Patent Document ID: 8897367
Application ID: 14046042
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A picture coding method for coding a current macroblock included in a current picture in direct mode, with reference to a motion vector of an adjacent macroblock that is located adjacent to the current macroblock, the picture coding method comprising: specifying, using an adjacent macroblock specifying unit, plural adjacent macroblocks which are located adjacent to the current macroblock; specifying, using a co-located macroblock specifying unit, a co-located macroblock which is co-located with the current macroblock and included in a picture different from the current picture including the current macroblock; specifying, using a co-located block specifying unit, a co-located block which is co-located with a current block in the current macroblock and is included in the co-located macroblock, the current block and the co-located block having a size of 8 pixels×8 pixels; deriving, using a reference motion vector deriving unit, a reference motion vector of the co-located block in the case that a motion compensation of the respective current block in direct mode is prohibited to a size smaller than 8 pixels×8 pixels; judging, using a motion vector size judging unit, if a size of the reference motion vector is within a predetermined range; determining, using a motion vector determining unit, a motion vector of the respective current block; generating, using a generating unit, a predictive image of the respective current block by using the determined motion vector of the respective current block; and coding, using a coding unit, a difference image between the respective current block and the generated predictive image of the respective current block, wherein, in the deriving of the reference motion vector, the reference motion vector of the co-located block is derived to be an actual motion vector of a corner block which is included in the co-located block and is located in a corner of the co-located macroblock, and in the determining of the motion vector of the respective current block, (1) the motion vector of the respective current block is determined to be a value of “0” when it is judged in the motion vector size judging step that the reference motion vector is within the predetermined range, and (2) the motion vector of the respective current block is determined to be a median of plural motion vectors of the plural adjacent macroblocks when it is judged in the motion vector size judging step that the reference motion vector is beyond the predetermined range.