Image processing apparatus and image processing method

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an image data storage unit configured to store: (i) M-bit gradation image data (M is a natural number), and (ii) at least one compressed tile image per different resolution, each tile image being formed by coding a plurality of block images;

a correction function generating unit configured to generate a correction function in N-bit gradation (N is a natural number, N>M) from the M-bit gradation image data stored in the image data storage unit, where the correction function generating unit includes:

a determination unit configured to determine if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying; and

a function deriving unit configured to derive the correction function using correction information, wherein:

the determination unit determines, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information; and

the function deriving unit derives, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, the correction function using the correction information; and

a display image generating unit configured to generate display image data using the correction function generated by the correction function generating unit, wherein the display image generating unit uses the correction function in N-bit gradation from the correction function generating unit to generate display image data in P-bit gradation (P is a natural number, N≧P>M) by performing an interpolation operation on the M-bit gradation image data.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the correction function generating unit decodes compressed image data in M-bit gradation into image data in N-bit gradation to generate a correction function; and

the display image generating unit uses a correction function so as to generate display image data resulting from correcting image data obtained by decoding compressed image data in M-bit gradation with the restriction of M-bit quantization.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the image data storage unit stores image data in 8-bit gradation in JPEG format;

the correction function generating unit performs an inverse discrete cosine transform on the image data to generate N-bit gradation image data (N>8); and

the display image generating unit generates display image data using N-bit gradation image data.

4. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an image data storage unit configured to store M-bit gradation image data (M is a natural number) including at least one compressed tile image per different resolution;

a decoding unit configured to decode a compressed tile image into an M-bit gradation tile image; and

a display image generating unit configured to generate display image data from a decoded tile image,

each tile image being formed by coding a plurality of block images, the image processing apparatus further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying; and

a function deriving unit configured to derive, when correction information is included, a correction function using the correction information,

wherein the display image generating unit generates display image data using a decoded tile image and the correction function,

the determination unit determines, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, and

the function deriving unit derives, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, a correction function using the correction information.

5. A non-transitory, computer readable, storage medium containing a program executable by a processor, the program comprising:

a module configured to generate, from M-bit gradation image data (M is a natural number), a correction function in N-bit gradation (N is a natural number, N>M), wherein the module configured to generate the correction function: (i) determines if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying, where at least one compressed tile image per different resolution is formed by coding a plurality of the block images, and where the determination includes determining, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, and (ii) derives the correction function using correction information, where the derivation includes deriving, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, the correction function using the correction information; and

a module configured to generate display image data using the generated correction function in N-bit gradation image data to generate the display image data in P-bit gradation (P is a natural number, N≧P>M) by performing an interpolation operation on the M-bit gradation image data.

6. A non-transitory, computer readable, storage medium containing a program executable by a processor, the program comprising:

a module configured to decode a compressed tile image in M-bit gradation (M is a natural number) formed by coding a plurality of block images, into a tile image in M-bit gradation;

a module configured to determine if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying;

a module configured to derive, when correction information is included, a correction function using the correction information; and

a module configured to generate display image data using a decoded tile image and the correction function, wherein:

the module configured to determine determines, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, and

the module configured to derive derives, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, a correction function using the correction information.

7. An image processing method, comprising:

generating, from M-bit gradation image data (M is a natural number) stored in an image data storage unit, a correction function in N-bit gradation (N is a natural number, N>M) wherein the generating step includes: (i) determining if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying, where at least one compressed tile image per different resolution is formed by coding a plurality of the block images, and where the determination includes determining, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, and (ii) deriving the correction function using correction information, where the derivation includes deriving, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, the correction function using the correction information; and

generating display image data using the generated correction function in N-bit gradation to generate the display image data in P-bit gradation (P is a natural number, N≧P>M) by performing an interpolation operation on the M-bit gradation image data.

8. An image processing method, comprising:

decoding a compressed tile image in M-bit gradation (M is a natural number) formed by coding a plurality of block images, into a tile image in M-bit gradation;

determining if a block image used to generate display image data includes correction information indicating that a pixel value in a block image is varying;

deriving, when correction information is included, a correction function using the correction information; and generating display image data using a decoded tile image and the correction function, wherein:

the step of determining includes determining, when a block image used to generate display image data does not include correction information, if a corresponding block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, and

the step of deriving includes deriving, when a block image with a lower resolution includes correction information, a correction function using the correction information.