Claims – 1st Divisional Application
1. An image decoding device comprising:
a variable length decoding means for performing a variable length decoding 5 process on a predicted signal generating parameter, a compressed difference image and a filter for each class included in an input coded bitstream;
a filtering means for performing a filtering process on a decoded image obtained by adding a predicted image generated using said predicted signal generating parameter to a decoded difference image obtained by decompressing said compressed 10 difference image;
wherein said variable length decoding means performs a variable length
decoding process on information associated with plurality of blocks which comprise said
decoded image, said information being identification information which specifies for
each of said blocks whether said filtering process is to be performed or not;
15 wherein said filtering means determines a class for each pixel comprising said
decoded image to perform a filtering process on said decoded image based on a filter which is derived according to a determined class and
does not perform a filtering process on a block of which identification
information specifies said filtering process should not be performed,
20 wherein an unit for determining said class is different from said block.
2. An image encoding device comprising:
a filtering means for performing a filtering process on a decoded image being obtained by adding a prediction image to a decompressed difference image which is 25 generated by performing a decompression process on a compressed difference image; and
an variable length encoding means for performing a variable length encoding
process on a predicted signal generating parameter and said decompressed difference
image;
30 wherein said filtering means determines a class for each pixel comprising said

decoded image and performs said filtering process on each of said pixels using a filter corresponding to a determined classes,
wherein said variable length encoding means for performing said variable length encoding process on information which specifies whether said filtering process is 5 to be performed or not on each of blocks which comprise said decoded image.