Image processing apparatus for processing discriminated color regions within specified boundaries

• US 5,760,929 A
• Filed: 04/06/1994
• Issued: 06/02/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Isemura, Keizo, Ichikawa, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Grant, II, Jerome
• Application Number:
  US08/223,814
• Time in Patent Office: 1,518 Days
• Field of Search: 358/443, 358/448, 358/462, 358/464, 358/467, 358/470, 358/471, 358/517, 358/530, 358/537, 358/540, 382/22, 382/55, 345/144, 345/113, 345/114, 345/116, 395/135, 395/150
• US Class Current: 358/2.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40012 Conversion of colour to monochrome
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/62 Retouching, i.e. modification of isolated colours only or in isolated picture areas only

Abstract

An image processing apparatus of a digital copying machine or the like comprises: a color discriminating circuit to discriminate a color of an input image; a discrimination image generator to generate a color discrimination image in accordance with the discriminated color; and a trimming circuit to trim a boundary portion between the color discrimination image generated and another image. A blank portion or a boundary line is formed in the boundary portion between the color discrimination image and another image. The trimming circuit can also trim a portion in the color discrimination image in the boundary portion.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting an image including a color image portion;

color discriminating means for discriminating a color of the image input by said input means;

first generating means for generating a graphic pattern image corresponding to a result of the color discrimination by said color discriminating means;

second generating means for detecting a contour of an area of the color of the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

synthesizing means for synthesizing the graphic pattern image generated by said first generating means and the visible outline image generated by said second generating means; and

output means for outputting either one of the image input from said input means and an image synthesized by said synthesizing means, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said color discriminating means discriminates plural areas each such area having a different color, and

said first generating means generates the image of the area in each color discriminated by said color discriminating means, into a different pattern image.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first generating means does not generate the image of the area which is not discriminated by said color discriminating means as the area having the predetermined color, into the pattern image.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising reader means for reading a color image as the input image.

5. An image processing apparatus comprising:

color discriminating means for discriminating a color of an input image;

converting means for converting the input image into a graphic pattern image in accordance with a result of the color discrimination by said color discriminating means;

generating means for generating a visible line representing an outline, around the graphic pattern image converted by said converting means; and

output means for outputting the graphic pattern image converted by said converting means and the visible line generated by said generating means, on an area which is discriminated to have the color discriminated by said color discriminating means, and for outputting the input image not converted by said converting means, on an area which is not discriminated to have the color discriminated by said color discriminating means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said color discriminating means discriminates plural areas each such area having a different color, and

said generating means generates the image of the area in each color discriminated by said color discriminating means, into a different pattern image.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said generating means does not generate the image of the area which is not discriminated by said color discriminating means as the area having the predetermined color, into the pattern image.

8. An apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising reader means for reading a color image as the input image.

9. An image processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting an image including a color image portions;

a color discriminating step of discriminating a color of the image input by said input means;

a first generating step of generating a graphic pattern corresponding to a result of the color discrimination;

a second generating step of detecting a contour of an area of the color of the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

a synthesizing step of synthesizing the graphic pattern image generated by said first generating step and the visible outline image generated by said second generating step; and

an output step of outputting either one of the image input from said input means and an image synthesized by said synthesizing step, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating step.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said discriminating step discriminates plural areas each such area having a different color, and

said first generating step generates the image of the area in each color discriminated in said discriminating step, into a different pattern image.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said first generating step does not generate the image of the area which is not discriminated in said discriminating step as the area having the predetermined color, into the pattern image.

12. A method according to claim 9, further comprising a reading step of reading a color image as the input image.

13. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

color discriminating a color an input image;

converting the input image into a graphic pattern corresponding to a result of the color discrimination; and

a generating step of generating a visible line representing an outline, around the graphic pattern image converted by said converting step; and

an output step of outputting the graphic pattern image converted by said converting step and the visible line generated by said generating step, on an area which is discriminated to have the color discriminated by said color discriminated step, and for outputting the input image not converted by said converting step, on an area which is not discriminated to have the color discriminated by said color discriminating step.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said discriminating step discriminates plural areas each such area having a different color, and

said generating step generates the image of the area in each color discriminated in said discriminating step, into a different pattern image.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein said generating step does not generate the image of the area which is not discriminated in said discriminating step as the area having the predetermined color, into the pattern image.

16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising a reading step of reading a color image as the input image.

17. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting an image including a color image portion;

color discriminating means for discriminating an area in the image input by said input means, the area having a predetermined color;

converting means for converting an image of the area discriminated by said discriminating means, into a graphic pattern image corresponding to the predetermined color;

generating means for detecting a contour of the area in the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

synthesizing means for synthesizing the graphic pattern image converted by said converting means and the visible outline image generated by said generating means; and

output means for outputting either one of the image input from the input means and an image synthesized by said synthesizing means, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating means.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said discriminating means discriminates plural areas each such area having a different color, and

said converting means converts the image of the area in each color discriminated by said discriminating means, into a different pattern image.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said converting means does not convert the image of the area which is not discriminated by said discriminating means as the area having the predetermined color, into the pattern image.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising reading means for reading a color image as the input image.

21. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

input means for inputting an image including a color image portion;

color discriminating an area in the image input by said input means, the area having a predetermined color;

converting an image of the area discriminated in said discriminating step, into a graphic pattern image corresponding to the predetermined color;

detecting a contour of the area in the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

synthesizing the converted graphic pattern image and the generated visible outline image; and

outputting either one of the image input from said input means and a synthesized image, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating means.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein

in said discriminating step, plural areas each such area having a different color are discriminated, and

in said converting step, the image of the discriminated area in each color is converted into a different pattern image.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein, in said converting step, the image of the area which is not discriminated in said discriminating step as the area having the predetermined color is not converted into the pattern image.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising a reading step of reading a color image as the input image.

25. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for inputting an image including a color image portion;

color discriminating means for discriminating a color of the image input by said input means;

first generating means for generating a predetermined graphic pattern image having a density corresponding to a result of the color discrimination by said color discriminating means;

second generating means for detecting a contour of an area of the color of the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

synthesizing means for synthesizing the predetermined graphic pattern image generated by said first generating means and the visible outline image generated by said second generating means; and

output means for outputting either one of the image input from said input means and an image synthesized by said synthesizing means, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating means.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising reading means for reading a color image as the input image.

27. An image processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting an image including a color image portion;

a color discriminating step of discriminating a color of the image input by said input step;

a first generating step of generating a graphic pattern image having a density corresponding to a result of the color discrimination;

a second generating step of detecting a contour of an area of the color of the input image and generating a visible outline image representing the contour;

a synthesizing step of synthesizing the graphic pattern image generated by said first generating step and the visible outline image generated by said second generating step; and

an output step of outputting either one of the image input by the input step and an image synthesized by said synthesizing step, in accordance with a discriminated result of said color discriminating step.

28. A method according to claim 27, further comprising a reading step of reading a color image as the input image.