IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD

An adaptive loop filter classifies a decoded image from a deblocking filter into a smooth region class and an edge/texture region class, in accordance with results of edge detection from an edge detecting unit. The adaptive loop filter performs filter coefficient calculation for each of classified classes such that the residual difference between an original image from a screen rearranging buffer and an image from the deblocking filter is smallest. The adaptive loop filter performs filter processing using filter coefficients calculated for each classified class, and outputs an image after filter processing to frame memory. The filter may be applied to an image encoding device for performing encoding with the H.264/AVC format as a basis, for example.