JPH10215453A - Video encoding device and video decoding device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To integrate encoded data having continuous hierarchy and non-hierarchical encoded data into one encoded data, a conventional encoding device separates the encoded data. Until decoding is started, it is not possible to determine whether each piece of encoded data has a hierarchical property, and there is a problem that it is not possible to process encoded data such as truncation. SOLUTION: A plurality of encoding units for encoding a plurality of moving image sequences, and an encoded data integration unit for integrating the encoded plurality of moving image sequences are provided, and at least one of the encoding units is provided. The data encoded by the two encoding units has a continuous hierarchy, and the encoded data integration unit transmits information indicating whether the encoded data has the continuous hierarchy to the code. Attached to the encrypted data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the field of digital image processing, and more particularly to a moving picture coding apparatus for coding image data with high efficiency, and for decoding coded data created by this moving picture coding apparatus. The present invention relates to a video decoding device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In image coding, a technique for coding an image so as to have a continuous hierarchy (continuous hierarchy) has been studied. Here, the continuous hierarchy means that when decoding coded data in order from the beginning, when decoding is interrupted at an arbitrary time, a decoded image of low quality as a whole is obtained. For example, the document "Embedded Image
Coding Usage Zerotrees of
Wavelet Coefficients ", (I
EEE Trans. on SignalProce
ssing, Vol. 41, No. 12, Dec. (1
993)) describes such a method. Here, a wavelet coding method (hereinafter referred to as EZW) having a continuous hierarchy using a technique called wavelet transform is described.

FIG. 3 shows an example of encoded data having a continuous hierarchy and a corresponding decoded image. As shown in FIG. 3, when decoding is interrupted at point a of the encoded data,
If a decoded image of low image quality is obtained and decoding is interrupted at point b slightly behind point a, a decoded image of slightly higher image quality than that of the above decoded image is obtained. An image is obtained.

[0004]

In the case where the above-described coded data having continuous hierarchical properties and coded data having no continuous hierarchical properties are integrated into one piece of coded data, a conventional coding apparatus uses: Until separation and the start of decoding, it is not possible to identify whether or not each piece of encoded data has continuous hierarchy, and there is a problem in that encoded data such as truncation cannot be processed.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to solve this problem. Even when a plurality of moving image sequences are encoded by a plurality of encoding devices, encoded data having a continuous hierarchy is identified, and It is an object of the present invention to provide a moving image encoding device and a moving image decoding device that can utilize the characteristics.

[0006]

The present invention has the following means to achieve the above object.

(1) A plurality of encoding units for encoding a plurality of moving image sequences, and an encoded data integrating unit for integrating the encoded plurality of moving image sequences are provided. The data encoded by at least one encoding unit has a continuous hierarchy, and information indicating whether or not the encoded data has the continuous hierarchy is added to the encoded data.

(2) An encoded data separating section for separating encoded data corresponding to a plurality of moving picture sequences from the encoded data encoded in (1), and decoding the separated encoded data. A plurality of video decoding units, and when the information added to the encoded data indicates that the encoded data has a continuous hierarchy, And the coded data that has been cut off is decoded.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an encoding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a first moving picture encoding unit 101 encodes a first moving picture sequence, a second moving picture encoding unit 102 encodes a second moving picture sequence, and an identification flag generating unit. Reference numeral 103 denotes a part for generating an identification flag indicating whether or not each encoded data has a continuous hierarchy, and a first flag adding unit 104 assigns an identification flag to the encoded data (first encoded data) of the first moving image sequence. , A second flag adding unit 105 adds an identification flag to the encoded data (second encoded data) of the second moving image sequence, and a data integrating unit 106 integrates a plurality of encoded data. , Which sends out encoded data to a storage unit or a transmission unit.

