Picture coding method and picture coding apparatus

A picture coding method of dividing a picture signal into slices each including blocks, and coding, per block, each of the slices, said picture coding method comprising:

• dividing a picture into an intra- (I-) slice and an inter (P) slice, the I-slice being coded using a correlation between pixels in a slice, the P slice being coded using the correlation between pixels in the slice and a correlation between pixels in different slices, and each of the I-slice and the P slice including blocks;
• and
• coding each of the slices per block so as to code pictures that are temporally consecutive, each of the pictures being the picture,
• wherein a position of the I-slice is changed in each of the temporally consecutive pictures so that positions of I-slices each of which is the I-slice circulate in a to-be-determined number of pictures among the temporally consecutive pictures, and each of the temporally consecutive pictures is divided so that a sum of the number of blocks included in the I-slice and the number of blocks included in one or more P slices that are between the I-slice and an I-slice subsequent to the I-slice becomes a predetermined value, each of the one or more P slices being the P slice.

A program for dividing a picture signal into slices each including blocks, and coding, per block, each of the slices, said program causing a computer to execute:

• dividing a picture into an intra- (I-) slice and an inter (P) slice, the I-slice being coded using a correlation between pixels in a slice, the P slice being coded using the correlation between pixels in the slice and a correlation between pixels in different slices, and each of the I-slice and the P slice including blocks;
• and
• coding each of the slices per block so as to code pictures that are temporally consecutive, each of the pictures being the picture,
• wherein a position of the I-slice is changed in each of the temporally consecutive pictures so that positions of I-slices each of which is the I-slice circulate in a to-be-determined number of pictures among the temporally consecutive pictures, and each of the temporally consecutive pictures is divided so that a sum of the number of blocks included in the I-slice and the number of blocks included in one or more P slices that are between the I-slice and an I-slice subsequent to the I-slice becomes a predetermined value, each of the one or more P slices being the P slice.

An integrated circuit that divides a picture signal into slices each including blocks, and codes, per block, each of the slices, said integrated circuit comprising:

• a dividing unit configured to divide a picture into an intra- (I-) slice and an inter (P) slice, the I-slice being coded using a correlation between pixels in a slice, the P slice being coded using the correlation between pixels in the slice and a correlation between pixels in different slices, and each of the I-slice and the P slice including blocks;
• and
• a coding unit configured to code each of the slices per block so as to code pictures that are temporally consecutive, each of the pictures being the picture,
• wherein said dividing unit is configured to change a position of the I-slice in each of the temporally consecutive pictures so that positions of I-slices each of which is the I-slice circulate in a to-be-determined number of pictures among the temporally consecutive pictures, and to divide each of the temporally consecutive pictures so that a sum of the number of blocks included in the I-slice and the number of blocks included in one or more P slices that are between the I-slice and an I-slice subsequent to the I-slice becomes a predetermined value, each of the one or more P slices being the P slice.