Abstract: This invention provides a semi-finished pipe used for forming a finished pipe by cutting performed by a lathe. The semi-finished pipe includes: a first layer for forming the finished pipe that remains even after cutting is performed by the lathe; and a second layer for a dummy use that does not remain after being cut by the lathe. According to the semi-finished pipe of the present invention, it is possible to provide the semi-finished pipe that is served for manufacturing a pipe having a small diameter (the finished pipe) using a lathe even when it is difficult for the lathe to perform cutting because of difficulty in grasping a pipe which is a target to be cut by a chucking jig due to a small outer diameter of the pipe.

Abstract: Regions based on which an interpolation method of a fractional-accuracy pixel is switched are optimized, and the interpolation method is switched for each of the divided regions, thereby reducing residual energy of inter-frame prediction with motion compensation.

Abstract: Setting a reference pixel signal from a decoded pixel signal in intra-prediction in which a prediction signal is generated in the same frame, acquiring prediction mode identification information that identifies an intra-prediction mode, generating a prediction signal based on the reference pixel signal and the prediction mode identification information, making a determination regarding correction of the prediction signal using a reference pixel having a shorter distance from a pixel that is a prediction target in the intra-prediction mode identified by the prediction mode identification information, and correcting the generated prediction signal according to a result of the determination are included in order to provide an image encoding method and an image decoding method capable of improving subjective image quality and coding efficiency using a closer decoded pixel in an intra-prediction process.

Abstract: A video encoding device uses motion-compensated inter-frame prediction by dividing an image into blocks, each block a predetermined size, designating a first component value of a plurality of component values of a motion vector (MV) between an encoding target block and a neighboring block, designating a second component value, and encoding each first and second component values; a first component encoding means encodes a difference value of a first component and a second component encoding means, which obtains a probability of occurrence of a candidate value for the second component value of the MV of the encoding target block, based on a difference value between the first component value of the neighboring block MV and the first component value of the encoding target block MV and the second component value of the neighboring block MV, specifies a codeword of the second component value, encoding it based on the occurrence probability.

Abstract: The prediction error energy in inter-frame prediction with motion compensation is reduced and the coding efficiency is improved.

Abstract: A reduction in residual energy of inter-frame prediction with motion compensation and improvement in encoding efficiency are achieved by using a region-dividing type adaptive interpolation filter that takes an edge property of a picture into consideration. An edge calculation unit calculates edge information from reference picture data designated by a motion vector. A region dividing unit divides an encoding target frame into a plurality of regions that are units to which interpolation filters are adaptively applied based on the edge information. A filter coefficient optimizing unit optimizes an interpolation filter for a fractional-accuracy pixel for each of the regions. A reference picture interpolating unit interpolates the fractional-accuracy pixel of a reference picture using the optimized interpolation filter, and a predictive encoding unit performs predictive encoding using motion compensation of fractional-accuracy.

Abstract: Setting a reference pixel signal from a decoded pixel signal in intra-prediction in which a prediction signal is generated in the same frame, acquiring prediction mode identification information that identifies an intra-prediction mode, generating a prediction signal based on the reference pixel signal and the prediction mode identification information, making a determination regarding correction of the prediction signal using a reference pixel having a shorter distance from a pixel that is a prediction target in the intra-prediction mode identified by the prediction mode identification information, and correcting the generated prediction signal according to a result of the determination are included in order to provide an image encoding method and an image decoding method capable of improving subjective image quality and coding efficiency using a closer decoded pixel in an intra-prediction process.

Abstract: A method for encoding an image using an intraframe prediction is provided which includes selecting a gradient of a pixel value that is indicated by an image signal to be predicted among a plurality of gradient candidates, generating a predicted signal by applying a gradient in accordance with the distance from a prediction reference pixel based on the gradient, intraframe-encoding the image signal to be predicted based on the predicted signal, and encoding information indicating the size of the selected gradient. Alternatively, the method includes estimating the gradient of a pixel value that is indicated by an image signal to be predicted based on an image signal which has already been encoded, generating a predicted signal by applying a gradient in accordance with the distance from a prediction reference pixel based on the gradient, and intraframe-encoding the image signal to be predicted based on the predicted signal.

Abstract: A generated bit amount of filter coefficients of an adaptive interpolation filter is reduced.

Abstract: An object is to reduce an intra-prediction error and improve coding efficiency by introducing an adaptive reference pixel generating process in accordance with coding conditions into intra-prediction. In picture encoding or picture decoding for generating a prediction signal using spatial inter-pixel prediction and encoding or decoding a picture using a prediction residual signal which is a difference between the prediction signal and an original signal, a tap length of an interpolation filter necessary for generating a reference pixel of intra-prediction is set based on one or both of a size of a block which is a processing unit of coding, transform, or prediction and a quantization parameter of the block for the reference pixel, a filtering process which generates the reference pixel is performed using the interpolation filter corresponding to the set tap length, and an intra-prediction signal corresponding to a designated intra-prediction mode is generated using the generated reference pixel.