[0011] For example, the first moving picture encoding unit
When an encoding method such as 1 is used, the value of the identification flag is “0” indicating that there is no continuous hierarchy. In addition, the second moving image encoding unit uses the ZT described in [Prior Art] above.
When the E method is used, the value of the identification flag becomes “1” indicating that the identification flag has a continuous hierarchy. (However, note that the value of the identification flag indicates whether or not the encoded data has a continuous hierarchy and can be censored, and does not directly belong to the encoding method. Even if the encoding is performed by the ZTE method, if the sender side requests to prohibit data interruption in the middle, this can be performed by setting the identification flag to "0". In the first flag adding unit and the second flag adding unit, these identification flags are added to each encoded data, and each encoded data is integrated by the data integration unit.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a decoding apparatus according to the present embodiment. A data separation unit 201 shown in FIG. 2 separates encoded data into encoded data of a first moving image and encoded data of a second moving image.
2 is a part for reading an identification flag from the encoded data of the first moving image, a second flag reading unit 203 is a part for reading the identification flag from the encoded data of the second moving image, and a clipping signal generating unit 204 is for each encoding. A portion for generating a signal for aborting data in the middle, a first coded data clipping unit 205 cuts off the first coded data by a clipping signal, and a second coded data clipping unit 206 performs a second coding by a clipping signal. The part where data is aborted, the first moving image decoding unit 207 and the second moving image decoding unit 208 are parts that decode the first encoded data and the second encoded data, respectively.

As in the above example, the first encoded data is M
The encoded data by PEG1 and the second encoded data are EZ
When the encoded data is W, the identification flag read by the first flag reading unit becomes “0”, and the entire first encoded data is sent to the first moving image decoding unit without being discontinued. On the other hand, the identification flag from the second flag reading unit is “1”, and the clipping signal generation unit performs the second processing according to the state of the free space of the memory of the decoding device.
A signal for terminating the encoded data is generated.

In the embodiment of the invention described above,
Although two types of moving picture coding methods are provided, more than two kinds of coding devices may be provided. Further, even for the same moving image sequence, the coding method may be changed for each frame or for each of a plurality of frames, so that a certain time has a continuous hierarchy and a certain time does not have the continuous hierarchy. . In this case, a code indicating the switching of the encoding method and the above-described identification flag may be added to the encoded data each time.

Further, in the present invention, it is assumed that the hierarchy of the encoded data is continuous, but a finite number of basic layer data, first upper layer data, second upper layer data,... Even in the case of hierarchically encoded data having only data breaks, the identification flag of the present invention can be applied.
In this case, when the coded data is discontinued at an arbitrary time, decoding is performed using coded data up to a layer that can be decoded in the coded data obtained before the discontinuation. .

[0016]

According to the moving picture coding apparatus and the decoding apparatus of the present invention, coded data having continuous hierarchy and coded data having no continuous hierarchy are integrated into one code. Also in the case of the encoded data, each data can be identified, and when the memory capacity used in the decoding device is insufficient, the encoded data having the continuous hierarchy can be cut off halfway.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an encoding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a decoding device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 101 first moving picture coding section 102 second moving picture coding section 103 identification flag generating section 104 first flag adding section 105 second flag adding section 106 data integrating section 201 data separating section 202 first flag reading section 203 second Flag reading unit 204 Clipping code generation unit 205 First coded data clipping unit 206 Second coded data clipping unit 207 First video decoding unit 208 Second video decoding unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of coding units for coding a plurality of moving image sequences; and a coded data integration unit for integrating the plurality of coded moving image sequences. Data encoded by one encoding unit has a continuous hierarchy, and information indicating whether the encoded data has the continuous hierarchy is added to the encoded data. A moving picture coding apparatus characterized by the following. 2. An encoded data separating section for separating encoded data corresponding to a plurality of moving image sequences from encoded data encoded by the moving image encoding device according to claim 1. With a plurality of video decoding units that decode the encoded data, if the information added to the encoded data indicates that the encoded data has a continuous hierarchy, A moving picture decoding apparatus, wherein the coded data is truncated at an arbitrary time, and the truncated coded data is decoded.