Image processing device and image processing method, information processing device and information processing method, information recording device and information recording method, information reproducing device and information reproducing method, storage medium, and program

Abstract

The present invention allows usable information to be selected by comparing information regarding encoding with conditions regarding encoding processing. When delay modes, picture structures, and pulldown modes do not match each other between previous encoding time and re-encoding time, parameters are not reused. When they match and image frames do not match, a picture type is reused. When a bit rate in the previous encoding is smaller than that in the current encoding and a chroma format is larger than the current chroma format, a picture type and a motion vector are reused. When the conditions are not satisfied, parameters are supplied and received and a determination is made as to whether or not chroma formats match each other. When the chroma formats do not match each other, picture-type information, motion-vector information, and quantization-value information are reused. When the chroma formats match each other, stream data input to a decoding unit is output. The present invention can be applied to an encoding unit, an encoding device, or a transcoder.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An image processing apparatus for converting image data that has been previously encoded, comprising:
 first receiving means for receiving the previously encoded image data;   second receiving means for receiving information regarding the previous encoding of the image data;   processing means for image processing the image data in accordance with selected information,   wherein said image processing including conversion processing; and   controlling means for controlling the processing means to select information from the received information, the selection being based on (a) information regarding previous encoding and (b) information regarding conversion processing performed by said processing means.   
     
     
         19 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 18 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a picture type of past encoding.   
     
     
         20 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 18 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a picture structure of past encoding.   
     
     
         21 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 18 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a pull down mode of past encoding.   
     
     
         22 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 18 ,
 wherein the conversion processing converts the image data into an encoded stream.   
     
     
         23 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 22 ,
 wherein the controlling means selects an encoding parameter as the information regarding the previous encoding of the image data based on a converting parameter as the information regarding conversion processing.   
     
     
         24 . The image processing apparatus of  claim 23 ,
 wherein the encoding parameter matches the converting parameter.   
     
     
         25 . A method for converting image data that has been previously encoded, comprising:
 receiving the previously encoded image data;   receiving information regarding the previous encoding of the image data;   image processing the image data in accordance with selected information, said image processing including conversion processing; and   selecting information from the received information, the selection being based on (a) the information regarding the previous encoding and (b) information regarding conversion processing.   
     
     
         26 . The image processing method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a picture type of past encoding.   
     
     
         27 . The image processing method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a picture structure of past encoding.   
     
     
         28 . The image processing method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein information regarding the previous encoding of the image data is a pull down mode of past encoding.   
     
     
         29 . The image processing method of  claim 25 ,
 wherein the conversion processing converts the image data into an encoded stream.   
     
     
         30 . The image processing method of  claim 29 ,
 wherein the selecting step selects an encoding parameter as the information regarding the previous encoding of the image data based on a converting parameter as the information regarding conversion processing.   
     
     
         31 . The image processing method of  claim 30 ,
 wherein the encoding parameter matches the converting parameter.