Patent ID: 7209592

Claim:
An image storage and display system comprising an image server storing image data recorded on a high readout-speed capable storage medium, and a display terminal connected to said image server via a network, wherein; said image server is provided with a storage control means that creates reversible compressed image data of an original image data, and at least one irreversible compressed image data, and stores in said storage medium said original image data or said reversible compressed image data, and said at least one irreversible compressed image data, which stand for multiple versions of image data, and said display terminal is provided with an input means capable of receiving specification of the a version of the image data or an image data group to be displayed on said display terminal, and an acquisition means for acquiring the version of said image data or said image data group received in said input means, wherein said storage control means obtains said irreversible compressed image data by subjecting said original image data to a progressively extractable data-compression process, and wherein said acquisition means, for cases in which the version received in said input means corresponds to irreversible compressed image data, changes the progressive expansion level of said irreversible compressed image data, according to the predetermined conditions, and acquires said irreversible compressed image data.