Patent attributes
A decoding method according to the present invention is a method of decoding a variable length code to a Run symbol and a Level symbol. The Run symbol indicates the number of consecutive coefficients each having a value of zero. The Level symbol indicates a value of a non-zero coefficient following the Run symbol. The decoding method includes decoding a variable length code to a code number, determining whether the code number obtained in the decoding belongs to a first range or a predetermined range, decoding the code number to a Run symbol and a Level symbol by referring to a table, when it is determined that the code number belongs to the first range, and decoding the code number to a Level symbol and then decoding a variable length code following the decoded variable length code to a Run symbol, without referring to the table, when it is determined that the code number belongs to the predetermined range.
