Patent ID: 8446958
Filing Date: 2013-05-21
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image coding apparatus which codes a current image to be coded having a bit depth greater than a predetermined bit depth, the bit depth indicating information capacity per pixel, said image coding apparatus comprising: a down-converter which down-converts the current image into a base layer image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth; an MVC (multiview video coding) encoder which (i) is an encoder for coding a multiview video including a base view image of a base view and a non-base view image of a non-base view different from the base view, and (ii) codes the base layer image as the base view image and decodes the base layer image coded as the base view image to generate a reconstructed image; and a subtracter which calculates differences between characteristics of pixel values of the pre-down-conversion current image and characteristics of corresponding pixel values of the reconstructed image, and generates, using the calculated differences, an enhancement layer image having a bit depth equal to or less than the predetermined bit depth, the enhancement layer image being an image for increasing the bit depth of the base layer image, wherein said MVC encoder further codes the enhancement layer image as the non-base view image.