Patent ID: 8391692

Claim:
A decoding method for decoding, a plurality of streams, the decoding method comprising: each of the streams being obtained by encoding i) a stereoscopic picture which includes a left eye image and a right eye image or ii) a non-stereoscopic picture; at least one of the streams including (i) a first identification information representing that an encoded picture is the stereoscopic picture or the non-stereoscopic picture, (ii) a second identification information representing that an encoded picture is a progressive picture or a non-progressive picture, (iii) a third identification information representing that a decoded picture is outputted as two frames or as three frames; obtaining stereoscopic video arrangement information which represents whether or not the plurality of streams include the stereoscopic picture, and the stereoscopic video arrangement information is separated from the plurality of streams; determining whether the plurality of streams include the stereoscopic picture based on the stereoscopic video arrangement information; when the stereoscopic video arrangement information represents that the streams include the stereoscopic picture: obtaining the first identification information, the second identification information, and the third identification information; when the obtained first identification information represents that the encoded picture is the stereoscopic picture, the obtained second identification information represents that the encoded picture is the progressive picture, and the obtained third identification information represents that the decoded picture is outputted as two frames; decoding the encoded picture and generating a stereoscopic progressive picture; outputting the stereoscopic progressive picture as two frames; when the obtained first identification information represents that the encoded picture is the stereoscopic picture; the obtained second identification information represents that the encoded picture is the progressive picture, and the obtained third identification information represents that the decoded picture is outputted as three frames; decoding the encoded picture and generating a stereoscopic progressive picture; outputting the stereoscopic progressive picture as three frames, wherein, the stream corresponds to a group of pictures.