Patent ID: 7672374

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: inputting means for inputting moving image data that is composed of a plurality of frames each including a first field and a second field and that is encoded by intra-frame encoding and inter-frame encoding; instructing means for submitting a request for outputting a still image; still image generating means for generating still image data including first encoded data having a prediction error of zero with respect to a reference image that is the first field of a frame corresponding to the request from the instructing means in the moving image data, and second encoded data having a prediction error of zero with respect to a reference image that is averaged image data of two consecutive lines in the first field; multiplexing means for selecting to output either the still image data generated by the still image generating means or the moving image data input by the inputting means; controlling means for controlling the multiplexing means so as to select the still image data generated by the still image generating means in response to the request from the instructing means to output the still image; and transmitting means for transmitting the image data output from the multiplexing means in an encoded state, wherein the controlling means controls the multiplexing means so as to select image data of a frame encoded by the intra-frame encoding input next to the image data of the frame of the moving image data, the frame corresponding to the request from the instructing means, in response to a request for starting to output a normal playback image from the instructing means after the request for outputting the still image.