Image file generation device, image processing device, image file generation method, and image processing method

An image processing device comprising:

• a storage device configured to store an image file that includes data for tile images produced by dividing image data into a predetermined size, the image data representing a single image with different resolutions, and includes a tile image reference table that maps post-division areas in the image data in a hierarchical structure produced by hierarchizing the image data according to resolution, to data for tile images used to render the post-division areas;
• an input information acquisition unit configured to acknowledge a user request to change a display area including shift on an image plane and change in resolution;
• a tile image identification unit configured to identify data for a tile image necessary to render an area that should be newly displayed in response to the request to change a display area, by referring to the tile image reference table;
• and
• a displayed image processing unit configured to read the data for the identified tile image from the storage device and to render the area that should be newly displayed.

An image file generation method comprising:

• reading image data from a memory, generating a plurality of pieces of image data with different resolutions, and generate hierarchical data formed by hierarchizing the plurality of pieces of data as layers according to resolution;
• dividing image data at each layer of the hierarchical data into tile images of a predetermined size;
• creating a tile image reference table that maps post-division areas in the image data at each layer of the hierarchical data to data for tile images used to render the areas;
• and
• generating an image file that includes data for the tile image and the tile image reference table and outputting the table to the memory.

An image processing method comprising:

• reading, from a memory, an image file that includes data for tile images produced by dividing image data into a predetermined size, the image data representing a single image with different resolutions, and includes a tile image reference table that maps post-division areas in the image data in a hierarchical structure produced by hierarchizing the image data according to resolution, to data for tile images used to render the post-division areas;
• acknowledging a user request to change a display area including shift on an image plane and change in resolution;
• identifying data for a tile image necessary to render an area that should be newly displayed in response to the request to change a display area, by referring to the tile image reference table;
• and
• rendering the area that should be newly displayed based on the data for the identified tile image.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium containing a computer program, the computer program comprising:

• a module configured to read image data from a memory, generate a plurality of pieces of image data with different resolutions, and generate hierarchical data formed by hierarchizing the plurality of pieces of data as layers according to resolution;
• a module configured to divide image data at each layer of the hierarchical data into tile images of a predetermined size;
• a module configured to create a tile image reference table that maps post-division areas in the image data at each layer of the hierarchical data to data for tile images used to render the post-division areas;
• and
• a module configured to generate an image file that includes data for the tile image and the tile image reference table and output the table to the memory.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium containing a computer program, the computer program comprising:

• a module configured to read, from a memory, an image file that includes data for tile images produced by dividing image data into a predetermined size, the image representing a single image with different resolutions, and includes a tile image reference table that maps post-division areas in the image data in a hierarchical structure produced by hierarchizing the image data according to resolution, to data for tile images used to render the post-division areas;
• a module configured to acknowledge a user request to change a display area including shift on an image plane and change in resolution;
• a module configured to identify data for a tile image necessary to render an area that should be newly displayed in response to the request to change a display area, by referring to the tile image reference table;
• and
• a module configured to render the area that should be newly displayed based on the data for the identified tile image.