Encoding rate controlling apparatus and information encoding apparatus

An encoding rate controlling apparatus for controlling an encoding rate when quantizing and encoding dynamic image information composed of a dynamic image, said apparatus comprising a controlling device for performing a control for the encoding rate by changing a quantization scale code for quantizing the dynamic image information, and for converging an average value of the encoding rate through all of the dynamic image information to an average value corresponding to a predetermined average value,

• wherein said control device establishes on a time axis a plurality of change timings, each of which is a timing when the quantization scale code is changed, calculates the average value of the encoding rate corresponding to each of the established change timings, and performs the control for the encoding rate on the basis of the calculated average value,
• wherein said controlling device comprises:
• a judging device for dividing in advance a value, which the encoding rate can take for each of the established change timings, into a plurality of rate ranges, and judging one of the rate ranges to which the average value of the encoding rate belongs;
• and
• a changing device for changing the quantization scale code in correspondence with the judged one of the rate ranges, so as to perform the control for the encoding rate,
• wherein boundaries between the rate ranges are curves, each of which converges to the predetermined average value.

An encoding rate controlling apparatus for controlling an encoding rate when quantizing and encoding dynamic image information composed of a dynamic image, said apparatus comprising:

• a first controlling device for performing a first control for the encoding rate when encoding former information, which is the dynamic information inputted between a start time point of an input of the dynamic image information to be encoded and a predetermined time point;
• and
• a second controlling device for performing a second control, which is different from said first control, for the encoding rate when encoding later information, which is the dynamic image information inputted after the former information, on the basis of a result of the first control, and for converging an average value of the encoding rate through all of the dynamic image information to an average value corresponding to a predetermined average value, wherein
• said first controlling device and said second controlling device control the encoding rate while changing a generation encoding amount by changing a quantization scale code when respectively quantizing the former information and the later information, and wherein
• a plurality of change timings, each of which is a timing when the quantization scale code is changed, are established on a time axis,
• said first controlling device calculates a first average value of the encoding rate between a current change timing, which is one of the change timings at present time, and an immediately-before change timing, which is one of the change timings immediately before the current change timing, and performs the first control on the basis of the first average value, and
• said second controlling device calculates a second average value of the encoding rate from a start time point of encoding the dynamic image information until the current change timing, and performs the second control on the basis of the second average value.

An information encoding apparatus comprising

• (i) an encoding rate controlling apparatus for controlling an encoding rate when quantizing and encoding dynamic image information composed of a dynamic image, said encoding rate controlling apparatus comprising a controlling device for performing a control for the encoding rate by changing a quantization scale code for quantizing the dynamic image information, and for converging an average value of the encoding rate through all of the dynamic image information to an average value corresponding to a predetermined average value,
• wherein said controlling device establishes on a time axis a plurality of change timings, each of which is a timing when the quantization scale code is changed, calculates the average value of the encoding rate corresponding to each of the established change timings, and performs the control for the encoding rate on the basis of the calculated average value,
• (ii) a quantizing device for quantizing the dynamic image information by using the changed quantization scale code, and
• (iii) an encoding device for variable-length-encoding the quantized dynamic image information.

An information encoding apparatus comprising

• (i) an encoding rate controlling apparatus for controlling an encoding rate when quantizing and encoding dynamic image information composed of a dynamic image, said encoding rate controlling apparatus comprising:
• a first controlling device for performing a first control for the encoding rate when encoding former information, which is the dynamic image information inputted between a start time point of an input of the dynamic image information to be encoded and a predetermined first time point;
• and
• a second controlling device for performing a second control, which is different from said first control, for the encoding rate when encoding later information, which is the dynamic image information inputted after the former information, on the basis of a result of the first control, and for converging an average value of the encoding rate through all of the dynamic image information to an average value corresponding to a predetermined average value,
• (ii) a quantizing device for quantizing the dynamic image information by using the changed quantization scale code, and
• (iii) an encoding device for variable-length-encoding the quantized dynamic image information.