IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20060181725A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuya, Akihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/56 Processing of colour picture signals H04N1/52 takes precedence

Abstract

Two main-scanning-color-group recognition units, each for measuring a degree of continuity of chromatic pixels in a main scanning direction are provided. A degree of continuity in a sub-scanning direction is measured by the degree of continuity of chromatic pixels in the main scanning direction determined by a different threshold.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

first determination means for determining a chromatic pixel string by determining consecutiveness of chromatic pixels on a main scanning line;

second determination means for determining existence of a chromatic color on the main scanning line in response to detecting a predetermined number of the chromatic pixel strings on the main scanning line; and

third determination means for determining the chromatic color in a sub-scanning direction by determining the consecutiveness of the chromatic color pixels on the main scanning line,

wherein a parameter of the first determination means for the consecutiveness and a parameter of the third determination means for the consecutiveness are set separately.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a region of an image determined by the first determination means, the second determination means and the third determination means is an area at least without a front edge and an end edge of the image.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising fourth determination means for determining whether or not an image to be processed is a color image by using the result of the first determination, the second determination and the third determination.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a color process is performed for an image to be processed when the image is determined to be a color image.

5. An image processing method, comprising:

a first determination step, of determining a chromatic pixel string by determining consecutiveness of chromatic pixels on a main scanning line;

a second determination step, of determining existence of a chromatic color on the main scanning line in response to detecting a predetermined number of the chromatic pixel strings on the main scanning line; and

a third determination step, of determining the chromatic color in a sub-scanning direction by determining the consecutiveness of the chromatic color pixels on the main scanning line,

wherein a parameter of the first determination step for the consecutiveness and a parameter of the third determination step for the consecutiveness are set separately.

6. An image processing program, comprising:

a first determination code for determining a chromatic pixel string by determining consecutiveness of chromatic pixels on a main scanning line;

a second determination code for determining existence of a chromatic color on the main scanning line in response to detecting a predetermined number of the chromatic pixel strings on the main scanning line; and

a third determination code for determining the chromatic color in a sub-scanning direction by determining the consecutiveness of the chromatic color pixels on the main scanning line,

wherein a parameter of the first determination code for the consecutiveness and a parameter of the third determination code for the consecutiveness are set separately.

7. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

first determination means for determining a chromatic pixel string by determining consecutiveness of chromatic pixels on a main scanning line;

second determination means for determining existence of a chromatic color on the main scanning line in response to detecting a predetermined number of chromatic pixel strings on the main scanning line; and

third determination means for determining the chromatic color in a sub-scanning direction by determining the consecutiveness of the chromatic color pixels on the main scanning line,

wherein a determination part for the main scanning comprised of the first and second determination means and a determination part for the sub scanning comprised of the third determination means have the same structure.