Patent ID: 6259734
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image processing method including a decoding process in which coded image data obtained by compressively coding image data comprising pixel data of plural pixels by a predetermined method are decoded in block units each comprising M.times.N pieces of pixels (M,N=positive integers), the decoding process being performed for each frame comprising plural blocks to generate reproduced image data of each frame, said method comprising:restoring the coded image data to generate restored data of a target block to be subjected to the decoding process;selecting, as a reference frame, at least one of previous frames for which reproduced image data have been generated previously to a target frame including the target block, and calculating prediction values for reproduced image data of the target block, from the reference frame, in accordance with a motion vector of the target block; andgenerating reproduced image data of the target block by adding the restored data of the target block and the prediction values for reproduced image data of the target block;wherein, in said selecting and calculating, an approximate value of reproduced image data of a prediction block specified by a motion vector having fractional pixel precision are generated by employing fractional pixel precision as prediction values for reproduced image data of the target block in accordance with pixel data of pixels included in a reference region specified in accordance with an integer part of the motion vector value on the reference frame, the reference region having the same size as the target block; andwherein the reference region having the same size as the target block includes M.times.N pieces of pixels, a number which is smaller than that of pixels required for generating reproduced image data of the prediction block in accordance with the motion vector having fractional pixel precision.