Patent ID: 7940810

Claim:
An encoding/transmitting apparatus, comprising: input means for inputting data; encoding means for encoding the inputted data; storage means for storing the encoded data; multiplexing means for multiplexing the encoded data stored in the storage means, for transmitting the multiplexed data to a predetermined receiving apparatus through a network, and for generating a multiplexing-completion signal that includes information identifying the encoded data that was multiplexed by the multiplexing means; and monitoring means for monitoring a state of the network, in which the multiplexing means controls a bit rate of the multiplexing in accordance with the state of the network, and in which the encoding means calculates based on the multiplexing-completion signal an area occupied by the encoded data in the storage means, releases the area occupied by the encoded data, and controls a bit rate of the encoding of further data inputted by the input means based on the area that was occupied by the encoded data.