Image processing device and method and recording medium for recording image processing program for same

• US 6,735,341 B1
• Filed: 06/04/1999
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Co., Ltd. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Akahoshi, Kimiharu, Takano, Manji, Iida, Kentaro, Horie, Daisaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Couso, Yon J.
• Application Number:
  US09/325,356
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 382/232, 382/234, 382/243, 382/195, 382/173, 382/176, 382/205, 382/254, 382/282, 382/239, 358/467, 358/465, 358/462, 358/453, 358/461
• US Class Current: 382/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/12 Selection from among a plurality of transforms or standards, e.g. selection between discrete cosine transform [DCT] and sub-band transform or selection between H.263 and H.264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/85 using pre-processing or post-processing specially adapted for video compression

Abstract

An image processing device includes a first discriminator for discriminating halftone regions of an input image; and a device for smoothing only the discriminated halftone regions. An image processing device also includes a discriminator for discriminating the characteristics of a region for image compression of an image included in a corrected image; and a first device for modifying a degree of discrimination of a local area included in the region for image compression in accordance with the discriminated characteristics; and a second device for modifying a method of compression of the region for image compression in accordance with the discriminated characteristics. An image processing device includes a device for discriminating the characteristics of a region for image compression of an image included in a corrected image; and a first device for modifying a degree of correction of a local area included in the region for image compression in accordance with the discriminated characteristics; and a second device for modifying a method of compression of the region for image compression in accordance with the discriminated characteristics.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

first means for determining characteristics of local areas in an input image;

second means for determining characteristics of a region for image compression containing the local areas using a determination result of the first determining means;

means for accomplishing optimum correction of the local areas based on the characteristics of the local areas determined by the first determining means; and

means for selecting a compression method and compressing data based on the characteristics determined by the second determining means.

2. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

(a) determining characteristics of local areas in an input image;

(b) determining characteristics of a region for image compression containing the local areas using a determination result of step (a);

(c) obtaining optimum correction of one of the local areas based on attributes of the local area; and

(d) selecting a compression method and compressing data based on the characteristics determined by step (b).

3. A processing program product to be executed by a computer, the program comprising:

(a) means for determining characteristics of local areas in an input image;

(b) means for determining characteristics of a region for image compression containing the local areas using the determination result of the determining means defined in paragraph (a);

(c) means for obtaining optimum correction of one of the local areas based on the characteristics of the local area; and

(d) means for selecting a compression method and compressing data based on the characteristics determined by the determination means of paragraph (b).