Patent ID: 7113542

Claim:
An image editing apparatus which edits image data which has been coded in accordance with an image coding method, wherein a plurality of image frames constituting the image data are divided into groups, each image frame is coded into one of a first type image frame which is created by coding data in the image frame, a second type image frame which is created by performing inter-frame mono-directional prediction based on a past image frame and coding a difference obtained by the prediction, and a third type image frame which is created by performing inter-frame dual-directional prediction based on a past image frame and a future image frame and coding differences obtained by the prediction, and the plurality of image frames are coded so that a head frame of each group may be the first type image frame, said apparatus comprising: an image coder which codes each of frames of image data into one of the first type image frame, the second type image frame, and the third type image frame; an image decoder which decodes the image frame coded by said image coder; and an image data analyzer which analyzes a picture header of a head frame in the area to be edited and determines types of image frames included in each group, wherein said image data analyzer determines whether or not a head group which is arranged at a head of an editing target area included in the image data is a closed group which does not include the third type image frame which is to be decoded by referring to an image frame included in a group which is arranged before the head group; and in a case where said image data analyzer determines that the head group is not the closed group, said image coder converts a portion near the head of the editing target area into the closed group, wherein: said image coding method is an MPEG method; each of the groups is a GOP of MPEG; the first type image frame is an I picture; the second type image frame is a P picture; and the third type image frame is a B picture; and wherein in a case where said image data analyzer determines that a second GOP next to a first GOP to which a start point of an editing target area belongs is not a closed GOP, said image coder converts the second GOP into a closed GOP by converting frames in the editing target area between an I picture at a head of the second GOP and a P picture such that the second GOP includes no B picture.