Image processing apparatus, method, and system, and computer-readable storage medium having program stored therein

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• decoding means for decoding an image file composed of hierarchical coded data;
• and
• decryption means for decrypting a hierarchy to which is added a code for causing a part of a process of said decoding means to be skipped among the hierarchical coded data.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• decoding means for decoding an image file composed of hierarchical coded data;
• and
• control means for controlling the decoding means to decode a hierarchy to which is not added a code for causing a part of a process of said decoding means to be skipped among the hierarchical coded data.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• coding means for converting an input image into hierarchical coded data;
• and
• means for adding a code, for causing a part of a process for decoding the hierarchical coded data to be skipped, to a predetermined hierarchy among the hierarchical coded data.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• decoding image data which is converted into hierarchical coded data;
• and
• decrypting a hierarchy to which is added a code for causing a part of a process of the decoding step to be skipped.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• decoding an image file composed of hierarchical coded data;
• and
• controlling the decoding step to decode a hierarchy to which is not added a code for causing a part of a process of said decoding step to be skipped among the hierarchical coded data.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• converting image data into hierarchical coded data;
• and
• adding to a predetermined hierarchy among the hierarchical coded data a code for causing a part of a process for decoding the hierarchical coded data to be skipped.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for image processing, said program comprising the steps of:

• decoding image data which is converted into hierarchical coded data;
• and
• decrypting a hierarchy to which is added a code for causing a part of a process of said decoding means to be skipped among the hierarchical coded data.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for image processing, said program comprising the steps of:

• decoding an image file composed of hierarchical coded data;
• and
• controlling the decoding step to decode a hierarchy to which is not added a code for causing a part of a process of said decoding steps to be skipped among the hierarchical coded data.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for image processing, said program comprising the steps of:

• converting image data into hierarchical coded data;
• and
• adding to a predetermined hierarchy among the hierarchical coded data a code for causing a part of a process for decoding the hierarchical coded data to be skipped.