Abstract: A macro block size determining unit 1 determines the size of each macro block on a frame-by-frame basis. A macro block dividing unit 2 divides an inputted image into macro blocks each having the size determined by the macro block size determining unit 1. A macro block coding unit 3 determines a coding mode for each of the macro blocks divided by the macro block dividing unit 2, and codes pixel values in each of the macro blocks in the determined coding mode.

Abstract: A macro block size determining unit 1 determines the size of each macro block on a frame-by-frame basis. A macro block dividing unit 2 divides an inputted image into macro blocks each having the size determined by the macro block size determining unit 1. A macro block coding unit 3 determines a coding mode for each of the macro blocks divided by the macro block dividing unit 2, and codes pixel values in each of the macro blocks in the determined coding mode.

Abstract: A moving image encoder has an image separating unit (1) for generating four separate images (1)-(4) by sampling pixels constituting an input image every two alternate pixels in the horizontal direction and each alternate pixel in the vertical direction. An intraframe predictive coding unit performs intraframe predictive coding of the separate image (1) by using pixels constituting the separate image (1) produced by the image separating unit (1). An inter-separate image predictive coding unit 12 performs inter-separate image predictive coding of the separate images (2)-(4) produced by the image separating unit 1 by using the pixels constituting the separate image (1) produced by the image separating unit (1).

Abstract: An image decoding device and an image decoding method are disclosed. The decoding device includes: a variable length decoder to variable-length-decode an inputted encoded bit stream to obtain a parameter for prediction signal generation, a compressed difference image, and filters; and a filtering processor to carry out a filtering process on a decoded image acquired by adding a prediction image and a difference image, wherein the prediction image is generated by using the parameter for prediction signal generation, and the difference image is acquired by decoding the compressed difference image, wherein the variable length decoder variable-length-decodes class identification information for a block in the decoded image, and wherein the filtering processor refers to the class identification information for the block to determine a class for the block, and carries out a filtering process on the block based on the determined class and the filters.

Abstract: A loop filter unit 11 carries out a class classification of a local decoded image generated by an adding unit 9 into one class for each coding block having a largest size determined by an encoding controlling unit 2 and also designs a filter that compensates for a distortion piggybacked for each local decoded image belonging to each class, and also carries out a filtering process on the above-mentioned local decoded image by using the filter. A variable length encoding unit 13 encodes, as filter parameters, the filter designed by the loop filter unit 11 and used for the local decoded image belonging to each class, and a class number of each largest coding block.

Abstract: A parallel processing starting unit 3 that partitions an inputted image into tiles each having a predetermined size, and distributes tiles obtained through the partitioning, and N tile encoding units 5-1 to 5-N each of that carries out a prediction difference encoding process on a tile distributed thereto by the parallel processing starting unit 3 to generate a local decoded image are disposed, and each of N tile loop filter units 7-1 to 7-N determines a filter per tile suitable for a filtering process on the local decoded image generated by the corresponding one of the tile encoding units 5-1 to 5-N, and carries out the filtering process on the local decoded image by using the filter.

Abstract: A tile partitioning unit 1 that partitions an inputted image into tiles each of which is a rectangular region having a specified size and outputs the tiles is disposed, and a block partitioning unit 10 of a partition video encoding unit 3 partitions a tile outputted from the tile partitioning unit 1 into coding blocks each having a predetermined size and also partitions each of the coding blocks hierarchically until the number of hierarchical layers reaches an upper limit on the number of hierarchical layers which is determined by an encoding controlling unit 2.

Abstract: Multimedia content containing moving pictures and audio is divided into multiple scenes and metadata is generated for each of the scenes obtained as a result of the division. It is possible to generate metadata containing scene structure information metadata that describes the hierarchical structure of the content in addition to scene section information and titles. Also, a name or an identifier of each descriptor contained in the metadata is described as hint information for manipulation of metadata composed of at least one descriptor describing semantic content, a structure, and characteristics of content.

Abstract: An image decoding device method for obtaining image signals by decoding compressed data of digital moving image signals in a 4:4:4 format is disclosed. An identification signal is decoded, the identification signal indicating whether three color component signals have been encoded in a common encoding mode or in independent encoding modes. The common encoding mode corresponds to a process of encoding the three color component signals of one frame by a common macroblock type information and the independent encoding mode corresponds to a process of encoding the three color component signals of one frame by an individual independent macroblock type information. The three color component signals are decoded in a common encoding mode or in independent encoding modes according to the identification signal.

Abstract: There are provided an encoding device, a decoding device, an encoding method, and a decoding method that enhance optimality in a case of encoding moving image signals having no sample ratio distinction between color components such as a 4:4:4 format. In a case of conducting compression encoding by inputting digital moving image signals of the 4:4:4 format, there are prepared a first encoding process of encoding three color component signals of the input moving image signals in a common encoding mode, and a second encoding process of encoding the three color component signals of the input moving image signals in respective independent encoding modes. The encoding process is executed by selecting any one of the first encoding process and the second encoding process, and the compression data contains an identification signal for specifying which process is selected.

