Abstract: An image coding and decoding system is provided that includes an image coding apparatus and an image decoding apparatus. The image coding apparatus includes a coder that codes an input image, a first decoder that decodes the coded image to obtain a first reconstructed image, a first pixel difference value obtainer, a first average deriver, a first threshold value setter, a first comparator, and a first remover that removes a coding distortion. The image decoding apparatus includes an obtainer that obtains the first quantization parameter of the first block and the second quantization parameter of the second block, a second decoder that decodes the coded image, a second pixel difference value obtainer, a second average deriver, a second comparator, and a second remover that removes a coding distortion in an area disposed on both sides of a block boundary between the first block and the second block.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: A picture decoding method is provided for decoding coded picture data. The decoding method includes decoding coded picture data to obtain a first transform block and an adjacent second transform block in a reconstructed picture having a plurality of blocks forming a moving picture image. The decoding method also includes determining whether the first transform block is located inside a motion-compensation block in which the second transform block is located. The decoding method further includes performing a filtering on pixels in a block boundary between the first and second transform blocks when the first transform block is located outside the motion-compensation block in which the second transform block is located, and performing no filtering on the pixels in the block boundary between the first and second transform blocks when the first transform block is located inside the motion-compensation block in which the second transform block is located.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: The current invention provides methods for 3D content capturing, 3D content coding and packaging at content production side, and 3D content consuming and rendering at display or terminal side, in order to ensure healthy and effective 3D viewing all the time. According to the current invention, maximum disparity and 3D budget, which are scene dependent, are calculated, utilized for coding and embedded in the coded streams or media file, and checked against the allowable values during the content rendering, so to determine if the same 3D content can be shown to the user according to the viewing condition which the user has. In the case where a healthy 3D viewing guideline cannot be met, it is suggested to adjust the 3D content for its new maximum disparity and 3D budget to be within the allowable range, to achieve healthy and effective 3D viewing for that user with his/her viewing condition.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: An image coding and decoding system is provided that includes an image coding apparatus and an image decoding apparatus. The image coding apparatus includes a coder that codes an input image, a first decoder that decodes the coded image to obtain a first reconstructed image, a first pixel difference value obtainer, a first average deriver, a first threshold value setter, a first comparator, and a first remover that removes a coding distortion. The image decoding apparatus includes an obtainer that obtains the first quantization parameter of the first block and the second quantization parameter of the second block, a second decoder that decodes the coded image, a second pixel difference value obtainer, a second average deriver, a second comparator, and a second remover that removes a coding distortion in an area disposed on both sides of a block boundary between the first block and the second block.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a new viewpoint image includes: a new viewpoint image generation unit that shifts the foreground image region in the input image, based on a depth map to generate a new viewpoint image including a missing pixel region; a representative background pixel selection unit that selects background pixels located a predetermined number of pixels away from edge pixels, as representative background pixels; a texture direction map calculation unit that calculates a texture direction of each of the selected representative background pixels, to calculate a texture direction map indicating texture directions, each corresponding to one of missing pixels, based on locations of the representative background pixels and locations of the missing pixels included in the missing pixel region; and a hole-filling processing unit that fills the missing pixel region with the obtained background pixels in accordance with the texture direction map.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: A picture encoding method of the present invention is a picture encoding method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference and whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for output which needs to be stored until its display time, and storing, in the picture buffer, the picture for reference and the picture for output based on the determination result.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: A picture encoding method of the present invention is a picture encoding method of predictively encoding an input picture with reference to pictures stored in a picture buffer, decoding the encoded input picture, judging whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for reference and whether or not the decoded picture is a picture for output which needs to be stored until its display time, and storing, in the picture buffer, the picture for reference and the picture for output based on the determination result.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus includes an inter-pixel filter having filters for filtering decoded image data so as to remove block distortion which is high frequency noise around block boundaries. The inter-pixel filter includes filters having different filtering strengths. The coding apparatus also includes a filter processing control unit for determining a filtering strength of the inter-pixel filter.

Abstract: An image decoding method is provided which includes a time information determination step of determining time information of a current picture, a first reference picture referred to by the current picture and a second reference picture referred to by the current picture; a scaling parameter calculation step of calculating a scaling parameter based on a time distance between the first reference picture and a second reference picture; a weighting coefficient determination step of determining two weighting coefficients based on the scaling parameter; a predictive pixel value generation step of generating a predictive pixel value of the current picture by scaling a pixel value of the first reference picture and a pixel value of the second reference picture using the two weighting coefficients determined in the weighting coefficient determination step; and a decoding step of decoding the current picture using the predictive pixel value.