Image processing apparatus and method therefor

Claim 2

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said converting means converts the image data in a predetermined layer order.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decoding by said decoding means is performed until the resolution of image data decoded by said decoding means matches with a display resolution of an image of said display means.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image searching means, and wherein said decoding means repeats the decoding until said decoding means receives an instruction from said image searching means.

Claim 5

An image processing method comprising the steps of: converting sequentially encoded image data into hierarchically encoded data having a predetermined number of layers; decoding the hierarchically encoded data with reference to image data of a layer different from a layer of the hierarchically encoded data to be decoded; and visually displaying image data decoded in step (b), wherein decoding of image data in step (b) is performed so that a resolution of an image is sequentially increased, and the decoding is performed until a predetermined layer is reached.

Claim 6

An image processing apparatus comprising: dividing means for dividing sequentially encoded image data into a plurality of parts; first storing means for storing the sequentially encoded image data in units of parts; converting means for converting at least one of the plurality of parts of the sequentially encoded image data into hierarchically encoded data having a predetermined number of layers; second storing means for storing the hierarchically encoded data in units of layers; decoding means for decoding the hierarchically encoded data with reference to data of a layer different from a layer of the hierarchically encoded data to be decoded; and display means for visually displaying image data decoded by the decoding means, wherein said decoding means performs decoding of image data so that a resolution of an image is sequentially increased, and performs the decoding until a predetermined layer is reached.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said converting means converts the image data in a predetermined layer order.

Claim 8

The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the decoding by said decoding means is performed until the resolution of image data decoded by said decoding means matches with a display resolution of an image of said display means.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising image searching means, and wherein said decoding means repeats the decoding until said decoding means receives an instruction from said image searching means.

Claim 10

An image processing method comprising the steps of: (a) dividing sequentially encoded image data into a plurality of parts, and storing the sequentially encoded image data in units of parts; (b) converting the sequentially encoded image data stored in step (a) into hierarchically encoded data having a predetermined number of layers; (c) storing the hierarchically encoded data in units of layers; (d) decoding the hierarchically encoded data with reference to data of a layer different from a layer of the hierarchically encoded data to be decoded; and (e) visually displaying image data decoded in step (d), wherein decoding of image data in step (d) is performed so that a resolution of an image is sequentially increased, and the decoding is performed until a predetermined layer is reached.

Claim 11

An image processing apparatus comprising: input means for inputting image data encoded by using a sequential encoding method; converting means for converting the input image data into hierarchically encoded image data having a predetermined number of layers; and storing means for storing the hierarchically encoded image data.

Claim 12

The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said converting means converts the image data in a predetermined layer order.

Claim 13

An image processing method comprising the steps of: inputting image data encoded by using a sequential encoding method; converting the input image data into hierarchically encoded image data having a predetermined number of layers; and storing the hierarchically encoded image data in a memory.

Claim 14

An image processing apparatus comprising: storing means for storing n-layer (n is an integer) hierarchically encoded image data; converting means for converting the n-layer hierarchically encoded image data into m-layer (m is an integer) hierarchically encoded image data; and output means for outputting the m-layer hierarchically encoded image data.

Claim 15

The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the n-layer image data and the m-layer image data are formed by changing a resolution of the corresponding image data.

Claim 16

The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the n-layer image data and the m-layer image data are formed by dividing the corresponding image data into a plurality of blocks.

Claim 17

The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising means for converting a code associated with the number of layers of encoded image data into a code indicating that the number of layers is equal to m.

Claim 18

The apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising communication means for transmitting/receiving hierarchically encoded image data, and wherein said converting means converts the n-layer hierarchically encoded image data received by said communication means into the m-layer hierarchically encoded image data.

Claim 19

An image processing apparatus having converting means for converting r-layer (r is an integer) encoded image data into first encoded data having s layers (s is an integer, and s ≧ r) comprising: extracting means for extracting second encoded data associated with image data of a layer having the lowest resolution from the r-layer encoded image data; decoding means for decoding the second encoded data; generating means for generating third encoded data having (s - r) layers from an image obtained by said decoding means; and synthesizing means for synthesizing the third encoded data and data obtained by deleting the encoded data of the layer having the lowest resolution from the r-layer encoded image data.

Claim 20

An image processing method comprising the steps of: (a) converting n-layer (n is an integer) hierarchically encoded image data into m-layer (m is an integer) hierarchically encoded image data; (b) decoding the m-layer encoded image data; and (c) visually displaying image data decoded in step (b).

Claim 21

An image processing method, for converting r-layer (r is an integer) encoded image data into first encoded data having s layers (s is an integer, and s ≧ r) comprising the steps of: (a) extracting second encoded data associated with image data of a layer having the lowest resolution from the r-layer encoded image data; (b) decoding the second encoded data; (c) generating third encoded data having (s - r) layers from an image obtained in step (b); and (d) synthesizing the third encoded data and data obtained by deleting the encoded data of the layer having the lowest resolution from the r-layer encoded image data.