The present invention makes it possible to encrypt a portion of a tile
image to be subject to wavelet transformation at or above a desired
resolution level without the need to manage multiple encryption keys. The
invention divides the sub-bands generated with each wavelet
transformation into a plurality of precincts, treats aggregations of
encrypted data of precincts of the same phase of sub-bands of the same
layer as a tile part, and defines a tree structure in which tile parts
having higher frequency encrypted data are positioned at higher level
nodes. An encryption unit then generates encryption key information for
tile parts of the highest level node based on route key information
generated from encrypted data for the entire tile, and generates
encryption key information for encrypting tile parts other than those of
the highest node by unidirectional transformation of encryption key
information for tile parts of higher level nodes.