Image coding method, image decoding method, image coding apparatus, and image decoding apparatus

An encoding method performed at least partially by electronic circuitry, comprising:

• encoding a value identifying a chroma format of a encoding target;
• if the value identifying the chroma format is 1, at least a chroma format of a first prediction block is 4:2:0 format;
• if the value identifying the chroma format is 2, at least a chroma format of the first prediction block is 4:2:2 format;
• if the value identifying the chroma format is 3, at least a chroma format of the first prediction block is 4:4:4 format;
• for the first prediction block having a chroma format that is 4:2:0 format, 4:2:2 format, or 4:4:4 format, determining a prediction mode based on a merge mode, the prediction mode specifying a first prediction by a list 0, a second prediction by a list 1, or a bi-directional prediction;
• acquiring both a first reference image and a second reference image for the bi-directional prediction according to the merge mode, if the prediction mode is the bi-directional prediction;
• determining whether a size of the first prediction block is a predetermined value using a restriction value of a horizontal size of the first prediction block of the luminance signal and a restriction value of a vertical size of the first prediction block of the luminance signal;
• if it is determined that the size of the first prediction block is the predetermined value and if the prediction mode is the bi-directional prediction, changing the bi-directional prediction to the first prediction, and generate a first prediction image by the first prediction based on the first reference image,
• if it is determined that the size of the first prediction block is larger than the predetermined value and the size of the first prediction block is not the predetermined value, and if the prediction mode is the bi-directional prediction, generate a second prediction image by the bi-directional prediction based on both the first reference image and the second reference image,
• if the first prediction image is generated deriving a first prediction error using at least the encoded target and the first prediction image;
• if the second prediction image is generated deriving a second prediction error using at least the encoded target and the second prediction image;
• deriving a transform coefficient using at least the first prediction error or the second prediction error;
• and
• encoding the transform coefficient.