Patent ID: 7630567

Claim:
An image coding method comprising: receiving from a user a command specifying an area of interest in a captured image displayed on a display section through a pressure sensitive input device, the command indicating areas of no pressure on the input device as not in the area of interest, areas of low pressure on the input device in the area of interest, and areas of high pressure on the input device in the area of interest; obtaining positional information of the area of interest; setting the compression rate of the area of interest and the compression rate of a remaining area in such a manner as to differ from each other on the basis of the positional information such that a compression rate not in the area of interest is greater than a compression rate in the areas of low pressure, and the compression rate in the areas of low pressure is greater than the compression rate in the areas of high pressure; and performing coding of the area of interest and coding of the remaining area on the basis of the corresponding compression rates.