IMAGE ENCODER, IMAGE DECODER, IMAGE ENCODING METHOD, IMAGE DECODING METHOD AND IMAGE ENCODING/DECODING SYSTEM

摘要

An image encoder and an image decoder which facilitate the prediction of the image movement other than the parallel movement with a relatively small scale process, with a shortened processing time and with a high precision. An input image is divided into predetermined blocks and the input image is compressed and encoded by providing a means which predicts the movement compensation by detecting the movements between the frames of the blocks. A movement detection unit which includes a deformed block matching section which deforms only integer pixels which are actual sample points existing in partial regions corresponding to a reference image for the movement detection into required shapes and segments them and compares the deformed and segmented pixels with the integer pixels of the blocks of the input image and which outputs a motion vector which gives a minimum error which is extracted by designating the coordinates and a movement compensation unit which includes a corresponding point determining section which specifies the coordinates of the integer pixels correspondingly to the blocks of the reference image in accordance with the movement parameters which are obtained from the comparison output including the output from the deformed block matching section and deforms the pixels and determines and which outputs a predicted partial image are provided. The image decoder is so constructed as to correspond to the image encoder.