Motion picture coding and decoding apparatus

A motion picture coding apparatus for prediction-coding a plurality of component motion pictures, comprising:

• flag coding means for coding a flag indicative of whether or not a component motion picture is independently coded by using an image, as a reference image for prediction-coding, which has already been coded and decoded in the same component motion picture;
• reference image identification information coding means for coding reference image identification information identifying the reference image for said prediction-coding, only when the component motion picture is not to be independently coded;
• reference image selecting means for selecting the reference image from said plurality of component motion pictures, in accordance with said flag or said reference image identification information;
• and
• component motion pictures coding means for prediction-coding said component motion picture utilizing said selected reference images.

A motion picture coding apparatus comprising:

• lower layer coding means for coding pixel data of a motion picture sequence with a first frame rate;
• and
• upper layer coding means for coding pixel data of a specific area of said motion picture sequence with a second frame rate higher than said first frame rate, and for coding area shape of a specific area of said motion picture sequence, wherein
• said upper layer coding means includes pixel data coding means for coding pixel data of the specific area of said motion picture sequence with the second frame rate higher than said first frame rate, area shape coding means for coding the area shape of the specific area of said motion picture sequence, and multiplexing means for multiplexing coded data of the pixel data coded by said pixel data coding means with coded data of the area shape coded by said area shape coding means encoding;
• said area shape coding means encodes, in the absence of a lower layer frame corresponding to a frame position the same as the upper layer frame, a first area shape indicative of the specific area of the first lower layer frame preceding the frame position and a second area shape indicative of the specific area of the second lower layer frame succeeding the frame position.

A motion picture decoding apparatus for prediction-decoding a plurality of component motion pictures, comprising:

• reference image identification information decoding means for decoding reference image identification information identifying the reference image for said prediction-decoding;
• reference image selecting means for selecting the reference image from said plurality of component motion pictures, in accordance with said reference image identification information;
• and
• component motion picture decoding means for prediction-decoding said component motion pictures utilizing said selected reference images.

A motion picture decoding apparatus for prediction-decoding a plurality of component motion pictures, comprising:

• flag decoding means for decoding a flag indicative of whether or not a component motion picture is independently decoded by using an image, as a reference image for prediction-decoding, which has already been decoded in the same component motion picture;
• reference image identification information decoding means for decoding reference image identification information identifying the reference image for said prediction-decoding, only when the component motion picture is not to be independently decoded;
• reference image selecting means for selecting the reference image from said plurality of component motion pictures, in accordance with said flag or said reference image identification information;
• and
• component motion picture decoding means for prediction-decoding said component motion pictures utilizing said selected reference images.

A motion picture decoding apparatus receiving as inputs lower layer coded data obtained by coding pixel data of a motion picture sequence with a first frame rate and upper layer coding data obtained by coding pixel data of a specific area of said motion picture sequence with a second frame rate higher than said first frame rate and by coding area shape of the specific area of said motion picture sequence, and

• outputting at least one of a lower layer decoded image and a superposed image of a lower layer decoded image and an upper layer decoded image, the motion picture decoding apparatus comprising:
• lower layer decoding means for decoding said lower layer coded data with said first frame rate;
• dividing means for dividing said upper layer coded data into pixel data coded data and area shape coded data;
• pixel data decoding means for decoding the pixel data coded data divided by said dividing means with said second frame rate;
• and
• area shape decoding means for decoding the area shape coded data divided by said dividing means;
• wherein
• said area shape coded data includes, in the absence of a lower layer frame corresponding to a frame position the same as the upper layer frame, coded data of a first area shape indicative of the specific area of the first lower layer frame preceding the frame position and coded data of a second area shape indicative of the specific area of the second lower layer frame succeeding the frame position;
• and
• said absent lower layer frame is synthesized by using said first area shape and said second area shape as well as said first and second lower layer frames.