IMAGE PROCESSING UNIT, IMAGE DATA DISTRIBUTION DEVICE, IMAGE DATA DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM, IMAGE DATA DISTRIBUTION METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the image data distribution device that manages image data efficiently and surely protects the image data. SOLUTION: A coding means 301 of a server side 101 converts original image data into hierarchical coding data having a hierarchical structure. Furthermore, an encryption means 302 encrypts only coded data at a prescribed hierarchy among the hierarchical coding data. A decoding means 402 at a client side 104 decodes the hierarchical coding data sent from the server side 101. In this case, data not encrypted yet among the hierarchical coding data are decoded by a conventional decoder (a decoder corresponding to a prescribed coding system).