Patent ID: 6922490

Claim:
An image encoding device comprising: an image signal input circuit receiving an image signal and dividing the image signal into macroblocks to generate block-divided image signals; an image encoding circuit encoding the block-divided image signals output from the image signal input circuit, and outputting encoded image signals to a transmission path; an encoded region designator designating regions to be encoded by the image encoding circuit according to a bit rate of the transmission path; wherein said image encoding circuit encodes only those regions which are designated by said encoded region designator; wherein said encoded region designator receives the bit rate of the transmission path and a motion vector detected by said image encoding circuit, and designates the encoded regions based on them; a motion vector converter receiving the motion vector and converting the motion vector into a horizontal motion vector value and a vertical motion vector value; a first comparator comparing the horizontal motion vector value to a first threshold; a second comparator comparing the vertical motion vector value to a second threshold; and a logical OR circuit receiving comparison results from said first and second comparators, wherein the first and second thresholds are based on the bit rate of the transmission path, and wherein the comparison results are true when the respective motion vector value is greater than the respective threshold such that only those macroblocks having a motion vector value exceeding a respective one of the thresholds are designated by said encoded region designator.