Image decoding device, image coding device, image decoding method, image coding method, and program

1. An image decoding device for decoding a bitstream having views each of which includes a picture and coded in a method including inter-view prediction, the image decoding device comprising:

a decoder that decodes a bitstream of a first view coded and a bitstream of a second view coded with reference to the first view; and

a buffer memory located upstream of the decoder that stores the bitstreams which are to be provided to the decoder,

wherein, in the case where the first view and the second view are assigned an identical decoding point in time, the identical decoding point in time being information included in each of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded or in header information of multiplexed data of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded, the decoder decodes a picture of the second view at a point in time determined by adding a delay time to the decoding point in time of the picture of the second view, the delay time having a length required to complete decoding of the picture of the first view, and

the buffer memory is of a size that is equal to or larger than D+R×T×(n−1) where D represents a specified size determined assuming that the bitstream of each of the views is extracted from the buffer memory at a corresponding decoding point in time assigned to each of the views, n represents a number of views included in the bitstreams of the views, T represents a maximum length of time necessary for decoding each picture included in the views, and R represents a predetermined data loading rate at which the bitstream of each of the views is loaded into the buffer memory.

2. The image decoding device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bitstream is loaded into the buffer memory at the predetermined data loading rate assigned to the bitstream,

in decoding the bitstream of each view included in the views, the decoder extracts from the buffer memory the bitstream of the each view to be decoded, and

the buffer memory is of a size that is equal to or larger than a smallest size that does not cause the buffer memory to underflow when the decoder extracts the bitstream of the each view in the case where the decoder extracts the bitstream of the second view at the point in time determined by adding the delay time.

3. The image decoding device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the decoder decodes the bitstreams of the views sequentially.

4. An image decoding device for decoding a bitstream having views each of which includes a picture and coded in a method including inter-view prediction, the image decoding device comprising:

a decoder that decodes a bitstream of a first view coded and a bitstream of a second view coded with reference to the first view; and

a buffer memory located upstream of the decoder that stores the bitstreams which are to be provided to the decoder,

wherein the decoder decodes the bitstreams of the views in parallel,

in the case where the first view and the second view are assigned an identical decoding point in time, the identical decoding point in time being information included in each of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded or in header information of multiplexed data of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded, the decoder decodes a picture of the second view at a point in time determined by adding a delay time to the decoding point in time of the picture of the second view, the delay time having a length required to complete decoding of the picture of the first view, and

the buffer memory is of a size that is equal to or larger than D+R×T×(m−1) where D represents a specified size determined assuming that the bitstream of each of the views is extracted from the buffer memory at a corresponding decoding point in time assigned to each of the views, m represents a maximum number of layers of the views which are referred to in the inter-view prediction, T represents a maximum length of time necessary for decoding each picture included in the views, and R represents a predetermined data loading rate at which the bitstream of each of the views is loaded into the buffer memory.

5. The image decoding device according to claim 2 ,

wherein the decoder further includes:

an external memory in which the pictures included in the views are stored;

a first decoder which decodes the bitstream of the first view and stores in the external memory the picture to be used in the inter-view prediction; and

a second decoder that decodes the bitstream of the second view by retrieving from the external memory the picture to be used in the inter-view prediction, with reference to management information indicating a position of the picture in the external memory.

6. The image decoding device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the bitstream which has not been loaded because of the delay time is loaded into the buffer memory faster than a data loading rate assigned to the bitstream.

7. The image decoding device according to claim 6 ,

wherein the decoder further includes:

an external memory in which the pictures included in the views are stored;

a first decoder which decodes the bitstream of the first view and stores in the external memory the picture to be used in the inter-view prediction; and

a second decoder that decodes the bitstream of the second view by retrieving from the external memory the picture to be used in the inter-view prediction, with reference to management information indicating a position of the picture in the external memory.

8. An image coding device for coding views each of which includes a picture, in a method including inter-view prediction, the image coding device comprising:

a coder that codes the views, assigns the views with an identical decoding point in time, and outputs bitstreams of the coded views, the identical decoding point in time being included in each of the bitstreams or in header information of multiplexed data of the bitstreams; and

a rate controller that controls the coder to perform coding according to an assumed size of a buffer memory of an image decoding device, the buffer memory being a memory into which the coded views are loaded,

wherein the rate controller controls the coder to perform coding according to the assumed size of the buffer memory that is equal to or smaller than D−R×T×(n−1) where D represents a specified size determined assuming that decoding is instantly completed at the decoding point in time, n represents a number of the coded views, T represents a maximum length of time necessary for decoding each picture included in the views, and R represents a predetermined data loading rate at which the coded views are loaded.

9. The image coding device according to claim 8 ,

wherein the coder further includes:

an external memory in which the pictures included in the views are stored;

a first encoder which codes a first view included in the views and stores in the externally memory the picture to be used in the inter-view prediction; and

a second encoder which codes a second view by retrieving from the external memory the picture of the first view to be used in the inter-view prediction, with reference to management information indicating a position of the picture in the external memory.

10. An image decoding method of decoding a bitstream having views each of which includes a picture and has been coded in a method including inter-view prediction, the image decoding method comprising:

decoding a coded bitstream of a first view and a bitstream of a second view coded with reference to the first view; and

holding, before the decoding step, the bitstreams which are to be decoded in the decoding step,

wherein, in the decoding step, in the case where the first view and the second view are assigned an identical decoding point in time, the identical decoding point in time being included in each of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded or in header information of multiplexed data of the bitstream of the first view coded and the bitstream of the second view coded, a picture of the second view is decoded at a point in time determined by adding a delay time to the decoding point in time assigned to the picture of the second view, the delay time having a length required to complete decoding of a picture of the first view, and

in the holding step, the bitstream is held in a buffer memory of a size that is equal to or larger than D+R×T×(n−1) where D represents a specified size determined assuming that the bitstream of each of the views is extracted from the buffer memory at a corresponding decoding point in time assigned to each of the views, n represents a number of views included in the bitstreams of the views, T represents a maximum length of time necessary for decoding each picture included in the views, and R represents a predetermined data loading rate at which the bitstream of each of the views is loaded into the buffer memory.

11. An image coding method of coding views each of which includes a picture, in a method including inter-view prediction, the image coding method comprising:

coding the views and assigning the views with an identical decoding point in time, and outputting bitstreams of the coded views, the identical decoding point in time being included in each of the bitstreams or in header information of multiplexed data of the bitstreams; and

controlling the coding according to an assumed size of a buffer memory of an image decoding device, the buffer memory being a memory into which the coded views are loaded,

wherein the coding is controlled according to the assumed size of the buffer memory that is equal to or smaller than D−R×T×(n−1) where D represents a specified size determined assuming that decoding is instantly completed at the decoding point in time, n represents a number of the coded views, T represents a maximum length of time necessary for decoding each picture included in the views, and R represents a predetermined data loading rate at which the coded views are loaded.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute the image decoding method according to claim 10 .

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program which causes a computer to execute the image coding method according to claim 11 .