Abstract: A method and apparatus are for performing one of encoding and decoding a code word that is used to communicate a portion of a signal. For encoding, at least a portion of a code word is encoded from a signal based value using an approximation of a combinatorial function, wherein the signal based value represents one or more aspects of a signal. For decoding, at least a portion of a code word is decoded to a signal based value using an approximation of a combinatorial function, wherein the signal based value represents one or more aspects of a signal. The approximation of the combinatorial function is based on a linear combination of a set of basis functions.

Abstract: A method is provided for encoding a portion of a current image, including: an estimation of motion between the current image portion and a plurality of candidate image portions in order to form motion components, an evaluation of a performance criterion for each candidate image portion, and the selection of a reference image portion using said performance criteria. In the method, for at least one motion component, the motion estimation, the performance criteria evaluation and the reference image portion selection only use information considered to be available at the decoder and no motion information is inserted into an output flow intended for a decoder. A corresponding decoding method is also provided.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention as described herein provide a solution to the problems of conventional methods as stated above. In the following description, various examples are given for illustration, but none are intended to be limiting. Embodiments are directed to a transcoding system that shares the workload of video transcoding through the use of multiple central processing unit (CPU) cores and/or one or more graphical processing units (GPU), including the use of two components within the GPU: a dedicated hardcoded or programmable video decoder for the decode step and compute shaders for scaling and encoding. The system combines usage of an industry standard Microsoft DXVA method for using the GPU to accelerate video decode with a GPU encoding scheme, along with an intermediate step of scaling the video.

Abstract: A moving-picture processing apparatus includes a plurality of decoding or encoding units, and a pre-fetch memory shared by the plurality of decoding or encoding units.

Abstract: The techniques are provided automatically detecting when performing pre-transmission compression on data to be sent over a network connection will be preferable to sending the data uncompressed, and for automatically performing pre-transmission compression only when doing so is determined to be beneficial. The techniques involve performing compression on sample data. The time it takes to perform the compression on the sample data, along with the reduction in size achieved by the compression, are factors used to automatically determine whether compressing data before sending the data over a network connection will achieve better results that sending the data uncompressed. In some embodiments, multiple compression algorithm/compression level combinations are tested at different points in the transmission. At each point, the sending device may switch to the algorithm/level combination that is producing the best results on the current sample.

Abstract: An apparatus, a method and a computer program product for video coding are provided including selecting an encoding method from a set of encoding methods comprising at least a first encoding method and a second encoding method for encoding a block of pixels of an image; selecting at least one control point among the pixels of the block of pixels, wherein the control pixel is selected from any pixel of the block of pixels; and selecting a first reference point different from the control point; determining values of the other pixels of the selected block of pixels on the basis of the value of the control point and the value of the at least one reference point.

Abstract: Video data is transcoded on the fly to produce a progressive download viewed while the data is being received while streaming and/or may be downloaded and played later. An analyzer analyzes a portion of an input video data file to determine coded characteristics of encoded input video and determines an expected data volume. A generator generates a file header for output video data that includes an indication of the expected volume thereof. A transcoder transcodes the input video data to produce encoded output video data. The output interface supplies the encoded output video data with the file header as a stream to a receiving device. In a first embodiment, the expected volume of data in the header is overestimated and blank video chunks added. In an alternative embodiment, the expected data of volume is underestimated and compression parameters are modified during the transcoding process.

Abstract: Disclosed are a signal compression apparatus and method for dynamic compressive sensing, including: a signal input unit configured to simultaneously output an input signal, and generate and output a linear measurement reference signal based on the input signal; a linear transform unit configured to receive the linear measurement reference signal and variably generate a linear measurement matrix value according to the linear measurement reference signal; a signal compressor configured to output a compressed signal for the input signal based on the generated linear measurement matrix value; and a signal processor configured to reconstruct the compressed signal and perform spectrum sensing of the input signal.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the invention provide a media-editing application that performs frame rate conversion detection on a video. For a video that has been converted from one frame rate and format to another frame rate and format, the application detects the conversion method that has been used in the conversion of the video. Some embodiments perform this frame rate conversion detection by detecting patterns of repeating fields and/or frames in a video sequence created by the different conversion processes. Some embodiments compute (i) a frame difference value for each consecutive frames, (ii) a correlation score for the first and second fields of each frame, and (iii) a correlation score for the second field of each frame and the first field of a succeeding frame. Frame difference values are compared with each other to detect repeated frames and correlation scores are compared with each other to detect repeated fields.

Abstract: Image encoding and decoding methods and related devices are provided. An image encoding and decoding method includes: for a sub-image block obtained by partitioning an image block, determining at least two position parameters, in which the at least two position parameters include a first position parameter and a second position parameter, the first position parameter identifies whether the sub-image block is a rectangle or not a rectangle, and the second position parameter identifies endpoint information of the sub-image block; determining an encoding sequence of the first position parameter and the second position parameter according to a partition manner of the image block; and encoding the at least two position parameters according to the determined encoding sequence.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus may include a decoder that decodes a compressed audio stream encoded by a predetermined codec, a signal processing unit that applies predetermined signal processing to an audio stream obtained by decoding the compressed audio stream with the decoder, a first acquisition unit that acquires at least one of information described in a header of the compressed audio stream and management information for contents including the compressed audio stream, a setting unit that discriminates, on the basis of the information, a type of the codec used for the encode of the compressed audio stream and sets a codec used for encode of the audio stream, and an encoder that encodes, in accordance with the setting by the setting unit, the audio stream subjected to the signal processing by the signal processing unit and outputs the audio stream to an external apparatus that has a decoder.

Abstract: Systems and methods for error resilient transmission, rate control, and random access in video communication systems that use scalable video coding are provided. Error resilience is obtained by using information from low resolution layers to conceal or compensate loss of high resolution layer information. The same mechanism is used for rate control by selectively eliminating high resolution layer information from transmitted signals, which elimination can be compensated at the receiver using information from low resolution layers. Further, random access or switching between low and high resolutions is also achieved by using information from low resolution layers to compensate for high resolution spatial layer packets that may have not been received prior to the switching time.

Abstract: A method according to one embodiment comprises: encoding a first plurality of video frames or portions thereof, wherein each encoded video frame or portion thereof is dependent on a previously encoded video frame or portion thereof, respectively; transmitting the first plurality of encoded video frames or portions to a client device; receiving feedback information from the client device, the feedback information usable to determine whether data contained in the video frames or portions has not been successfully received and/or decoded; in response to detecting that a video frame or portion thereof has not been successfully received and/or decoded, encoding a current video frame or portion thereof to be dependent on a previously-encoded video frame or portion thereof known to have been successfully received and/or decoded on the client device; and transmitting the current video frame or portion thereof to the client device.

Abstract: A phase-locking loop (PLL) for use with orthogonal frequency division multiplexed signals. In one embodiment, a wireless receiver includes a PLL is configured to reduce phase and frequency divergence between the wireless receiver and a transmitter of a packet received by the wireless receiver. The PLL includes a loop bandwidth controller. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to set a bandwidth of the PLL to a first value for reception of an initial symbol of the packet. The loop bandwidth controller is configured to reduce the bandwidth of the PLL over a number of symbols preceding an initial header of the packet.

Abstract: A system and method facilitate dynamic QoS-based billing in a P2P network. According to one embodiment, a peer node identifies a plurality of partner peer nodes that transiently stage streaming media data the peer node requests and receives from the partner peer nodes. The peer node further collects QoS information for the received data and communicates a QoS information report to a remote node to facilitate QoS-based billing.

Abstract: A method of encoding a coordinate interpolator that includes key data and a key header including information regarding encoding of the key data, the key data representing the position of a key frame on a time axis. The method includes, encoding the key header and encoding the key data according to the result of the encoding performed in the encoding the key header. The encoding of the key data includes performing quantization on the key data according to the quantization bit size and generating differential data by performing differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) on the result of the quantization according to a DPCM order. The encoding of the key data also includes performing a divide-and-divide (DND) on the differential data so that a difference between a maximum and minimum of the differential data can be minimized and performing entropy encoding on the result of the DND.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a moving image coding apparatus and method involving the simultaneous parallel running of respective modules, namely: a segment-unit-coding module in which an input image frame is divided into segment units and the integer pel (integer pixel) motion is estimated while at the same time the 1/n pixel images are generated with respect to the segments of the image coded in the coding module; and a macroblock-unit-coding module in which the segments of the image frame whose the integer pel motion has been estimated in the segment-unit-coding module are received as input in the form of macroblock units and are coded in macroblock units through the 1/n pixel motion estimation. By separating the coding units into different modules and employing the techniques of parallel processing and pipelining, the present invention makes it possible to effect high-speed encoding with reduced delay in the coding rate due to differences in the processing speeds of the respective modules.

Abstract: A method for generating a downlink signal in a downlink MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) comprises the steps of: mapping at least one transport block to at least one codeword; mapping at least one layer to each codeword; classifying at least one layer mapped to each codeword into a certain number of layer groups and performing layer permutation by the layer groups; and generating an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing) symbol using a signal which is permutated by the layer groups. A CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) is attached by the layer groups.

Abstract: An image prediction encoding device includes a prediction signal generator that produces a prediction signal with respect to a target pixel signal of a target region that is among regions divided by a block division unit, a motion estimator that searches for a motion vector required for the production of the prediction signal from an already reproduced signal, and a subtractor that produces a residual signal indicating a difference between the prediction signal and the target pixel signal. The prediction signal generator determines a search region that is a partial region of the already reproduced signal based on the motion vector and produces one or more type 2 candidate prediction signals. The prediction signal generator includes a candidate prediction signal combining unit that produces the prediction signal by processing the type 2 candidate prediction signals and a type 1 candidate prediction signal produced based on the motion vector.

Abstract: A signal compression method and apparatus for a base transceiver system (BTS) in a wireless communication network provides efficient transfer of compressed signal samples over serial data links in the system. For the uplink, an RF unit of the BTS compresses baseband signal samples resulting from analog to digital conversion of a received analog signal followed by digital downconversion. The compressed signal samples are transferred over the serial data link to the baseband processor then decompressed prior to normal signal processing. For the downlink, the baseband processor compresses baseband signal samples and transfers the compressed signal samples to the RF unit. The RF unit decompresses the compressed samples prior to digital upconversion and digital to analog conversion to form an analog signal for transmission over an antenna. Compression and decompression can be incorporated into operations of conventional base stations and distributed antenna systems, including OBSAI or CPRI compliant systems.

Abstract: Data compression and decompression methods for compressing and decompressing data based on an actual or expected throughput (bandwidth) of a system. In one embodiment, a controller tracks and monitors the throughput (data storage and retrieval) of a data compression system and generates control signals to enable/disable different compression algorithms when, e.g., a bottleneck occurs so as to increase the throughput and eliminate the bottleneck.

Abstract: Data compression and decompression methods for compressing and decompressing data based on an actual or expected throughput (bandwidth) of a system. In one embodiment, a controller tracks and monitors the throughput (data storage and retrieval) of a data compression system and generates control signals to enable/disable different compression algorithms when, e.g., a bottleneck occurs so as to increase the throughput and eliminate the bottleneck.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for decoding streaming data containing one or more coded pictures in which each picture contains a plurality of slices and each slice containing a plurality of macroblocks are disclosed. A first decoding subtask is performed on all macroblocks in the coded picture or a section thereof. After performing the first decoding subtask on all macroblocks in the coded picture or a section thereof, a second decoding subtask is performed on all the macroblocks in the coded picture or section thereof. One or more of the first and second tasks includes examining a slice or macroblock within the coded picture to determine if there are any errors, and if an error is present, handling the error.

Abstract: An image coding apparatus includes a first coding unit that discretely selects quantization parameters of a first range to perform calculation of generated code amounts corresponding to the selected quantization parameters, a second coding unit that performs calculation of generated code amounts corresponding to quantization parameters of a second range, a code amount control unit that decides deciding a temporary quantization parameter corresponding to a target code amount by calculating generated code amounts through an interpolation process for quantization parameters not selected by the first coding unit, and by comparing the generated code amounts corresponding to the selected quantization parameters and the generated code amounts calculated through the interpolation process with the target code amount, and decides an optimal quantization parameter corresponding to the target code amount by comparing the generated code amounts calculated by the second coding unit with the target code amount.

Abstract: In one exemplary embodiment, a tracking system for region-of-interest (ROI) performs a feature-point detection locally on an ROI of an image frame at an initial time via a feature point detecting and tracking module, and tracks the detected features. A linear transformation module finds out a transform relationship between two ROIs of two consecutive image frames, by using a plurality of corresponding feature points. An estimation and update module predicts and corrects a moving location for the ROI at a current time. Based on the result corrected by the estimation and update module, an outlier rejection module removes at least an outlier outside the ROI.

Abstract: A CODEC compresses and encodes a motion picture captured at a high speed of 240 fps frame rate in MPEG format. The CODEC divides pictures in each frame into I pictures and the main frame P pictures and the other sub frame P pictures. In encoding P pictures of the main frame, the CODEC uses I pictures that are adjacent on the time axis or P pictures of other main frames as a reference picture. With a playback device, etc., of its motion picture playback performance of 60 fps, to perform an actual speed playback with the playback time being equal to the picture-capturing time, only the main frame alone is to be subjected to playback, in that case the decoding process of P pictures of the sub frames is not required.

Abstract: Techniques are described to approximate computation of an inverse discrete cosine transform using fixed-point calculations. According to these techniques, matrixes of scaled coefficients are generated by multiplying coefficients in matrixes of encoded coefficients by scale factors. Next, matrixes of biased coefficients are generated by adding a midpoint bias value to a DC coefficient of the matrix of scaled coefficients. Fixed-point arithmetic is then used to apply a transform to the matrixes of biased coefficients. Values in the resulting matrixes are then right-shifted in order to derive matrixes of pixel component values. Matrixes of pixel component values are then combined to create matrixes of pixels. The matrixes of pixels generated by these techniques closely resemble matrixes of pixels decompressed using the ideal inverse discrete cosine transform (“IDCT”).

Abstract: Message content is scaled to support rich messaging. Devices and associated messaging systems can support various levels of content richness or fidelity. Message content scaling is employed to ensure sharing of content in as rich a manner as possible given limitations associated with various messaging systems, among other things. Messages can be scaled down or degraded, for instance where communicating devices do not support high fidelity content being transmitted. Alternatively, messages can be scaled up or enriched in cases, where low fidelity content is transmitted to a device supporting richer content, for example.

Abstract: A method of processing a video signal is disclosed. The present invention includes obtaining a current macroblock type, obtaining skip or direct mode indication information on a partition of the current macroblock according to the current macroblock type, deriving a motion vector of the partition according to the skip or direct mode indication information, and predicting a pixel value of the partition using the motion vector. Accordingly, the present invention obtains a pixel value of a reference block close to an original video using a motion vector, thereby enhancing a reconstruction ratio of the macroblock. As a macroblock uses skip or direct prediction indication information, it is unnecessary to separately code skip mode indication information and direct mode indication information on the macroblock, whereby an information size to be coded can be reduced.

Abstract: Systems and methods for error resilient transmission, rate control, and random access in video communication systems that use scalable video coding are provided. Error resilience is obtained by using information from low resolution layers to conceal or compensate loss of high resolution layer information. The same mechanism is used for rate control by selectively eliminating high resolution layer information from transmitted signals, which elimination can be compensated at the receiver using information from low resolution layers. Further, random access or switching between low and high resolutions is also achieved by using information from low resolution layers to compensate for high resolution spatial layer packets that may have not been received prior to the switching time.

Abstract: Provided is a video encoding/decoding technique for improving the compression efficiency by reducing the motion vector code amount. In a video decoding process, the prediction vector calculation method is switched from one to another in accordance with a difference between predetermined motion vectors among a plurality of motion vectors of a peripheral block of a block to be decoded and already decoded. The calculated prediction vector is added to a difference vector decoded from an encoded stream so as to calculate a motion vector. By using the calculated motion vector, the inter-image prediction process is executed.

Abstract: An apparatus including a graphics processing unit, a processor and a memory. The memory stores computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions, when executed by the processor, configure the graphics processing unit to store a current frame, at least one reference frame, and a reconstructed frame in a globally shared memory of the graphics processing unit.

Abstract: The method for transmitting a signal of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing type according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has a configuration allowing a radio unit (RU) to perform a component adding a compression component and a decompression component before/after a serial interface interlocking between a digital unit (DU) and the radio unit (RU) and a component inserting a cyclic prefix (CP) into a signal so as to secure orthogonality of an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, in a structure in which a base station is physically divided into the DU and the RU.

Abstract: Techniques are described for efficient transcoding from a first format that supports I-units, P-units and B-units to a second format that supports I-units and P-units but does not support the B-units. In particular, techniques are described for converting B-frames or B-slices of the first format into P-frames or P-slices of the second format. The techniques avoid the need to decode and re-encode that frames or slices. Instead, residuals associated with the B-video blocks in the first format are augmented and made to be dependent upon only one of the two lists associated with the B-video blocks so that such B-video blocks in the first format can be redefined as P-video blocks in the second format.

Abstract: Disclosed is a content recording apparatus having recording devices A and B and first and second encrypting units that are provided for the respective recording devices. When receiving stream data representing content from an input unit, a rate changing unit operates so as to input streams of data in parallel to the respective encrypting units. The first encrypting unit encrypts the stream data with an encryption key generated from the IDs of the recording device A and of a recording medium a. The second encrypting unit encrypts the stream data with an encryption key generated from the IDs of the recording device B and of a recording medium b. Each of the recording devices A and B records the content encrypted by a corresponding one of the first and second encrypting units.

Abstract: There is disclosed in aspects of the invention a method of evaluating the profit of a substream of encoded video data, a method of operating servers, a network and an apparatus. In the method, a data portion is identified comprising at least some of the data in the substream being evaluated; comparing a decoded version of the video with the data portion present and a decoded version of the video with the data portion removed and calculating an error metric indicative of the distortion between the two versions; and, calculating a profit for the substream dependent upon the error metric.

Abstract: A 3D contents data encoding method includes receiving a plurality of primitive data contained in 3D contents data, and encoding each of the received primitive data in accordance with a predetermined encoding order for the primitive data.

Abstract: In watermarked signal decoding, the embedded message is decoded by correlating the reference patterns with the watermarked signal. The watermark detector decides, depending on the size of the correlation result values, whether or not a given reference pattern was embedded. However, decoding watermarked audio or video signals is difficult if the link between the watermark encoder and the watermark decoder is not a digital one, for example an acoustic path. A re-sampler control unit controls the sampling frequency of a re-sampler, in connection with a watermark decoder that outputs, in addition to the watermark information bits, a corresponding confidence value that is derived from the correlation result and that is used for synchronizing the re-sampler sampling frequency with the original sampling frequency of the watermarked signal. The synchronization processing includes a search mode and a synchronized mode.

Abstract: A mobile station transmits a physical address given to the mobile station to a connection device via a base station when subscribing to a communication system. The connection device previously stores the physical address given to the mobile station and an IP address in a table of the connection device in association with each other, searches the table for the IP address corresponding to the physical address transmitted from the mobile station from the address storage section, generates a header compression rule in accordance with the IP address searched for, and transmits the generated header compression rule to the mobile station via the base station.

Abstract: Embodiments include implementing a remote display system (either wired or wireless) using a standard, non-custom codec. In this system, the decoder side can be fully implemented using an existing standard from a decode/display point of view and using a single stream type. The encoder side includes a pre-processing component that analyzes screen images comprising the video data to determine an amount of difference between consecutive frames of the screen images, divides each screen image into a plurality of regions, including no change regions, high quality regions, and low quality regions. The pre-processor characterizes each region as requiring a minimum quality level, encodes the low quality regions for compression in accordance with the H.264 encoding standard; and encodes the high quality regions using the lossless compression scheme of the H.264 standard. A no change region is encoded using a version of the H.

Abstract: Method, receiver and computer program product for decoding a coded data block received at the receiver are disclosed. A first plurality of coded data bits representing the coded data block are received. First soft information values are determined corresponding to respective ones of the received first plurality of coded data bits, wherein each of the soft information values indicates a likelihood of a corresponding coded data bit having a particular value. An attempt is made to decode the coded data block using the first soft information values. The first soft information values are compressed. The compressed first soft information values are stored in a data store. A second plurality of coded data bits representing the coded data block is received and second soft information values corresponding to respective ones of the received second plurality of coded data bits are determined. The compressed first soft information values are retrieved from the data store and decompressed.

Abstract: An embodiment provides a method for communicating location-based information between an application server and a mobile device in response to an information query, the mobile device and the application server communicating via a communication network, the method comprising the steps of: initially transmitting a subset of the location-based information to the mobile device in response to the information query; transmitting further subsets of the location-based information as required; and pre-caching a predefined amount of location-based information at the device in response to a pre-cache trigger notification, the pre-cache trigger notification being generated when it is determined that the mobile device may lose contact with the communication network.

Abstract: A method for reordering and multiplexing multimedia packets from multimedia data streams (S0, S1, . . . SN) pertaining to interrelated sessions includes a step of searching within the packets of a stream having the highest frame rate amongst said multimedia streams, for a common timing variable (TS) of the packet associated with the next frame of said multimedia data, in a predetermined order related to the encoding process with which said data were encoded, and a step of providing the packets in said predetermined order across said sessions in the order of the session interdependency. A device for performing this method is disclosed as well.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for maintaining a programming lineup of adaptive-bitrate content streaming is provided. The apparatus includes a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network. The media content may comprise a plurality of streamlets. The apparatus also includes at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information. The system includes the apparatus and a client module configured to acquire content based upon the programming lineup provided by the timeline module. The method includes maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network, and maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus for video encoding and decoding geometrically partitioned bi-predictive mode partitions. An apparatus includes an encoder for encoding bi-predictable picture data for at least a portion of a picture using adaptive geometric partitioning. Geometric partitions for the adaptive geometric partitioning are predicted using at least one predictor selected from a first set of predictors corresponding to a first list of references pictures, a second set of predictors corresponding to a second list of references pictures, and a third set of predictors used for bi-prediction and including predictors from at least one of the first and second sets.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method that provides plural representations of a single video signal that comprises a successive sequence of pictures, one or more of the plural representations including a respective sequence of latticed pictures, each latticed picture in the one or more plural representations originating from a corresponding respective picture of the video signal, the order of successive latticed pictures in the one or more of the plural representations of the video signal corresponding to the order of successive pictures in the video signal; processes the plural representations based on a predetermined encoding strategy, the predetermined encoding strategy targeting an appropriate respective amount of bits to each of a plurality of the processed latticed pictures, each of the plurality of the processed latticed pictures having a respective picture importance; and provides the plurality of processed latticed pictures in plural successive, non-overlapping, ordered segments in a single video stream.

Abstract: An endpoint element of a distributed antenna system includes processing circuitry configured for processing a plurality of digital signals for conditioning the signals and compression circuitry configured for compressing at least one of the digital signals according to a compression scheme to yield at least one compressed digital signal and compression settings. The digital signals are combined into a single digital stream and combined and time division multiplexed onto a serial data link with the compression settings. The digital signals are also transmitted with compression settings to another endpoint element over the serial data link.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a unit that detects a motion vector from a first video image and a second video image; a unit that detects a disparity vector between a frame of the first video image and a frame of the second video image; a unit that, when there exists a non-detection position at which no motion vector is detected in a frame of one video image, performs correction by detecting a corresponding position included in a frame of the other video image that corresponds to the non-detection position using the disparity vector, and setting a motion vector of the frame of the other video image at the corresponding position, to the non-detection position; and a unit that generates respective interpolation frames of the first video image and the second video image using the motion vector after correction.

Abstract: A compressing unit compresses an element on an algebraic torus into affine representation according to a compression map. A determining unit determines whether a target element on the algebraic torus to be compressed is an exceptional point representing an element on the algebraic torus that cannot be compressed by the compression map. The compressing unit generates, when it is determined that the target element is the exceptional point, a processing result including exceptional information indicating that the target element is the exceptional point, and generates, when it is determined that the target element is not the exceptional point, a processing result including affine representation obtained by compressing the target element according to the compression map.

Abstract: Image data is encoded to generate encoded data. An encoding-time buffer period that is a minimum buffer period necessary to prevent synchronous reproduction in which the encoded data is decoded and reproduced in synchronization with a timestamp added to the encoded data from failing due to a delay caused by encoding of the image data is added to the encoded data as encoding header information. A transmission-time buffer period that is a minimum buffer period necessary to prevent the synchronous reproduction from failing due to a delay caused by encoding of the image data and transmission of the encoded data is added to the encoded data as transmission header information different from the encoding header information. The encoded data having the encoding-time buffer period and the transmission-time buffer period added thereto is transmitted to another apparatus that performs the synchronous reproduction via a network.