Patent ID: 6950468

Claim:
An image information conversion apparatus which receives first image compression information as an input thereto and outputs second image compression information, each of the first image compression information and the second image compression information including at least intra-image coded pictures and inter-image prediction coded pictures, comprising: quantization scale determination means for using information extracted from the first image compression information to determine an initial value for a reference quantization scale to be used for production of an intra-image coded picture of the second image compression information and determining an initial value for a virtual buffer occupation amount for an intra-image coded picture based on the initial value for the reference quantization scale to be used for production of the first intra-image coded picture of the second image compression information; and wherein the first image compression information is an average quantization scale of the first intra-image coded picture of the first image compression information and a ratio of a code amount of the first image compression information to a code amount of the second image compression information.