US Patent 8989271 Decoding method and apparatus with candidate motion vectors

A moving picture coding apparatus includes: a motion vector predictor candidate calculation unit which calculates motion vector predictor candidates and the number of motion vector predictor candidates; an inter prediction control unit which selects an optimum motion vector predictor candidate; and a variable length coding unit which sets the motion vector predictor candidate list size to the number of motion vector predictor candidates, and assigns a bit string according to the motion vector predictor candidate list size to a motion vector predictor index used for coding a motion vector, thereby performing variable length coding.