Patent ID: 7035334
Filing Date: 2006-04-25
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An encoding system for encoding a plurality of program data each of which includes image data to multiplex encoded program data, the encoding system comprising: a plurality of encoding difficulty detecting means for detecting, for each program data, encoding difficulty indicating encoding difficulty in encoding when image data included in each program data is encoded; a plurality of encoding means each of which codes image data included in each program data based upon a input target code rate which is a target amount of codes which must be generated per unit time; multiplexing means for multiplexing data encoded by the encoding means; and control means for calculating, for each program data, a temporary target code rate for each program data from the encoding difficulty detected by the encoding difficulty detecting means, calculating a target code rate for each program from the temporary target code rate in such a manner that the sum of the temporary target code rates calculated for each program data is within a specific allowable range and inputting the calculated target code rate to each encoding means for each program data, wherein a corresponding relationship between the encoding difficulty and the target code rate is set in such a manner that the larger the encoding difficulty is, the larger the target code rate becomes, and that in a specific range in which the encoding difficulty is larger than an average value of the encoding difficulty, a target code rate corresponding to the same encoding difficulty is lowered as compared with a case in which the encoding difficulty and the target code rate have a proportional relationship, whereas in a specific range in which the encoding difficulty is smaller than the average value of the encoding difficulty, the target code rate corresponding to the same encoding difficulty is raised as compared with a case in which the encoding difficulty and the target code rate have a proportional relationship.