Video coding apparatus and video decoding apparatus

Abstract

A video coding apparatus includes a coder section 101 for coding an input video picture, an important information constructing section 102 for extracting important information from coded information obtained by the coder section, a sync signal generator section 103 for generating a sync signal, and a bit stream reconstructing section 104 for adding the sync signal output from the sync signal generator section and the important information reconstructed by the important information constructing section to the bit stream coded by the coder section, thereby reconstructing the bit stream.

1 - 6 . (canceled)  
   
   
       7 . A video decoding apparatus comprising: 
 a bit stream receiving section for receiving a bit stream including coded video information that is obtained by arbitrary shape coding a video picture, sync information and header information including important information representing a rule of coding a set of predetermined bit streams;    a demultiplexer section for demultiplexing the coded bit stream into a picture bit stream corresponding to the video information;    a decoder section for decoding the picture bit stream;    a sync signal detector section for detecting a sync signal from the bit stream, and informing said decoder section of the sync signal;    an error check section for checking presence of an error on the basis of decoded information of said decoder section; and    an important information constructing section for constructing important information from the header information output from said decoder section, and informing said decoder section of the important information when said error check section determines absence of an error.    
   
   
       8 . The video decoding apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said important information constructing section comprises: 
 a first important information constructing section for constructing conventional picture relating important information from the header information;    an arbitrary shape coding determination means for determining based on the header information whether a picture decoded from the header information is an arbitrary shape picture;    a second important information constructing means for constructing arbitrary shape picture relating important information from the header information;    a first switch section for inputting the header information to said second important information constructing section when said arbitrary shape coding determination section determines that the decoded picture is an arbitrary shape picture; and    a second switch section for outputting the arbitrary shape picture relating important information when said arbitrary shape coding determination section determines that the decoded picture is an arbitrary shape picture.    
   
   
       9 . The video decoding apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said important information constructing section outputs VOP (video object plane)header information when a VOP header is included in the bit stream obtained during decoding of said decoder section, and outputs the important information of the VOP when no VOP header is included in the bit stream obtained during decoding of said decoder section.  
   
   
       10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . The video decoding apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said decoder section executes a decoding operation from a position of a next sync signal detected by said sync signal detector section after performing a processing corresponding to an error when said error check section detects the error.  
   
   
       12 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . A video transmission system comprising: 
 a server computer including a video coding apparatus for arbitrary shape coding a video to generate a coded bit stream;    a transmitter for transmitting the coded bit stream of said server computer;    a receiver for receiving the coded bit stream from said server computer; and    a client computer including a video decoding apparatus for decoding the coded bit stream from said receiver, and wherein    said video coding apparatus comprises:    a coder section for generating coded information obtained by coding an input video picture as a bit stream;    an important information constructing section for extracting, from the coded information obtained by said coder section, important information representing a rule of coding a set of predetermined bit streams, and constructing the important information;    a sync signal generator section for generating a sync signal; and    a bit stream reconstructing section for adding the sync signal output from said sync signal generator means, an HEC code representing whether or not the important information is duplexed and the important information constructed by said important information constructing section to the bit stream coded by said coder section, to reconstruct the bit stream, and said video decoding apparatus comprises:    a demultiplexer section for demultiplexing the received coded bit stream into a picture bit stream corresponding to the video information;    a decoder section for decoding the picture bit stream;    a sync signal detector section for detecting a sync signal from the bit stream, and informing said decoder section of the sync signal;    an error check section for checking presence of an error on the basis of decoded information of said decoder section; and    an important information constructing section for constructing important information from the header information output from said decoder section, and informing said decoder section of the important information when said error check section determines absence of an error.    
   
   
       18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . A recording medium storing: 
 a header including information that is used in common to coded data; and    a VOP including: a first video packet that comprises a VP header and macrobook data; and at least one second video packet that comprises a VP header and macrobook data is a shape information header storing arbitrary information of a picture to be recorded,    said VP header including a sync signal, and an HEC code representing whether or not the important information is duplexed, the important information indicating a rule according to which coded information obtained by arbitrary shape coding is coded.    
   
   
       20 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein the important information of the VP header includes information about a width of a picture, information about a height of the picture, information about x-and y coordinates at which the picture is pasted, a flag representing whether coding is done after the shape information is scaled-down, and information about a coding type of the shape information.  
   
   
       21 . A video decoding apparatus comprising: 
 demultiplexer means for demultiplexing an input bit stream into a picture stream;    decoder means for decoding the picture bit stream; sync signal detector means for detecting a sync signal from the picture bit stream, and informing said decoder means of the sync signal; and    important information constructing means for constructing important information from header information output from said decoder means, and informing said decoder means of the important information.    
   
