Patent ID: 7474699

Claim:
An encoder for encoding each first image block of a video, comprising: prediction mode selection information generating means, including means for generating a plurality of first image blocks from the video, means for generating a plurality of second image blocks from each of the plurality of first image blocks, means for generating a prediction mode selection information for each second image block of a selected first image block, the prediction mode selection information indicates that a first prediction mode to reduce temporal redundancy is applied or that a second prediction mode to reduce spatial redundancy is applied, means for generating at least one of a first macro block mode for the selected first image block which indicates that the first prediction mode is applied to each of the second image blocks of the selected first image block, a second macro block mode for the selected first image block which indicates that the second prediction mode is applied to each of the second image blocks of the selected first image block, and a third macro block mode for the selected first image block which indicates that the selected first image block includes at least one second image block to which the first prediction mode is applied and at least one second image block to which the second prediction mode is applied; predictive residual signal generating means for generating a predictive residual signal by applying the selected first or second prediction mode to each of the second image blocks of the selected first image block; and transmitting means for encoding and transmitting a macro block mode generated for the selected first image block and the predictive residual signal, wherein said transmitting means encodes and transmits one motion vector along with the third macro block mode and the predictive residual signal, when the third macro block mode for the selected image block is generated.