Encoding rate controlling apparatus and information encoding apparatus

A data encoding apparatus comprising:

• a data quantizing device;
• an encoder for encoding data quantized by the data quantizing device;
• and
• an encoding rate controller for controlling the quantization scale of the data quantizing device, wherein the encoding rate controller comprises a control circuit configured to perform a first encoding rate control process for a first portion of a signal supplied to the encoder and a second, different encoding rate control process for a second, different portion of the signal,
• wherein the first encoding rate control process calculates an average encoding rate based on encoding rates at a plurality of times, determines whether the calculated average encoding rate is greater than an upper value or less than a lower value and controls the encoding rate based on the determination, and the second encoding rate control process calculates an average encoding rate based on encoding rates at a plurality of times, determines into which of two or more rate ranges the calculated average rate falls and controls the encoding rate based on the determination.

A method for controlling the encoding rate of an encoder, comprising:

• performing a first encoding rate control process for a first portion of a signal supplied to the encoder;
• and
• performing a second, different encoding rate control process for a second, different portion of the signal, wherein
• the first encoding rate control process calculates an average encoding rate based on encoding rates at a plurality of times, determines whether the calculated average encoding rate is greater than an upper value or less than a lower value and controls the encoding rate based on the determination, and
• the second encoding rate control process calculates an average encoding rate based on encoding rates at a plurality of times, determines into which of two or more rate ranges the calculated average rate falls and controls the encoding rate based on the determination.