Patent ID: 8275048

Claim:
A video encoding method that assigns a plurality of images to a plurality of GOPs which correspond to different viewing positions or directions, and encodes images belonging to the GOPs as a video image, the method comprising: a GOP encoding determination step in which: if it is determined that each image belonging to a given GOP can be generated on a decoding side without using encoded data of a relevant image, it is determined that the relevant image is not encoded and no encoded data thereof is output; and if it is determined that each image belonging to the given GOP cannot be generated on a decoding side unless encoded data of the relevant image is used, then it is determined that the relevant image is encoded and the encoded data thereof is output; a GOP encoding/non-encoding data encoding step of encoding GOP encoding/non-encoding data for indicating whether the encoded data of the image belonging to the given GOP is output; and an in-GOP image encoding step of encoding the image belonging to the given GOP when the encoded data of the image is output wherein when a subject is included in said images belonging to the GOPs and it is determined that the relevant image of the given GOP is not encoded, image data of the subject having a viewing position or direction which corresponds to the given GOP is generated using data of the images belonging to the GOPs other than the given GOP.