Image encoder and encoding method

Abstract

An image encoder writes a first parameter and a second parameter to a bitstream, and derives a partition mode based on the first and second parameters. Responsive to the derived partition mode being a first partition mode, the image encoder executes the first partition mode including: splitting a block of a picture into a plurality of first blocks including a N×2N block sized N pixels by 2N pixels; splitting the N×2N block, wherein a ternary split is allowed to split the N×2N block in a vertical direction, which is a direction along the 2N pixels, into a plurality of sub blocks including at least one sub block sized N/4×2N, while a binary split is not allowed to split the N×2N block in the vertical direction into two sub blocks that are equally sized N/2×2N; and encoding the plurality of sub blocks.