Video coding apparatus, video coding method, and video decoding apparatus

A video coding method for reducing pulsing artifacts, said video coding method comprising:

• calculating a correlation value indicating a degree of correlation between a first block and one of a second block and a third block, the first block including one or more pixels included in a first original picture in an original picture sequence of original pictures, the second block including one or more pixels included in a second original picture preceding the first original picture, and the third block being a reconstructed version of the second block obtained by coding and reconstructing the second block;
• judging whether the correlation value exceeds a pre-determined first threshold, and judging that the correlation value is high when the correlation value exceeds the pre-determined first threshold;
• blending the first block and the third block when the correlation value is judged to be high in said judging;
• coding the first block of the first original picture when said judging judges that the correlation value is not high;
• and
• coding, as the first block of the first original picture, a block resulting from the blending performed in said blending of the first block and the third block when said judging judges that the correlation value is high.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a video coding program recorded thereon, the video coding program being for reducing pulsing artifacts and causing a computer to execute a video coding method when the non-transitory computer-readable recording medium is loaded into the computer, the video coding method comprising:

• calculating a correlation value indicating a degree of correlation between a first block and one of a second block and a third block, the first block including one or more pixels included in a first original picture in an original picture sequence of original pictures, the second block including one or more pixels included in a second original picture preceding the first original picture, and the third block being a reconstructed version of the second block obtained by coding and reconstructing the second block;
• judging whether the correlation value exceeds a pre-determined first threshold, and judging that the correlation value is high when the correlation value exceeds the pre-determined first threshold;
• blending the first block and the third block when the correlation value is judged to be high in said judging;
• coding the first block of the first original picture when said judging judges that the correlation value is not high;
• and
• coding, as the first block of the first original picture, a block resulting from the blending performed in said blending of the first block and the third block when said judging judges that the correlation value is high.

A video decoding apparatus for reducing pulsing artifacts, said video decoding apparatus comprising:

• a decoding unit outputting a decoded video sequence including decoded pictures obtained by decoding coded pictures;
• a correlation calculation unit calculating a correlation value indicating a degree of correlation between a first block and a second block, the first block including one or more pixels included in a first decoded picture in the decoded video sequence, and the second block including one or more pixels included in a second coded picture preceding the first decoded picture;
• a correlation judgment unit judging whether the correlation value exceeds a pre-determined first threshold, and judging that the correlation value is high when the correlation value exceeds the pre-determined first threshold;
• and
• a blending unit blending the first block and the second block when said correlation judgment unit judges that the correlation value is high,
• wherein said decoding unit (i) outputs the decoded video sequence including the first block of the first decoded picture when said correlation judgment unit judges that the correlation value is not high, and (ii) outputs the decoded video sequence including, as the first block of the first decoded picture, a block resulting from the blending performed by said blending unit when said correlation judgment unit judges that the correlation value is high.

A picture blending apparatus blending pictures, so as to reduce pulsing artifacts, said picture blending apparatus comprising:

• a correlation calculation unit calculating a correlation value indicating a degree of correlation between a first block and a second block, the first block including one or more pixels included in a first picture in a video sequence of pictures, and the second block including one or more pixels included in a second picture preceding the first picture;
• a correlation judgment unit judging whether the correlation value exceeds a pre-determined threshold, and judging that the correlation value is high when the correlation value exceeds the pre-determined threshold;
• and
• a blending unit (i) outputting the first block of the first picture when said correlation judgment unit judges that the correlation value is not high, and (ii) when said correlation judgment unit judges that the correlation value is high, blending the first block and one of the second block and a third block obtained from the second block, and outputting a block resulting from the blending, as the first block of the first picture.