IMAGE DECODING APPARATUS AND IMAGE DECODING METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image decoding apparatus and an image decoding method which are reduced in circuit cost and power consumption by reducing an external memory access amount. SOLUTION: The image decoding apparatus 100 that performs decoding using motion compensation includes: a reference area specifying unit 110 that specifies a reference area that is an existing range of reference pixels in a reference picture based on one block on which motion compensation is performed; a second memory 108 which stores decoded pixel data; a reference pixel buffer 112 that holds reference pixel data; a reference-pixel-reading control unit 111 that copies pixel data of an area including the reference area predetermined by the reference area specifying unit 110 from the second memory 108 into the reference pixel buffer 112; a motion compensation unit 106 that generates interpolation pixel data by performing the motion compensation using reference pixel data copied into the reference pixel buffer 112; and a pixel value decoding unit 104 that generates decoded pixel data using the interpolation pixel data. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT