Video encoding method, video decoding method, video encoding program, video decoding program, video encoding apparatus, and video decoding apparatus

Abstract

In a video encoding method according to the present invention, an encoding mode controller 102 determines an encoding mode of each image on the occasion of encoding a moving picture consisting of a plurality of images, and a region partitioning unit 104 determines a region structural unit for partitioning the image into multiple regions, based on the encoding mode. A region determining unit 116 defines the regions on the basis of the region structural unit and information thereof is encoded. Then an encoder 105 compression-encodes pixel data included in the regions, in encoding units to generate compression-encoded data according to the encoding mode, and outputs the resultant data.

1 . A video encoding method for video encoding apparatus to encode a moving picture partitioned into a plurality of regions, the video encoding method comprising:
 a step of determining an encoding mode of each image in encoding a moving picture consisting of a plurality of images;   a step of determining a region structural unit for partitioning said image into multiple regions, based on said encoding mode;   a step of defining the regions on the basis of the region structural unit;   a step of encoding region information about the regions thus defined;   a step of compression-encoding pixel data included in the regions, in encoding units to generate compression-encoded data according to the encoding mode;   and   an output step of outputting the encoding mode, the region information, and the compression-encoded data.   
   
   
       2 . The video encoding method according to  claim 1 , wherein said encoding mode is one selected from:
 a frame mode of performing encoding without separating scan lines constituting an image;   a field mode of performing encoding with separating scan lines constituting an image;   an encoding-unit-switching mode of dividing an image into a plurality of encoding units and performing encoding in each encoding unit by either the frame mode or the field mode;   an image-unit-switching mode of performing encoding in each image unit by either the frame mode or the field mode;   a first combination mode as a combination of the frame mode with the encoding-unit-switching mode; and a second combination mode as a combination of the field mode with the image-unit-switching mode.   
   
   
       3 . The video encoding method according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the encoding units is:
 a block consisting of N×N pixels when the encoding mode is the frame mode;   a block consisting of N×N pixels when the encoding mode is the field mode; or   a block consisting of N×M (M is a number of vertical pixels, and M=2N) pixels when the encoding mode is the encoding-unit-switching mode.   
   
   
       4 . The video encoding method according to  claim 3 , wherein when all the images constituting the moving picture are encoded in one encoding mode, the region structural unit is the encoding unit, and
 wherein when the images constituting the moving picture are encoded each in different encoding modes, the region structural unit is a largest encoding unit among the encoding units of the different encoding modes.   
   
   
       5 - 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . A video encoding program for letting a computer execute processing associated with the video encoding method as set forth in  claim 1 . 
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . A video encoding apparatus for encoding a moving picture partitioned into a plurality of regions, the video encoding apparatus comprising:
 encoding mode determining means for determining an encoding mode of each image in encoding the moving picture consisting of a plurality of images;   region structural unit determining means for determining a region structural unit for partitioning said image into multiple regions, based on said encoding mode;   region defining means for defining the regions on the basis of the region structural unit;   region information encoding means for encoding region information about the regions thus defined; and data generating means for compression-encoding pixel data included in the regions, in encoding units to generate compression-encoded data according to the encoding mode.   
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . The video encoding method according to  claim 1 , wherein, for all the images included in the moving picture,
 the region structural unit is a block consisting of N×N pixels, in a frame mode of performing encoding without separating scan lines constituting each image,   the region structural unit is a block consisting of N×N pixels, in a field mode of performing encoding with separating scan lines constituting each image,   the region structural unit is a block consisting of N×M (M is a number of vertical pixels, and M˜2N) pixels, in an encoding-unit-switching mode of dividing each image into a plurality of encoding units and performing encoding in each encoding unit by either the frame mode or the field mode, or   the region structural unit is a block consisting of N×M (M is a number of vertical pixels, and M˜2N) pixels, in an image-unit-switching mode of performing encoding of each image in an image unit by either the frame mode or the field mode.   
   
   
       14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . A video encoding apparatus comprising:
 input means for effecting input of a moving picture consisting of a plurality of images;   encoding mode controlling means for determining an encoding mode of each image in encoding the moving picture;   region structural unit determining means for determining a region structural unit for partitioning each image into multiple regions, based on the encoding mode;   region partitioning means for defining regions on the basis of the region structural unit and partitioning each image into multiple regions;   encoding means for compression-encoding region information about the regions thus defined, information of the encoding mode, and pixel data included in the regions to generate compression-encoded data; and outputting means for outputting the compression-encoded data.   
   
   
       16 . (canceled)