Image reproducing apparatus capable of freezing a displayed image

An image reproducing apparatus, comprising:

• input means for inputting a coded image as well as information comprising input control information and output control information relevant to this image;
• decoding means for decoding the inputted coded image;
• memory means for storing a plurality of images decoded by said decoding means;
• writing means for writing the image inputted by said input means in said memory means in accordance with the input control information;
• display means for displaying the image, which has been stored in said memory means, in accordance with the output control information corresponding to this image;
• setting means for establishing a setting so as to freeze the image being displayed regardless of the output control information;
• cancelling means for cancelling the setting established by said setting means;
• and
• control means for, until a new image has been stored in a storage area of said memory means, said storage area being an area in which a frozen image had been stored, excluding the image in said storage area from output designated by the output control information, wherein
• the image includes a still picture, the input control information includes write-location designating information which designates a location at which the still picture is written in said memory mans, and the output control information includes read-location designating information which designates the read-out location of an image to be combined with the still picture.

An image processing apparatus capable of presenting a frozen display of image data, comprising:

• receiving means for receiving coded image data for which an image display time has been predetermined;
• decoding means for decoding said coded image data received by said receiving means;
• memory means for storing the image data decoded by said decoding means;
• writing means for writing the image data decoded by said decoding means into said memory means;
• display control means for executing control in such a manner that the image data written by said writing means is displayed in accordance with the image display time;
• designating means for designating freezing of the image displayed by said display control means, and for cancelling said freezing;
• background-data supplying means for supplying data other than the image data received by said receiving means so as to be displayed as background-data;
• changeover means for changing over between reading of the image data from said memory means and reading of the background-data from said background-data supplying means;
• and
• freeze control means for controlling, based upon a designation made by said designating means, said display control means so as to freeze the displayed image, said background-data supplying means and said changeover means so as to temporarily display the background-data when freezing is cancelled.