Patent ID: 7881541

Claim:
A coding apparatus for dividing a picture to form a matrix of blocks (macro blocks), each having a predetermined number of pixels, and conducting coding processes on moving picture data on a macro block by macro block basis, each being produced by the division, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of macro block processing sections for coding moving picture data concurrently on a macro block by macro block basis; each macro block processing section being adapted to select a position or a region out of a plurality of regions produced by dividing a picture by a predetermined number of rows, detect a processable macro block by sequentially retrieving the macro blocks of the selected region according to a predetermined scanning sequence and code the detected processable macro block; the predetermined scanning sequence being conforming to such a rule that the scanning starting position is the uppermost and leftmost macro block of the macro blocks in the region; the macro block to be processed next relative to an arbitrarily selected macro block is the one located on the row immediately below the arbitrarily selected macro block and separated leftward from it by a predetermined number of macro blocks; and the leftmost macro block on the uppermost row is selected out of the unprocessed macro blocks when there is no macro block located on the row immediately below and separated leftward from it by the predetermined number of macro blocks.