Abstract: An apparatus to decode an encoded bit stream obtained by dividing the moving image into a plurality of rectangular regions includes a rectangular region size determination unit for determining a variable size of the regions in a sequence (a set of continuous frames) based on region size information multiplexed in the encoded bit stream. The apparatus includes a decoding unit for decoding coding mode information multiplexed in the encoded bit stream for each of the regions, and a decoding unit for decoding pixel values in each of the regions based on the coding mode information. The coding mode information includes (1) prediction type information selected from information indicating either inter or intra prediction coding, and (2) intra prediction block size information indicating a size of a unit region for the intra prediction coding indicated by the prediction type information.

Abstract: An image encoder including: a predicted-image generating unit that generates a predicted image in accordance with a plurality of prediction modes indicating predicted-image generating methods; a prediction-mode judging unit that evaluates prediction efficiency of a predicted image outputted from the predicted-image generating unit to judge a predetermined prediction mode; and an encoding unit that subjects an output of the prediction-mode judging unit to variable-length encoding.

Abstract: An image encoder including: a predicted-image generating unit that generates a predicted image in accordance with a plurality of prediction modes indicating predicted-image generating methods; a prediction-mode judging unit that evaluates prediction efficiency of a predicted image outputted from the predicted-image generating unit to judge a predetermined prediction mode; and an encoding unit that subjects an output of the prediction-mode judging unit to variable-length encoding.

Abstract: A macro block size determining unit 1 determines the size of each macro block on a frame-by-frame basis. A macro block dividing unit 2 divides an inputted image into macro blocks each having the size determined by the macro block size determining unit 1. A macro block coding unit 3 determines a coding mode for each of the macro blocks divided by the macro block dividing unit 2, and codes pixel values in each of the macro blocks in the determined coding mode.

Abstract: When generating a prediction image of a color difference signal, an intra prediction unit 4 carries out an intra prediction process on a target block to be encoded of a color difference signal by using the same intra prediction parameter as that which the intra prediction unit 4 uses when carrying out an intra prediction process on a target block to be encoded of a luminance signal, or carries out the intra prediction process on the target block to be encoded of the color difference signal by applying an average prediction to the target block to be encoded. A variable length encoding unit 13 variable-length-encodes a flag showing whether the intra prediction unit 4 uses the same intra prediction parameter as that used for the luminance signal.

Abstract: An encoding device includes a color component separating unit for separating an input bit stream for the respective color components, a block dividing unit for dividing an input color component signal into blocks to generate a signal of an encoding unit area, a predicted image generating unit for generating a predicted image for the signal, a determining unit for determining a prediction mode used for encoding according to a prediction efficiency of the predicted image, a prediction error encoding unit for encoding a difference between the predicted image corresponding to the prediction mode determined by the determining unit and the input color component signal, and an encoding unit for variable length-coding the prediction mode, an output from the prediction error encoding unit, and a color component identification flag indicating the color component to which the input bit stream belongs as a result of the color component separation.

Abstract: Encoding and decoding are uniformly carried out for a plurality of chroma formats. Based on a control signal for providing a chroma format type of an input moving image signal, in the case of a chroma format of 4:2:0 or 4:2:2, a first intra prediction mode deciding unit and a first intra prediction image generation unit are applied to a luminance component of the input moving image signal, and a second intra prediction mode deciding unit and a second intra prediction image generation unit are applied to a chrominance component. In the case of a chroma format of 4:4:4, the first intra prediction mode deciding unit and the first intra prediction image generation unit are applied to all color components to carry out encoding, and a variable length encoding unit multiplexes the control signal as encoding data to be applied to a moving image sequence unit on a bit stream.

Abstract: An encoding controlling unit 3 selects one transformation block size which provides an optimal degree of encoding efficiency from a set of transformation block sizes which are determined in accordance with an encoding mode 7, and includes the transformation block size selected thereby in optimal compression parameters 20a to notify the transformation block size to a transformation/quantization unit 19, and the transformation/quantization unit 19 divides an optimal prediction differential signal 13a into blocks having the transformation block size included in the optimal compression parameters 20a, and carries out a transformation and quantization process on each of the blocks to generate compressed data 21.

Abstract: An encoding device includes a color component separating unit for separating an input bit stream for the respective color components, a block dividing unit for dividing an input color component signal into blocks to generate a signal of an encoding unit area, a predicted image generating unit for generating a predicted image for the signal, a determining unit for determining a prediction mode used for encoding according to a prediction efficiency of the predicted image, a prediction error encoding unit for encoding a difference between the predicted image corresponding to the prediction mode determined by the determining unit and the input color component signal, and an encoding unit for variable length-coding the prediction mode, an output from the prediction error encoding unit, and a color component identification flag indicating the color component to which the input bit stream belongs as a result of the color component separation.

Abstract: The present invention makes it possible to include, when encoding processing is applied to three color components using a 4:0:0 format, data for one picture in one access unit and makes it possible to set the same time information or the same set encoding modes among the respective color components. In an image encoding system for applying compression processing to an input image signal including a plurality of color components, encoded data obtained by independently subjecting an input image signal of each of the color components to encoding processing and a parameter indicating which color component the encoded data corresponds to are multiplexed with a bit stream. In an image decoding system for inputting a bit stream in which an image signal including a plurality of color components is compressed to perform decoding processing, decoding processing of the encoded data of each of the color components is performed using a parameter indicating which color component the encoded data corresponds to.