Patent ID: 8064521

Claim:
A motion image coding apparatus which codes a motion image by executing motion compensation for frame data to be coded by referring to a plurality of frame data in the motion image, comprising: a detecting unit that detects a motion of an imaging device; a plurality of storage units that stores the plurality of frame data; a determination unit that determines a number of reference frames to be referred when frame data to be coded is coded, wherein, in a case that motion information detected by said detecting unit is larger than a predetermined value, the number of reference frames is less than the number of reference frames in a case that motion information is equal or to smaller than the predetermined value; a selecting unit that selects, from said plurality of storage units, storage units where frame data is stored, according to the number of reference frames determined by said determination unit; an estimating unit that estimates a motion vector on the basis of frame data stored in the storage units selected by said selecting units and frame data to be coded; a coding unit that codes frame data to be coded by using the motion vector estimated by said estimating unit; and an output unit that outputs the coded data which is coded by said coding unit.