Image coding apparatus, image decoding apparatus, image processing system, image coding method, and image decoding method

An image decoding apparatus including a decoder and a memory, the decoder executing operations comprising:

• obtaining a reference-specific image from storage accessible by the decoder, the reference-specific image being not displayed and being referenced from one or more other images to be displayed;
• storing the reference-specific image in the memory;
• and
• decoding one or more to-be-displayed images by referring to the reference-specific image,
• wherein the obtaining, as the reference-specific image, includes a reference-specific image having a larger size than each of the plurality of to-be-displayed images, and
• wherein the reference-specific image obtained in the obtaining is formed by integrating a plurality of captured images, which are a plurality of images obtained through an image capturing operation.

An image processing system which encodes and decodes, the image processing system comprising:

• a controller operable to obtain a reference-specific image from accessible storage, the reference-specific image being not displayed and being referenced from one or more other images to be displayed;
• an encoder operable to
• obtain the reference-specific image from the controller, and
• encode one or more to-be-displayed images by referring to the reference-specific image;
• and
• a decoder operable to
• obtain the reference-specific image from the controller, and
• decode one or more to-be-displayed images by referring to the reference-specific image as a reference image for inter prediction,
• wherein obtaining, as the reference-specific image, includes a reference-specific image having a larger size than each of the plurality of to-be-displayed images, and
• wherein the reference-specific image obtained in the obtaining is formed by integrating a plurality of captured images, which are a plurality of images obtained through an image capturing operation.

An image coding method being executed by a processor, the image coding method comprising:

• obtaining a reference-specific image, the reference-specific image being not displayed and being referenced from one or more other images to be displayed;
• and
• encoding one or more to-be-displayed images by referring to the reference-specific image,
• wherein the obtaining, as the reference-specific image, includes a reference-specific image having a larger size than each of the plurality of to-be-displayed image, and
• wherein the reference-specific image obtained in the obtaining is formed by integrating a plurality of captured images, which are a plurality of images obtained through an image capturing operation.

An image decoding method being executed by a processor, the image decoding method comprising:

• obtaining a reference-specific image, the reference-specific image being not displayed and being referenced from one or more other images to be displayed;
• and
• decoding one or more to-be-displayed images by referring to the reference-specific image,
• wherein the obtaining, as the reference-specific image, includes a reference-specific image having a larger size than each of the plurality of to-be-displayed images, and
• wherein the reference-specific image obtained in the obtaining is formed by integrating a plurality of captured images, which are a plurality of images obtained through an image capturing operation.