a sum of the position information and the calculated length, wherein the code decoding unit entropy decodes the first and second codewords to generate first and second control information elements as the two original control information elements, and includes: a first decoding unit for entropy decoding the first codeword into the first control information element; and a second decoding unit for entropy decoding the second codeword into the second control information element.
With the above construction, the two coded control information elements are extracted in sequence from the compressed code stream and entropy decoded in parallel into the original control information elements.
Here, the first decoding unit may include: a first control information table that has an address and stores codewords and control information elements corresponding to the codewords; afirst address table that has a first address area storing the address of the first control information table; a first pointer holding unit for holding a first pointer which specifies the first address area in the first address table; and a first decode controlling unit for retrieving the address from the first address area in the first address table specified by the first pointer, detecting a control information element corresponding to the first codeword from the first control information table shown by the retrieved address, and setting the detected control information element as the first control information element.
Here, the second decoding unit may include: a second control information table that has an address and stores codewords and control information elements corresponding to the codewords; a second address table