Patent ID: 8502708

Claim:
An encoding method for encoding prediction residuals in integer representation generated on the basis of the result of prediction analysis of time-series signals, the encoding method comprising: (A) a step of deciding, using a processor, a separation parameter for each given time segment; (B) a step of outputting, as a code corresponding to the prediction residuals, information that includes first information identifying integer quotients obtained by divisions using the prediction residuals or integers not smaller than 0 that monotonically increase with increases in the amplitude of the prediction residuals, as dividends, and the separation parameter decided for the time segment corresponding to the prediction residuals or a mapped integer value of the separation parameter, as a modulus, and second information identifying the remainders obtained when the dividends are divided by the modulus; and (C) a step of outputting a code obtained by performing variable length coding of each piece of side information that includes the separation parameter; wherein the separation parameter is a mapped value of a Rice parameter for performing Golomb-Rice coding of the prediction residuals corresponding to the time segment or mapped values of the prediction residuals; the separation parameter decided for the time segment is smaller than the Rice parameter for performing Golomb-Rice coding of the prediction residuals corresponding to the time segment or of the mapped values of the prediction residuals; and the first information has codes each of which is obtained by performing variable length coding of each of the quotients with a variable length coding scheme selected from a plurality of variable length coding schemes, and the plurality of variable length coding schemes include variable length coding schemes other than an Alpha coding scheme.