Patent ID: 7822119

Claim:
An image decoding apparatus comprising: decoding means for decoding a bit stream, generated by encoding an image partitioned into a plurality of partial areas, each partial area is attached with coding mode information for indicating whether said partial area is encoded using a first image prediction processing and whether said partial area is encoded using a second image prediction processing and, in the case that said coding mode information indicates the first image prediction processing, said partial area is additionally attached with a motion vector; first image prediction means for generating a prediction signal of said partial area by the first image prediction processing, as indicated by the coding mode information, using the motion vector of said partial area, by referencing an already generated reproduced image; second image prediction means for generating the prediction signal of said partial area by the second image prediction processing, as indicated by the coding mode information; storage means for storing a reproduced image that is based on the prediction signal; and switching means for switching between the first image prediction means and the second image prediction means on the basis of the coding mode information for generating the prediction signal, wherein, in the second image prediction processing, a second partial area is generated by a process in which an area containing a portion of pixels whose prediction signal has not been generated is defined as a template, the reproduced image stored in the storage means is defined as a reference area, an area in the reference area which has a high correlation with the template is selected as a duplicative reference area, and pixel values of corresponding pixels inside the duplicative reference area are given to pixels of which prediction signal has not been generated in the template, wherein the first image prediction processing is a processing for generating the prediction signal based on the motion vector of said partial area, and wherein the second image prediction processing is a processing for generating the prediction signal without the necessity of using the motion vector.