US Patent 7436544 Image processor

A control section of a digital camera generates a plurality of pieces of reduced image data having each different reduction ratio from original image data at the time of image viewing. The result is stored in a memory. When receiving a user instruction for reduction up an image to be displayed on a display section, the control section selects from the memory either the original image data or a plurality of reduced image data stored therein based on an image enlargement ratio and the size of display image data for output to the display section. Then, thus selected image data is subjected to a reduction process so that the display image data is generated. The resulting display image data is provided to the display section.