Patent ID: 6996280

Claim:
An image coding apparatus for coding image data corresponding to a target image to be coded based on image data corresponding to a predictive image which is similar to the target image, said apparatus comprising: predictive image generation means for generating image data corresponding to partial predictive images which are similar to plural partial images constituting the target image based on image feature data indicating features of the plural partial images; image composition means for compositing the plural partial predictive images based on the image data of the plural partial predictive images and auxiliary data indicating positions and sizes of the respective partial images in the target image so as to generate image data of the predictive image; and entropy coding means for subjecting the image data of the target image to entropy coding utilizing a correlation in pixel values between the target image and the predictive image, and outputting entropy codes as coded image data of the target image; wherein said image coding apparatus is operable to output the image feature data and the auxiliary data in addition to the entropy codes.