Patent ID: 8270800

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for decoding compression-coded video data, comprising: at least one decode means for decoding the compression-coded video data; supply control means for controlling the supply of the compression-coded video data to the decode means; and control means for controlling processing executed by the supply control means and the decode means, wherein the decode means includes a bank memory for storing decoded picture data, the control means controls a timing at which a picture stored in the bank memory is released by changing a value of a first counter indicating a number of times for which the picture stored in the bank memory is referred to when a P-picture or a B-picture is decoded by the decode means, the compression-coded video data includes groups of pictures, upon receiving a group of pictures including I-pictures or P-pictures having a number greater than a value obtained by subtracting three from the number of banks of the bank memory, the control means divides the group of pictures into decoding processing units, each including I-pictures or P-pictures having a number smaller than a value obtained by subtracting two from the number of banks of the bank memory, and controls the supply control means to supply the compression-coded video data of the decoding processing units to the decode means.