Moving image encoding device and moving image encoding method

A moving image encoding device that encodes a difference between a predicted image and an original image, the predicted image being generated using a weighted reference image, for which a weight is multiplied with and an offset is added to a reference image, and the moving image encoding device comprising:

• an image data reduction section that reduces data volumes of the original image and the reference image while retaining characteristics of the original image and the reference image;
• a weighted motion vector search section that searches for a motion vector on the basis of the original image and reference image which have been reduced by the image data reduction section;
• a motion compensation section that generates a motion-compensated image using the motion vector searched for by the weighted motion vector search section and the reference image;
• and
• a weighting estimation section that estimates weighting parameters from the motion-compensated image generated by the motion compensation section and the original image.

A moving image encoding device that encodes a difference between a predicted image and an original image, the predicted image being generated using a weighted reference image, for which a weight is multiplied with and an offset is added to a reference image, and the moving image encoding device comprising:

• an image data reduction section that reduces data volumes of the original image and the reference image while retaining characteristics of the original image and the reference image;
• a first weighting estimation section that estimates weighting parameters on the basis of image data of the original image and reference image of which the data volumes have been reduced by the image data reduction section;
• a weighted motion vector search section that searches for a motion vector on the basis of the weighting parameters estimated by the first weighting estimation section and at least one of
• the original image and reference image which have been reduced by the image data reduction section and
• the original image and reference image prior to being reduced;
• a motion compensation section that generates a motion-compensated image using the motion vector searched for by the weighted motion vector search section and the reference image;
• and
• a second weighting estimation section that estimates weighting parameters from the motion-compensated image generated by the motion compensation section and the original image.

A moving image encoding method that encodes a difference between a predicted image and an original image, the predicted image being generated using a weighted reference image, for which a weight is multiplied with and an offset is added to a reference image, and the moving image encoding method comprising:

• (a) reducing data volumes of the original image and the reference image while retaining characteristics of the original image and the reference image;
• (b) searching for a motion vector on the basis of the original image and reference image which have been reduced in (a);
• (c) generating a motion-compensated image using the motion vector searched for in (b) and the reference image;
• and
• (d) estimating weighting parameters from the motion-compensated image generated in (c) and the original image.

A moving image encoding method that encodes a difference between a predicted image and an original image, the predicted image being generated using a weighted reference image, for which a weight is multiplied with and an offset is added to a reference image, and the moving image encoding method comprising:

• (a) reducing data volumes of the original image and the reference image while retaining characteristics of the original image and the reference image;
• (b) estimating weighting parameters on the basis of image data of the original image and reference image of which the data volumes have been reduced in (a);
• (c) searching for a motion vector on the basis of the weighting parameters estimated in (b) and at least one of
• the original image and reference image which have been reduced in (a) and
• the original image and reference image prior to being reduced;
• (d) generating a motion-compensated image using the motion vector searched for in (c) and the reference image;
• and
• (e) estimating weighting parameters from the motion-compensated image generated in
• (d) and the original image.