Patent ID: 8649430
Filing Date: 2014-02-11
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A bit rate converter for converting a first encoded animation image data to a second animation image data having a bit rate different from a bit rate of the first animation image data, the bit rate converter comprising: means for storing an assessment value indicating an importance level for each of one or more reproduction time intervals with respect to the first animation image data, wherein the second animation image data are generated by arithmetically determining the bit rate of the second animation image data on the basis of the bit rate information of the first animation image data and the assessment value indicating the importance level within a preselected reproduction time interval with respect to the first animation image data, and a larger amount of code is preferentially allocated to the preselected reproduction time interval having a higher assessment value which correspond to a higher importance level, wherein the bit rate converter receives, from a receiver which is a transmitting destination of the second animation image data, information on a total capacity of the reception buffer, an extent of the reception buffer being used, and the bit rate as a measure of reception speed, in determining the bit rate of the second animation image data, and which determines within each of the reproduction time intervals the bit rate of the second animation image data so that the extent of the reception buffer being used may not cause any of an overflow or an underflow for the total capacity of the reception buffer during data reception, and wherein when the first animation image data includes additional data irrelevant to the encoding of an animation image, all or part of the additional data are shifted in order from the reproduction time intervals having assessment values indicating higher importance levels to the reproduction time intervals having assessment values indicating lower importance levels, with respect to the first animation image data, and wherein the bit rate of the second animation image data is determined for each of the reproduction time intervals in such a manner that the increase or decrease in the bit amount as a result of the distribution of the additional data into the respective reproduction time intervals can be offset.