Patent ID: 7929605
Filing Date: 2011-04-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image decoding method for decoding image data formed by a plurality of frames, executed by an image decoding device having a reference image memory for storing the plurality of frames which are classified into a plurality of categories, the image decoding method characterized by having a current category decoding step for decoding a category number of a current frame, a reference image specifying data decoding step for decoding a reference image specifying data which specifies a reference image data, for said decoded category number, a predicted image producing step for producing a predicted image from an image data specified by said reference image specifying data, a difference decoding step for decoding a difference between a decoded image of the current frame and the predicted image, a decoded image producing step for producing the decoded image of the current frame from said decoded difference data and said predicted image, and a decoded image storing step for storing said produced decoded image data of the current frame into said reference image memory for said decoded category number, wherein said reference image specifying data decoding step has a tentative frame number setting step for setting a tentative frame number with respect to the image data of a frame belonging to an i-th category, among a plurality of image data stored in said reference image memory, and a tentative frame number decoding step for obtaining the tentative frame number which specifies an image data to be selected at said predicted image producing step, by decoding the reference image specifying data.