Image coding apparatus and image decoding apparatus for coding and decoding a moving image by replacing pixels with a limited number of colors on a palette table

1. An image decoding apparatus that decodes a bit stream generated by coding an image, comprising:

a first determining unit configured to determine whether a target block to be decoded is palette-coded in the bit stream using palette-coding;

a second determining unit configured to determine whether or not a pixel in the target block is escape-coded in a case where the first determining unit determines that the target block is palette-coded; and

a decoding unit configured to obtain a first quantization parameter for a luminance component of the target block in accordance with information decoded from the bit stream,

wherein the information decoded from the bit stream indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for a luminance component,

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter,

wherein the decoding unit is configured to obtain the first quantization parameter by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the decoding unit is configured to compare a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference, and to determine, in accordance with a result of the comparison, a second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1,

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which the first determining unit determines that the target block is palette-coded and the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded, and

wherein the decoding unit is configured to decode coded data corresponding to a quantized pixel value of the pixel in the target block to obtain the quantized pixel value of the pixel, and to perform inverse-quantization processing on the quantized pixel value by using the second quantization parameter, in a case where the first determining unit determines that the target block is palette-coded and the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded.

2. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the decoding unit is configured to, in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is not escape-coded, decode a pixel value of the pixel in the target block by decoding data representing an index of a palette that has been used for palette coding.

3. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded, the decoding unit decodes the pixel value of the pixel in the target block without using the palette.

4. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second quantization parameter is determined by shifting the first quantization parameter in accordance with a difference between a possible range of a bit depth and/or a pixel value of the coded data corresponding to the target block and a possible range of a predication error.

5. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second quantization parameter is determined by shifting the first quantization parameter so as to make a quantization step 1 or more.

6. The image decoding apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a third determining unit configured to determine whether or not the target block is quantized or inverse-quantized,

wherein the first quantization parameter is not coded or decoded in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded and the third determining unit determines that the target block is not quantized or inverse-quantized.

7. An image coding apparatus that codes a target block to be coded in an image into a bit stream, comprising:

a first determining unit configured to determine whether the target block is to be palette-coded using palette-coding;

a second determining unit configured to determine whether or not a pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded in a case where the first determining unit determines that the target block is to be palette-coded; and

a coding unit configured to perform quantization processing on a pixel value of the pixel in the target block by using a second quantization parameter, in a case where the target block is to be palette-coded and the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded,

wherein the coding unit codes information for indicating a first quantization parameter different from the second quantization parameter even in a case of coding the target block by using the second quantization parameter,

wherein the information indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for luminance, and

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter,

wherein the image coding apparatus further comprises a third determining unit configured to compare a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is to be obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference, and to determine, in accordance with a result of the comparison, the second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1, and

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which the first determining unit determines that the target block is to be palette-coded and the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded.

8. The image coding apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein the coding unit is configured to, in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded, code a pixel value of the pixel in the target block by coding data representing an index of a palette that is used for palette coding.

9. The image coding apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein, in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded, the coding unit codes the pixel value of the pixel in the target block without using the palette.

10. The image coding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second quantization parameter is determined by shifting the first quantization parameter in accordance with a difference between a possible range of a bit depth and/or a pixel value of the target block and a possible range of a prediction error.

11. The image coding apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the second quantization parameter is determined by shifting the first quantization parameter so as to make a quantization step 1 or more.

12. The image coding apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising:

a third determining unit configured to determine whether or not the target block is to be quantized,

wherein the first quantization parameter is not coded, in a case where the second determining unit determines that the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded and the third determining unit determines that the target block is to be quantized.

