Patent ID: 7965766

Claim:
A stream generation apparatus that generates a stream including coded pictures, the coded pictures including a first unit of storage in which first information obtained by coding a command for managing a buffer that holds a decoded picture as a reference picture is stored, and a second unit of storage which is located before the first unit of storage and for storing second information, and when a coded picture stores the second information obtained by coding content identical to the command indicated by the first information of another coded picture which is located before the coded picture in decoding order, the first unit of storage, the second unit of storage, and the command are defined according to the MPEG-4 AVC standard, stream generation apparatus comprising: a judging unit configured to judge whether or not a first coded picture in which the first information is stored in the first unit of storage is a coded picture corresponding to a reference B picture to be referable to when another picture is decoded; a coding unit configured to code, as the second information, content identical to the command indicated by the first information, when the judgment unit judges that the first coded picture is a coded picture corresponding to the reference B picture to be referable to when the other picture is decoded; and a generating unit configured to generate a stream by storing the second information in the second unit of storage in a second coded picture which corresponds to an I picture which is located after the first coded picture in decoding order, or a P picture.