Patent ID: 8204113

Claim:
A moving picture coding apparatus comprising: an obtainment unit operable to obtain N color component pictures that compose one picture, where N is an integer that is 2 or greater; N coding units, each of which is operable to code, in one of intra-picture prediction coding and inter-picture prediction coding, a corresponding one of the N color component pictures, said N coding units being provided so as to correspond to the N color component pictures; and a signal multiplexing unit operable to multiplex N bit streams outputted from said N coding units into one bit stream signal, and to output the bit stream signal, wherein said N coding units are operable to individually use respective prediction modes or commonly use a prediction mode for the intra-picture prediction coding or the inter-picture prediction coding, said signal multiplexing unit is operable to insert, in the bit stream signal, coding information indicating correspondence between the N color component pictures and prediction modes to be used for one of the intra-picture prediction coding and the inter-picture prediction coding, the coding information includes a first prediction mode flag, the first prediction mode flag indicates one of: (i) that two or more of the N color component pictures have been coded in a common prediction mode and one or more of the N color component pictures other than the two or more of the N color component pictures has been coded in an independent prediction mode; and (ii) a case other than (i), the coding information further includes a second prediction mode flag when the first prediction mode flag indicates (ii), and the second prediction mode flag indicates one of: (a) that each of the N color component pictures has been coded in an independent prediction mode; and (b) that the N color component pictures have been coded in a common prediction mode.