Image Processing Apparatus And Image Processing Method
First Claim
1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
- a density distribution improvement means for receiving grayscale raw image data containing both background image information and foreground image information, modifying a density distribution of the raw image data to increase a difference between a density distribution range of the background image information and a density distribution range of the foreground image information, and generating grayscale improved image data;
a threshold level calculation means for receiving the improved image data and calculating a threshold level for two-level digital conversion based on a density distribution in the improved image data; and
a digitizing means for receiving the improved image data and the threshold level, digitizing the improved image data using the threshold level, and outputting two-level image data.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Background images are removed and only the desired payment information is extracted from a grayscale image of a check or similar financial instrument. A density distribution improvement process applied to grayscale raw image data 40 acquired by scanning a check corrects the density distribution of the raw image data 40 to separate the density range of the desired payment information from the density range of the background image. Image sharpening or contrast enhancement can be used as the density distribution improvement method. A threshold level 44 for clearly separating the payment information from the background image is then calculated from the characteristics of the density distribution of the grayscale improved image data 42 acquired by the density distribution improvement process. Histograms of the density distributions are used to determine the characteristics of the density distribution. The improved image data 42 is then converted to binary image data 46 using the threshold level 44. Most of the background image is white and most of the desired payment information is black in the binary image data 46.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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a density distribution improvement means for receiving grayscale raw image data containing both background image information and foreground image information, modifying a density distribution of the raw image data to increase a difference between a density distribution range of the background image information and a density distribution range of the foreground image information, and generating grayscale improved image data;
a threshold level calculation means for receiving the improved image data and calculating a threshold level for two-level digital conversion based on a density distribution in the improved image data; and
a digitizing means for receiving the improved image data and the threshold level, digitizing the improved image data using the threshold level, and outputting two-level image data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An image processing apparatus, comprising:
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a density distribution improvement module coupled to receive grayscale raw image data containing both background image information and foreground image information, said density distribution improvement module modifying a density distribution of the raw image data to increase a difference between a density distribution range of the background image information and a density distribution range of the foreground image information, and generating grayscale improved image data;
a threshold level calculation module coupled to receive the improved image data and calculate a threshold level for two-level digital conversion based on a density distribution in the improved image data; and
a digitizing module coupled to receive the improved image data and the threshold level, digitize the improved image data using the threshold level, and output two-level image data. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An image processing method comprising:
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a density distribution improvement step for receiving grayscale raw image data containing both background image information and foreground image information;
modifying a density distribution of the raw image data to increase a difference between a density distribution range of the background image information and a density distribution range of the foreground image information, and generating grayscale improved image data;
a threshold level calculation step for receiving the improved image data and calculating a threshold level for two-level digital conversion based on a density distribution in the improved image data; and
a digitizing step for receiving the improved image data and the threshold level, digitizing the improved image data using the threshold level, and outputting two-level image data. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification