Patent ID: 6661928
Filing Date: 2003-12-09
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image encoding apparatus which receives two-dimensional shape signal indicating an area where pixels representing an object exist and encodes the shape signal, comprising:significant area extracting means for extracting a significant area which contains the pixels representing the object from the shape signal to output a significant area range representing a range covering the extracted significant area; blocking means for dividing the shape signal into blocks having a plurality of pixels; shape encoding means for judging whether the blocks output by the blocking means contain the significant area each by each, and encoding at least the significant area of the block to output an encoded shape signal when it is judged that the block contains the significant area; and significant area range coding means for coding a significant area range to output significant area range data; wherein, in the shape encoding means, a rectangular area of the shape signal to be encoded is changed so that only the inside of the significant area of the shape signal is encoded.