   
       22 . A video coding apparatus according to  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 means for constructing conventional picture relating important information from the header information;    arbitrary shape coding determination means for determining based on the header information whether a decoded picture is an arbitrary shape picture;    arbitrary shape picture relating important information constructing means for constructing arbitrary shape picture relating important information from the header information;    switch means for inputting the header information to said arbitrary shape picture relating information constructing means when said arbitrary shape coding determination means determines that the decoded picture is an arbitrary shape picture; and    switch means for outputting the arbitrary shape picture relating important information when said arbitrary shape coding determination means determines that the decoded picture is an arbitrary shape picture.    
   
   
       23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A video coding apparatus according to  claim 7 , characterized in that said important information includes information representing an image size and an image position.  
   
   
       25 - 26 . (canceled)  
   
   
       27 . A video coding apparatus according to  claim 17 , characterized in that said important information includes information representing an image size and an image position.  
   
   
       28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . A video coding apparatus according to  claim 19 , characterized in that said VP header includes an HEC code representing that the important information is duplexed, and important information relating to duplexed arbitrary shaped codes.  
   
   
       30 . (canceled)  
   
   
       31 . The video decoding apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       32 . The video transmission system according to  claim 17 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       33 . The recording medium according to  claim 19 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       34 . The video decoding apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       35 . A video coding method comprising the steps of: 
 generating coded information obtained by arbitrary shape coding an input video picture as a bit stream; extracting, from the coded information, important information representing a rule of coding a set of predetermined bit streams;    generating a sync signal; and    adding the sync signal output from said sync signal generator means, an HEC code representing whether or not the important information is duplexed and the important information constructed by said important information constructing section to the bit stream coded by said coder section, to construct the bit stream.    
   
   
       36 . The video coding method according to  claim 35 , wherein said bit stream constructing step duplexes the important information in a predetermined format and inserts the duplexed important information into a header.  
   
   
       37 . The video coding method according to  claim 35 , wherein said important information includes information representing an image size and an image position.  
   
   
       38 . The video coding method according to  claim 35 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       39 . A video decoding method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a coded bit stream including coded video information that is obtained by arbitrary shape coding a video picture, sync information and header information including important information representing a rule of coding a set of predetermined bit streams;    demultiplexing the coded bit stream into a picture bit stream corresponding to the video information; decoding the picture bit stream;    detecting a sync signal from the bit stream and informing said decoder section of the sync signal; and constructing important information from the header information when an HEC code indicative of duplexing of the important information has been detected.    
   
   
       40 . The video decoding method according to  claim 39 , wherein said important information constructing step outputs VOP (video object plane) header information when a VOP header is included in the bit stream obtained during decoding of said decoder section, and outputs the important information of the VOP when no VOP header is included in the bit stream obtained during decoding of said decoder section.  
   
   
       41 . The video decoding method according to  claim 39 , wherein said important information includes information representing an image size and an image position.  
   
   
       42 . The video decoding method according to  claim 39 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       43 . A video transmission method comprising the steps of: 
 causing a server computer to arbitrary shape code a video to generate a coded bit stream;    transmitting the coded bit stream from the transmitter;    receiving the coded bit stream transmitted from the server computer; and    causing a client computer to decode the coded bit stream that has been received, said video coding step comprising:    generating coded information obtained by arbitrary shape coding an input video picture as a bit stream;    extracting, from the coded information obtained in the coding step, important information representing a rule of coding a set of predetermined bit streams;    generating a sync signal; and    adding the sync signal, an HEC code representing whether or not the important information to the coded bit stream, thereby constructing the bit stream, and    said video decoding step comprising:    demultiplexing the coded bit stream into a picture bit stream corresponding to the video information;    decoding the picture bit stream;    detecting a sync signal form the bit stream; and    generating important information from the header information when an HEC code indicative of duplexing of the important information has been detected.    
   
   
       44 . The video transmission method according to  claim 43 , wherein said important information includes information representing an image size and an image position.  
   
   
       45 . The video transmission method according to claim  1 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.  
   
   
       46 . A video decoding method comprising the steps of: 
 demultiplexing an input bit stream into an arbitrary shape coded picture stream;    decoding the picture bit stream;    detecting a sync signal from the picture bit stream; and    generating important information from header information when an HEC code indicating that the important information related to reproduction of the arbitrary shape coded picture stream is duplexed has been detected.    
   
   
       47 . The video decoding method according to  claim 46 , wherein said important information includes a 13-bit signal indicative of an image width, a 13-bit signal indicative of an image height, a 13-bit signal indicative of an X coordinate used for image arrangement, a 13-bit signal indicative of a Y coordinate used for image arrangement, a 1-bit signal representing whether or not image information is reduced and coded, and a 1-bit signal indicative of a coding mode of the image information, said signals being arranged in the order mentioned.