for calculating a skip mode motion vector of a skip mode by using a context of a block spatially adjacent to the block; and skip mode validity judging means for judging whether the skip mode is valid as the encoding mode of the block.

Abstract: When entropy-encoding a converted quantized amount obtained by converting an image into a frequency region and quantizing it, if the output code bit quantity of the entropy encoding exceeds a predetermined amount, an image obtained by rebuilding the converted quantized value is outputted from an image encoding device. This guarantees an encoding delay caused by re-encoding to be a constant time without increasing the circuit size of the encoding device and provides an image encoding device of a subjectively high quality.

Abstract: An intra-forecast mode selecting method is provided to select an intra-forecast mode suitable for intra-forecast coding of a coding subject block from intra-forecast modes including a DC intra-forecasting mode based on a difference in forecast between a coding amount of the intra-forecast mode and an intra-forecast. The intra-forecast mode selecting method is comprised of intra-forecast mode selecting means for correcting the coding amount of the DC intra-forecast mode to be equal to that of the other intra-forecast or less to select an intra-forecast mode based on a difference in forecast between the coding amount of the corrected DC intra-forecast and the intra-forecast.

Abstract: When an original image in which an object to be concealed is mosaicked is so reduced as to have a low resolution, the mosaic block size at the lowered resolution is computed. It is judged whether or not the concealed object can be perceived by the eye of a human even though the object is mosaicked with the reduced mosaic block size. If so, the concealed object is re-mosaicked with an adequate re-mosaic block size. With this, even for a reduced image reduced by lowering the resolution of the original image in which the object to be concealed is mosaicked, the privacy of the concealed object can be protected.

Abstract: If a reference frame displayed at the reproduction side immediately before a current image frame to be encoded is an inter encoding image frame, a quantization control device (999) appropriately corrects the level (quantization value) of an intra encoding so as to visually reduce I-frame flicker caused by a difference between the inter encoding noise characteristic of the inter encoding image frame and the noise characteristic of the current intra encoding.

Abstract: An object to be attained by the present invention is to provide an image encoding technology for reducing the number of transform operations required in SATD calculation in intra-frame predictive direction estimation using a method involving no image quality degeneration. An image encoding apparatus of the present invention transforms an input pixel block having N×M pixels into N×M transform coefficients; locally transforms an intra-frame predicted pixel block having N×M pixels based on the property of intra-frame prediction; and detects the best intra-frame predictive direction by comparing transform coefficients of the transformed input pixel block with transform coefficients of an intra-frame predicted pixel block in each intra-frame predictive direction.

Abstract: In macroblocks to which a prediction mode determination step, which determines whether or not a prediction mode applied to the macroblocks is a predetermined prediction mode, and an encoded data selection step, which selects a predetermined type of encoded data corresponding to the pixels at predetermined positions in the macroblocks to which the predetermined prediction mode is applied, are applied, there is provided a bit distribution step for more preferentially distributing bits to a predetermined type of encoded data selected at the encoded data selection step than a predetermined type of encoded data that is not selected at the encoded data selection step in the macroblocks to which the predetermined prediction mode is applied.

Abstract: A moving picture encoding method for performing a multi-frame motion prediction with reference to a plurality of picture frames, comprises: including, in reference frames used for the multi-frame motion prediction, a frame that has been encoded in a higher picture quality than the other frames of the same picture type. The frame encoded in the higher picture quality is a P-picture frame or a B-picture frame, for example, and preferably is a frame to which more code amount is assigned than the other frames of the same picture type or a frame having a smaller quantizing parameter than the other frames of the same picture type.

Abstract: A block dead zone scale generator (202) receives an image signal and a prediction error, analyzes the pattern or prediction performance of a target block, and outputs a dead zone scale suitable for the pattern or prediction performance of the block. A dead zone generator (201) receives a dead zone scale from the block dead zone scale generator (202) and an MB quantization parameter from a quantization control device (103), calculates a dead zone width from the zone scale and the MB quantization parameter, and outputs the dead zone width. A quantization device (102) quantizes an orthogonal transformation coefficient supplied from an orthogonal transformation device (101) by using a dead zone from the dead zone generator (201), and outputs a quantized transformation coefficient.

Abstract: A moving picture encoding method capable of using a reference frame number in multi-frame motion prediction and variable-length code reference frame information corresponding to the number includes the steps of: calculating a reference frequency of the reference frame; acquiring, with the reference frequency, reference frame identification information so that a ratio of a reference frame index code occupying a bit stream is reduced; and multiplexing the reference frame identification information together with encoded moving picture data. Instead of the calculation of the reference frequency, the reference frequency of the reference frame may be estimated by calculating a frame similarity.

Abstract: The present invention seeks to provide a solution to the problem that motion compensation in an encoding method of the prior art involves decimal point picture element interpolation by means of fixed filters and therefore cannot realize interpolation of decimal point picture elements that accords with the nature and bit rate of a moving picture.