PURPOSE: To attain parallel operation processing without applying restriction such as the encoding of a motion vector by distributing an encoded picture signal to plural decoding means based upon a synchronizing signal added at every slice and decoding the signal respectively.
CONSTITUTION: An input bit stream is distributed to code buffers 26 to 29 in the unit of slice and decoded by variable length decoders (IVLCs) 30 to 33. The number of macro blocks per slice is fixed and expected time for synchronizing respective IVLC processing is eliminated to efficiently execute decoding. Decoded data are transferred to a buffer memory group 35 to 38, the parallel processig at every slice is converted into the parallel processing in the unit of 1/2 MB and IQ/IDCT processing blocks 39 to 42 execute processing as in a four-parallel state. Then a picture corresponding to the motion vector in the unit of MB is extracted from a reproduced picture by a frame memory 43, the decoded picture is reproduced along with pictures obtained from the blocks 39 to 42 and the reproduced pictures are stored in the memory 43 again through ST-BUFFs 61 to 64 in four parallel state.
SUMIHIRO HIROSHI
EMOTO HARUICHI
WADA TORU
