ENCODING APPARATUS AND ENCODING METHOD

Provided is an encoding apparatus. A threshold value calculating unit (32) calculates a threshold value from a statistical amount of conversion factors of an extended band. A representative conversion factor extracting unit (33) uses the calculated threshold value to extract conversion factors having large amplitudes. If the number of extracted conversion factors does not reach a specified number, the threshold value calculating unit (32) determines, in accordance with a lacking number of conversion factors, an amount by which the threshold value should be lowered, and modifies the threshold value accordingly. The representative conversion factor extracting unit (33) uses the threshold value, which has been modified, to extract conversion factors. Such threshold value modification by the threshold value difference calculating unit (32) and such conversion factor extraction by the representative conversion factor extracting unit (33) are repeated until the number of extracted conversion factors reaches the specified number.