Patent ID: 8477051

Claim:
A variable-length code decoding apparatus for decoding an input bitstream composed of a plurality of variable-length codes into decoded data composed of nonzeros and zero information expressing a number of successive zeros of 0 or more piece, comprising: a first-table storing part configured to store a first table that associates each of the variable-length codes with zero information of a corresponding decoded data; a second-table storing part configured to store a second table that associates combinations of a plurality of types of variable-length codes with combinations of zero information of a plurality of types of decoded data; a priority determining part configured, if variable-length codes included in the input bitstream and a combination of the variable-length codes are stored in both of the first and second tables, to read out by priority a combination of zero information that is stored in the second table and corresponds a combination of variable-length codes having the largest number of codes, whereas if variable-length codes included in the input bitstream is not stored in the second table but stored in the first table, to read out zero information that is stored in the first table and corresponds to the variable-length codes; and a decoding part configured to generate the decoded data based on the zero information or the combination of zero information read out by the priority determining part, for each group of a plurality of types of variable-length codes included in the input bitstream.