Patent ID: 8724914

Claim:
An image file generation device comprising: an image hierarchy generation unit configured to generate a plurality of pieces of image data with different resolutions from input image data and to generate hierarchical data formed by hierarchizing the plurality of pieces of data according to resolution; an image division unit configured to partition image data in each layer of the hierarchical data into tile images of a predetermined size; an index creation unit configured to create index data that maps tile locations defined by partitioning an image in each layer of the hierarchical data into tile images to data for the tile images used to render the tile locations; and an image file generation unit configured to generate an image file that includes data for the tile images and the index data, wherein the index block creation unit creates the index data in the form of index blocks that organize index data for respective tile locations, for each of areas produced by partitioning a hierarchical structure comprising the hierarchical data in a virtual space defined by an image plane of the hierarchical data and an axis of resolution perpendicular to the image plane.