Patent ID: 7215710

Claim:
An image coding device for coding a motion image signal, and outputting the coded data as a bit stream, said image coding device comprising: an input image controller that executes a predetermined processing to an input motion image signal for reducing the amount of coded data when coding the motion image signal by a coding method in which it is prescribed that the frame rate of a motion image signal is set to a constant level to be output at its decoding time, and outputs the processed motion image signal, together with the process information indicating the detail of said processing; and an image coder for coding the motion image signal processed at said input image controller into a data in conformity with said coding method on the basis of said process information; wherein said input image controller excludes either one field of each of the frames at a predetermined rate when the input motion image signal is of the interlace method, and outputs the processed motion image signal, together with the process information showing the thus excluded fields, and said image coder detects the exclusion of fields on the basis of said process information, performs a predictive coding with respect to the thus excluded fields on the basis of the other fields, and generates a coded data corresponding to said excluded fields.