Image processing apparatus, image processing method medium storing program and computer data signal

• US 20070230806A1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Kimura, Shunichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,009,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/20 using local operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/443 by matching or filtering

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes: an area setting section that sets a searching area of a predetermined size in inputted image data; a searching section that searches for pixels having a predetermined pixel value in the searching area set by the area setting section; an attribute determining section that determines attribute of pixels contained in the searching area on the basis of at least one of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for by the searching section; and an attribute assigning section that assigns the attribute determined by the attribute determining section to the searched pixels.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

an area setting section that sets a searching area of a predetermined size in inputted image data;

a searching section that searches for pixels having a predetermined pixel value in the searching area set by the area setting section;

an attribute determining section that determines attribute of pixels contained in the searching area on the basis of at least either of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for by the searching section; and

an attribute assigning section that assigns the attribute determined by the attribute determining section to the searched pixels.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the searching section compares a pixel value of a target pixel in a predetermined position in the searching area with pixel values of other pixels in the same searching area;

the attribute determining section determines, on the basis of an arrangement or a number of other pixels having the same pixel value as the target pixel, whether or not the target pixel is part of an optically picked-up image or part of a computer-generated image; and

the attribute assigning section assigns, if the target pixel is determined to be part of a computer-generated image, to at least some of the other pixels having the same pixel value as the target pixel, an attribute indicating that the pixels are part of a computer-generated image, and the apparatus further comprising;

an image separating section that separates inputted image data into a plurality of image elements on the basis of the attribute assigned by the attribute assigning section.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the attribute determining section determines, if a group of pixels having the same pixel value as the target pixel is greater than a standard size, the target pixel to be part of a computer-generated image;

and

the area setting section sets a searching area of the same size as the standard size or a searching area greater than the standard size by a one-pixel equivalent.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the attribute determining section determines, on the basis of a result of searching by the searching section, a group of pixels contained in the searching area to be non-isolated points if pixels having a predetermined pixel value are arrayed in a predetermined number or more in a predetermined direction;

and

the attribute assigning section assigns, to the pixels of the predetermined pixel value contained in the searching area, an attribute indicating that the pixels are non-isolated points if the attribute determining section determines the pixels to be non-isolated points; and

the apparatus further comprising;

an isolated point removing section that removes, from the inputted image data, isolated points of or smaller than a predetermined size on the basis of the attribute assigned by the attribute assigning section.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein the attribute determining section determines, if a group of pixels having the same pixel value as the target pixel is greater than a standard size, the target pixel to be non-isolated points;

and

the area setting section sets a searching area of the same size as the standard size or a searching area greater than the standard size by one-pixel equivalent.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the searching section compares, if the target pixel in a predetermined position in the searching area has a predetermined pixel value, the target pixel with other pixels in the same searching area to search for pixels having the same pixel value as the target pixel;

the attribute determining section determines an attribute of the target pixel on the basis of at least one of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for by the searching section; and

the attribute assigning section assigns the attribute of the target pixel determined by the attribute determining section to the other pixels in the same searching area.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the area setting section sets a searching area in which an odd number of pixels are arranged respectively in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction;

and

the searching section specifies as the target pixel the pixel at the center of the set searching area.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the attribute assigning section assigns the attribute of the target pixel determined by the attribute determining section to a group of pixels in a range in which the same pixel value is consecutive starting with the target pixel.

9. An image processing method, comprising:

setting of a searching area of a predetermined size in inputted image data;

searching for pixels having a predetermined pixel value in the set searching area;

determining attribute of pixels contained in the searching area on the basis of at least one of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for; and

assigning the determined attribute to the searched pixel.

10. A computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process comprising:

setting of a searching area of a predetermined size in inputted image data;

searching for pixels having a predetermined pixel value in the set searching area;

determining attribute of pixels contained in the searching area on the basis of at least one of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for; and

assigning the determined attribute to the searched pixel.

11. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave for enabling a computer to execute a process comprising:

setting of a searching area of a predetermined size in inputted image data;

searching for pixels having a predetermined pixel value in the set searching area;

determining attribute of pixels contained in the searching area on the basis of at least one of a number and an arrangement of the pixels searched for; and

assigning the determined attribute to the searched pixel.