Patent ID: 8761254

Claim:
An image prediction encoding device comprising: a processor; region dividing means executed by the processor to divide an input image into a plurality of regions; prediction signal generating means executed by the processor to generate an intra-frame prediction signal for target pixel signals included in a target region, the target region being a processing object out of the plurality of regions; residual signal generating means executed by the processor to generate a residual signal between the intra-frame prediction signal and the target pixel signals; and encoding means executed by the processor to encode the residual signal, wherein the prediction signal generating means includes a first prediction method determining unit executable by the processor to generate a plurality of prediction signals using a plurality of respective predetermined first prediction methods, the first prediction method determining unit further executable by the processor to identify one of the plurality of respective predetermined first prediction methods as an adjacent region prediction method having a prediction signal of highest correlation with pixel signals of an adjacent region that is adjacent to the target region, the adjacent region prediction method being derived using at least a part of a proximate pixel group, the proximate pixel group being previously-reproduced pixel signals immediately adjacent to the target region, and wherein the prediction signal generating means is further executable with the processor to predict a target region prediction method for the target pixel signals using said at least a part of said proximate pixel signals used to derive the adjacent region prediction method, the target region prediction method predicted according to the adjacent region prediction method derived by the first prediction method determining unit, and the prediction signal generating means is further executable with the processor to generate the intra-frame prediction signal for the target region based on the target region prediction method.