Patent ID: 8032367

Claim:
A bit-rate converting apparatus, comprising: a quantized value decoding means for obtaining a first quantized value and side information by decoding an inputted bit-stream having said first quantized value obtained by quantizing a frequency domain signal; a quantized value modifying means for outputting a modified quantized value obtained by adding a number to said first quantized value; an inverse quantizing means for obtaining a frequency domain signal by inversely quantizing said modified quantized value, based on quantization precision information included in said side information; a quantizing means for obtaining a second quantized value by quantizing said frequency domain signal obtained by inversely quantizing said modified quantized value; and a quantized value coding means for generating a new bit-stream by multiplexing a code obtained by coding said second quantized value and said side information, wherein said number added to said first quantized value is selected so that said second quantized values having different values are obtained from said first quantized values having same values, and wherein said quantizing means is controlled so that the bit-rate of said new bit-stream is a target bit-rate.