Patent ID: 7209520

Claim:
A moving picture coding method for coding a moving picture, wherein in said moving picture coding method, a picture is coded by one of an intra picture coding method and an inter picture coding method, and when a picture is coded by the inter picture coding method, at least one of the following pictures is selected as a reference picture: an intra coded picture which is coded by the intra picture coding method; a picture located before the intra coded picture in display order; and a picture located after the intra coded picture in display order, said moving picture coding method comprises: specifying the intra coded picture as a specified picture which is used for restricting selection of the reference picture; in case where the intra coded picture is specified as the specified picture in said specifying, for a picture to be coded by the inter picture coding method after the specified picture, selecting, as the reference picture, at least one of the following pictures: the specified picture and a picture which is coded after the specified picture, while prohibiting from selecting, as the reference picture, a picture which has been coded before the specified picture; and coding information which indicates that the intra coded picture is specified as the specified picture which is used for restricting selection of the reference picture.