Patent ID: 7106909
Filing Date: 2006-09-12
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An encoding method of encoding image data, comprising: an encoding step, of encoding image data using a first encoding parameter; a re-encoding step, of re-encoding the encoded image data, which is encoded in said encoding step, using a second encoding parameter which can compress data at a higher compression ratio than the first encoding parameter; a determination step, of counting a data size of encoded data, which is encoded in said encoding step, estimating a data size of encoded data of the image data which is not yet encoded, and determining if a total of the data sizes is not less than a target size; when it is determined in said determination step that the total is not less than the target size, each following step is performed: a control step, of controlling said encoding step to abort an encoding process; a change step, of replacing the first encoding parameter with the second encoding parameter, and changing the second encoding parameter to a parameter used to obtain a higher compression ratio; a storing step, of storing encoded data which was previously encoded in said re-encoding step, as encoded data encoded in said encoding step after the parameter is changed; and a second re-encoding step, of re-encoding the encoded data, which was previously encoded in said re-encoding step, using the second encoding parameter, which is changed in said change step.