# US 11,122,283 B2 · Image coding apparatus, image coding method, and program, and image decoding apparatus, image decoding method and program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,283 B2 - Document ID: US11122283B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/853,466 - Filed: 2020-04-20 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-09 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Masato Shima - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122283B2 ## CPC - H04N 19/50: using predictive coding (H04N19/61 takes precedence) - H04N 19/11: among a plurality of spatial predictive coding modes - H04N 19/12: Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264 - H04N 19/124: Quantisation - H04N 19/176: the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock - H04N 19/182: the unit being a pixel - H04N 19/44: Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder - H04N 19/70: characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards - H04N 19/91: Entropy coding, e.g. variable length coding [VLC] or arithmetic coding - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present invention is made to enable switching between lossless coding which prioritizes compatibility with a lossy coding process and lossless coding which prioritizes compression performance. An image coding apparatus of the present invention includes the following configuration. The image coding apparatus which encodes an image on a block-by-block basis includes a first coding unit and a second coding unit. The first coding unit performs irreversible compression coding on a received first block. The second coding unit performs reversible compression coding on a received second block. The second coding unit encodes the second block by using either of a first intra prediction mode for performing intra prediction on a block-by-block basis and a second intra prediction mode for performing intra prediction on a pixel-by-pixel basis. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image encoding apparatus encoding an image the apparatus comprising: a first encoding unit configured to encode a block to be processed, using a first encoding process including a transformation process; and a second encoding unit configured to encode a block to be processed, using a second encoding process not including the transformation and process; wherein the second encoding unit is capable of applying at least either one of the second encoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not included in the block to be processed is used or the second encoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein if the second encoding process is used, a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is coded in a unit of a block included in the image, the first flag being used to determine whether a decoding process corresponding to the second encoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for a block to be processed. ### Claim 2 An image decoding apparatus decoding a bit stream generated by encoding an image, the apparatus comprising: a first decoding unit configured to decode a block to be processed using a first decoding process including transformation process; and a second decoding unit configured to decode a block to be processed using a second decoding process not including the transformation process, wherein the second decoding unit is capable of applying at least either the second decoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not included in the block to be processed is used or the second decoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is decoded, the first flag being used to determine whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for the block to be processed, wherein it is determined, in a unit of a block included in the image, whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not, in accordance with the first flag, wherein the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed, in a case where it is determined based on the first flag that the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed. ### Claim 3 An image encoding method for encoding an image, the method comprising: encoding a block to be processed using first encoding process including a transformation process; and encoding a block to be processed using a second encoding process not including the transformation process; wherein the encoding the block to be processed using the second encoding process is capable of applying at least either one of the second encoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not including in the block to be processed is used or the second encoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein if the second encoding process is used, a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is coded in a unit of a block included in the image, the first flag being used to determine whether a decoding process corresponding to the second encoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for a block to be processed. ### Claim 4 An image decoding method for decoding a bit stream including coded data generated by encoding an image, the method comprising: decoding a block to be processed using a first decoding process including a transformation process; and decoding a block to be processed using a second decoding process not including the transformation process, wherein the decoding the block to be processed using the second decoding process is capable of applying at least either the second decoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not included in the block to be processed is used or the second decoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is decoded, the first flag being used to determine whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for the block to be processed, wherein it is determined, in a unit of a block included in the image, whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not, in accordance with the first flag, and wherein the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed, in a case where it is determined based on the first flag that the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed. ### Claim 5 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute encoding of an image, the program comprising: computer-executable instructions for encoding a block to be processed using first encoding process a transformation process; and computer-executable instructions for encoding a block to be processed using a second encoding process not including the transformation process, wherein the encoding the block to be processed using the second encoding process is capable of applying at least either one of the second encoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not included in the block to be processed is used or the second encoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein if the second encoding process is used, a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is coded in a unit of a block included in the image, the first flag being used to determine whether a decoding process corresponding to the second encoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for a block to be processed. ### Claim 6 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute decoding of a bit stream including coded data generated by encoding an image, the program comprising: computer-executable instructions for decoding a block to be processed using a first decoding process including a transformation process; computer-executable instructions for decoding a block to be processed using a second decoding process not including the transformation process, wherein the decoding the block to be processed using the second decoding process is capable of applying at least either the second decoding process using an intra prediction mode in which a pixel not included in the block to be processed is used or the second decoding process using a DPCM process on a basis of a pixel included in the block to be processed, wherein a first flag independent from prediction mode information about the intra prediction mode is decoded, the first flag being used to determine whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not for the block to be processed, wherein it is determined, in a unit of a block included in the image, whether the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied or not, in accordance with the first flag, and wherein the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed, in a case where it is determined based on the first flag that the second decoding process using the DPCM process is applied for the block to be processed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a second flag is encoded in the unit of the block included in the image, the second flag being used for determining whether the first encoding process is applied or the second encoding process is applied for the block to be processed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a second flag is decoded, the second flag being used for determining whether the first decoding process is applied or the second decoding process is applied for the block to be processed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The image decoding method according to claim 4, wherein a second flag is decoded, the second flag being used for determining whether the first decoding process is applied or the second decoding process is applied for the block to be processed.