Abstract: A picture encoding method and a picture decoding method are provided which are capable of generating a view-synthesized picture of a processing target frame with small computational complexity without significantly degrading the quality of the view-synthesized picture when the view-synthesized, picture is generated.

Abstract: An picture encoding method includes steps of converting a reference depth map into a virtual depth map that is a depth map of an object photographed in a target picture, generating a depth value of an occlusion region in which there is no depth value in the reference depth map generated by an anteroposterior relationship of the object by assigning a depth value of which a correspondence relationship with a region on the same object as an object shielded in the reference picture is obtained to the occlusion region, and performing picture prediction between views by generating a disparity-compensated picture for the encoding target picture from the virtual depth map and the reference picture after the depth value of the occlusion region is generated.

Abstract: When dividing each frame that forms an encoding target video into a plurality of processing regions and subjecting each processing region to predictive encoding, the encoding is executed by subjecting a prediction residual signal to downsampling that utilizes an interpolation filter. The interpolation filter whose filter coefficients are not encoded is determined by adaptively generating or selecting, for each processing region, the interpolation filter with reference to information that is able to be referred to when corresponding decoding is performed. A low-resolution prediction residual is obtained by subjecting the prediction residual signal to downsampling that utilizes the interpolation filter.

Abstract: High coding efficiency is achieved when disparity-compensated prediction is performed on an encoding (decoding) target picture using depth information representing a three-dimensional position of an object in a reference picture. A correspondence point on the reference picture is set for each pixel of the encoding target picture. Object depth information which is depth information for a pixel at an integer pixel position on the encoding target picture indicated by the correspondence point is set. A tap length for pixel interpolation is determined using reference picture depth information for a pixel at an integer pixel position or an integer pixel position around a fractional pixel position on the reference picture indicated by the correspondence point and the object depth information. A pixel value at the integer pixel position or the fractional pixel position on the reference picture indicated by the correspondence point is generated using an interpolation filter in accordance with the tap length.

Abstract: A bit amount necessary to code information for generating a predicted picture when predictive encoding is performed on a moving picture is reduced. A reference frame list, which is a list of reference frames to be referred to when a predicted picture is generated, is generated. Motion information used when a texture moving picture corresponding to a processing region is encoded is set as texture motion information. Depth map motion information representing a region on a reference frame corresponding to the processing region is set. At this time, the texture motion information is set as the depth map motion information if an index value designating a reference frame included in the texture motion information is less than the size of the reference frame list. The predicted picture for the processing region is generated in accordance with the set depth map motion information.