Abstract: A video encoding device includes means used to estimate a lower limit of a bit amount/distortion cost function when an adaptive interpolation filter (AIF) is used based on a generated bit amount and an encoding distortion amount when a region-based adaptive interpolation filter (RBAIF) is used upon selecting an optimum IF based on a bit amount/distortion cost function among a fixed interpolation filter (IF), the AIF, and the RBAIF, and means used to select an optimum IF based on a comparison of bit amount/distortion cost functions of the fixed IF and the RBAIF when the lower limit is a value greater than the bit amount/distortion cost function for the fixed IF, and selecting an optimum IF based on a comparison of bit amount/distortion functions of the fixed IF, the AIF, and the RBAIF only when the lower limit is less than or equal to the bit amount/distortion cost function for the fixed IF.

Abstract: A video encoding device performs motion-compensated inter-frame prediction corresponding to fractional pixel precision using a region-based adaptive interpolation filter (RBAIF) in which a frame is divided into regions and an IF coefficient is adaptively set for each division region, and includes means which constructs a linear simultaneous equation for obtaining an IF coefficient for a division region prescribed by a division position when an optimum division position is selected from among candidates for a prepared division position, and means which obtains the IF coefficient by solving the linear simultaneous equation, wherein the equation generation means diverts a redundant arithmetic processing result in an arithmetic operation of calculating the IF coefficient in a different division region and newly calculates only non-redundant difference information using the arithmetic operation.

Abstract: The prediction error energy in inter-frame prediction with motion compensation is reduced and the coding efficiency is improved.

Abstract: A video encoding device uses motion-compensated inter-frame prediction by dividing an image into blocks, each block a predetermined size, designating a first component value of a plurality of component values of a motion vector (MV) between an encoding target block and a neighboring block, designating a second component value, and encoding each first and second component values; a first component encoding means encodes a difference value of a first component and a second component encoding means, which obtains a probability of occurrence of a candidate value for the second component value of the MV of the encoding target block, based on a difference value between the first component value of the neighboring block MV and the first component value of the encoding target block MV and the second component value of the neighboring block MV, specifies a codeword of the second component value, encoding it based on the occurrence probability.

Abstract: The prediction error energy in inter-frame prediction with motion compensation is reduced and the coding efficiency is improved.

Abstract: Regions based on which an interpolation method of a fractional-accuracy pixel is switched are optimized, and the interpolation method is switched for each of the divided regions, thereby reducing residual energy of inter-frame prediction with motion compensation.

Abstract: A video encoding method includes setting candidates for reference pixels to pixels within a predetermined distance range measured from an encoding target block; generating a predicted signal by sequentially selecting reference pixels used for the intra prediction of the encoding target block from among the reference pixel candidates while changing a distance condition from the encoding target block, and by generating the predicted signal based on the reference pixels for each distance condition; computing an encoding cost required for subjecting the encoding target block to intra prediction encoding using each generated predicted signal; finally determining reference pixels used for the intra prediction of the encoding target block based on each computed encoding cost; and encoding information which indicates the position of the determined reference pixels.

Abstract: A video encoding apparatus reduces residual energy of motion-compensated inter-frame prediction and improves the coding efficiency in encoding of an image in which optimal values of interpolation filter coefficients are changed in time and space. In the video encoding apparatus, a region division unit sequentially selects region division schemes one by one from among a plurality of prepared region division schemes, and divides a region of an image to be encoded. An interpolation filter coefficient switching unit switches interpolation filter coefficients of a decimal precision pixel for each divided region, and a predictive encoding unit performs predictive encoding. A region division mode decoding section selects a region division scheme, in which a cost is minimized among rate distortion costs calculated for each region division scheme. Using the selected region division scheme, the predictive encoding unit and a variable length encoding unit encode the image to be encoded.

Abstract: A reduction in residual energy of inter-frame prediction with motion compensation and improvement in encoding efficiency are achieved by using a region-dividing type adaptive interpolation filter that takes an edge property of a picture into consideration. An edge calculation unit calculates edge information from reference picture data designated by a motion vector. A region dividing unit divides an encoding target frame into a plurality of regions that are units to which interpolation filters are adaptively applied based on the edge information. A filter coefficient optimizing unit optimizes an interpolation filter for a fractional-accuracy pixel for each of the regions. A reference picture interpolating unit interpolates the fractional-accuracy pixel of a reference picture using the optimized interpolation filter, and a predictive encoding unit performs predictive encoding using motion compensation of fractional-accuracy.

Abstract: A direction is detected for each block in which a pixel value is changed which is represented by an edge that indicates a direction of change in pixel value in each block, a direction in which a deblocking filter is to be applied to a block boundary is determined based on a direction of an edge detected for a block to be processed which includes the block boundary subject to deblocking and on a direction of an edge detected for a block contacting the block to be processed, and the deblocking filter is applied to the block boundary in accordance with the determined direction.