13. An image decoding method for decoding a bit stream generated by coding an image, comprising:

a first determining step of determining whether a target block to be decoded is palette-coded in the bit stream using palette-coding;

a second determining step of determining whether or not a pixel in the target block is escape-coded in a case where the first determining step determines that the target block is palette-coded; and

an obtaining step of obtaining a first quantization parameter for a luminance component of the target block in accordance with information decoded from the bit stream,

wherein the information decoded from the bit stream indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for a luminance component,

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter,

wherein, in the obtaining step, the first quantization parameter is obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image decoding method further comprises a comparing step of comparing a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image decoding method further comprises a third determination step of determining, in accordance with a result of the comparison in the comparing step, a second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1,

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which it is determined in the first determining step that the target block is palette-coded and it is determined in the second determining step that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded, and

wherein coded data corresponding to a quantized pixel value of the pixel in the target block is decoded to obtain the quantized pixel value of the pixel, and inverse-quantization processing is performed on the quantized pixel value by using the second quantization parameter, in a case where it is determined in the first determining step that the target block is palette-coded and the second determining step determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded.

14. An image coding method for coding a target block to be coded in an image into a bit stream, comprising:

a first determining step of determining whether the target block is to be palette-coded using palette-coding;

a second determining step of determining whether or not a pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded in a case where the first determining step determines that the target block is to be palette-coded; and

a performing step of performing quantization processing on a pixel value of the pixel in the target block by using a second quantization parameter, in a case where the target block is to be palette-coded and the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded,

wherein information for indicating a first quantization parameter different form the second quantization parameter is coded even in a case of coding the target block by using the second quantization parameter,

wherein the information indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for luminance, and

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter, and

wherein the image coding method further comprises a comparison step of comparing a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is to be obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image coding method further comprises a third determining step of determining, in accordance with a result of the comparison in the comparing step, the second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1,

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which it is determined in the first determining step that the pixel in the target block is to be pallet-coded and it is determined in the second determining step that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded.

15. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute an image decoding method for decoding a bit stream generated by coding an image, the method comprising:

a first determining step of determining whether a target block to be decoded is palette-coded in the bit stream using palette-coding;

a second determining step of determining whether or not a pixel in the target block is escape-coded in a case where the first determining step determines that the target block is palette-coded; and

an obtaining step of obtaining a first quantization parameter for a luminance component of the target block in accordance with information decoded from the bit stream,

wherein the information decoded from the bit stream indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for a luminance component,

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter,

wherein, in the obtaining step, the first quantization parameter is obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image decoding method further comprises a comparing step of comparing a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image decoding method further comprises a third determination step of determining, in accordance with a result of the comparison in the comparing step, a second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1,

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which it is determined in the first determining step that the target block is palette-coded and it is determined in the second determining step that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded, and

wherein coded data corresponding to a quantized pixel value of the pixel in the target block is decoded to obtain the quantized pixel value of the pixel, and inverse-quantization processing is performed on the quantized pixel value by using the second quantization parameter, in a case where it is determined in the first determining step that the target block is palette-coded and the second determining step determines that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded.

16. A non-transitory storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute an image coding method for coding a target block to be coded in an image into a bit stream, the method comprising:

a first determining step of determining whether the target block is to be palette-coded using palette-coding;

a second determining step of determining whether or not a pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded in a case where the first determining step determines that the target block is to be palette-coded; and

a performing step of performing quantization processing on a pixel value of the pixel in the target block by using a second quantization parameter, in a case where the target block is to be palette-coded and the pixel in the target block is to be escape-coded,

wherein information for indicating a first quantization parameter different form the second quantization parameter is coded even in a case of coding the target block by using the second quantization parameter,

wherein the information indicates a difference between the first quantization parameter and a third quantization parameter for luminance, and

wherein the third quantization parameter is a previous quantization parameter of the first quantization parameter or a quantization parameter based on the previous quantization parameter, and

wherein the image coding method further comprises a comparison step of comparing a threshold and a quantization parameter based on the first quantization parameter for the target block which is to be obtained by adding the third quantization parameter and the difference,

wherein the image coding method further comprises a third determining step of determining, in accordance with a result of the comparison in the comparing step, the second quantization parameter so that the second quantization parameter is to be greater than or equal to 4 which corresponds to a case where a quantization step is 1,

wherein the second quantization parameter is for the target block in which it is determined in the first determining step that the pixel in the target block is to be pallet-coded and it is determined in the second determining step that the pixel in the target block is escape-coded.