Image processing method and apparatus

• US 6,836,568 B1
• Filed: 12/29/1999
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morishita, Tadao
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, JON CARLTON
• Application Number:
  US09/474,191
• Time in Patent Office: 1,826 Days
• Field of Search: 382/219, 382/176, 382/282, 382/283, 382/103, 382/130, 358/463, 358/464, 348/143
• US Class Current: 382/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/273 removing elements interfering with the pattern to be recognised
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/38 Circuits or arrangements for blanking or otherwise eliminating unwanted parts of pictures H04N1/387 takes precedence

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus which allows a user to execute image processing, such as extraction and elimination of a portion common to a plurality of images therefrom, with a simple operation. An image of a document is read by a scanner, and when the document is a first one, the image of the document is stored from input means into storing means. When an image of a second document is read, comparing means compares the read image with the image stored in the storing means to judge whether or not a difference in pixel values between the first document image and the second document image is smaller than a threshold value set through setting means. A portion in which the difference in pixel values is judged smaller than the threshold value is recognized as a common portion, and in accordance with a result of selection by selecting means, the portion is sent as a result of extracting the portion common to the plurality of inputted images therefrom, to an image processing section via output means and printed by a printing mechanism, or the respective images from which the common portion is eliminated are sent from the output means to the image processing section and outputted by the printing mechanism.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising at least:

input means for carrying out a distribution process of image information inputted through an image input mechanism;

storing means for storing an image inputted through the input means;

comparing means for comparing an image inputted through the input means with an image stored in the storing means; and

output means for outputting a result of comparison by the comparing means;

wherein the comparing means includes a calculating means for calculating a difference in pixel values, which represent pixel densities, between an image newly inputted through the input means and an image stored in the storing means, and recognizing means for recognizing a portion common to the stored and newly input images by comparing an output of the calculating means with a preset threshold value, wherein at least three or more kinds of images are sequentially inputted to the input means;

the output means sequentially replaces an image stored in the storing means with an image outputted from the comparing means after each input of one of said kinds of images and prior to the next sequential input of another of said kinds of images; and

the recognizing means recognizes a portion common to each kind of image newly inputted through the input means and the image then stored in the storing means by comparing the images, and

wherein the comparing means includes extracting means for causing the output means to output only pixels corresponding to pixels of the stored and newly input images respectively when the difference in pixel values calculated by the calculating means is equal to or less than the threshold value.

2. An image processing apparatus comprising at least:

input means for carrying out a distribution process of image information inputted through an image input mechanism;

storing means for storing an image inputted through the input means;

comparing means for comparing an image inputted through the input means with an image stored in the storing means; and

output means for outputting a result of comparison by the comparing means,

wherein the comparing means includes calculating means for calculating a difference in pixel values which represent pixel densities, between an image newly inputted through the input means and an image stored in the storing means, and recognizing means for recognizing a portion common to the stored and newly input images by comparing an output of the calculating means with a preset threshold value,

wherein the comparing means includes extracting means for causing the output means to output only pixels corresponding to pixels of the stored and newly input images respectively when the difference in pixel values calculated by the calculating means is equal to or less than the threshold value; and

wherein the comparing means further includes eliminating means for causing, when the difference in pixel values calculated by the calculating means is equal to or less than the threshold value, the output means to output the inputted image and the stored image as two images, while preventing pixels of said inputted and stored images having a difference in pixel values equal to or less than the threshold value from being outputted into the respective output images.

3. The image processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting means for selecting one of the extracting means and the eliminating means to be put into operation.

4. An image processing apparatus comprising at least:

input means for carrying out a distribution process of image information inputted through an image input mechanism;

storing means for storing an image inputted through the input means;

comparing means for comparing an image inputted through the input means with an image stored in the storage means; and

output means for outputting a result of comparison by the comparing means;

wherein the comparing means includes calculating means for calculating a difference in pixel values, which represent pixel densities, between an image newly inputted through the input means and an image stored in the storing means, and recognizing means for recognizing a portion common to the stored and newly input images by comparing an output of the calculating means with a preset threshold value, and

wherein the comparing means includes eliminating means for causing, when the difference in pixel values calculated by the calculating means is equal to or less than the threshold value, the output means to output the inputted image and the stored image as two images, while preventing pixels of said inputted and stored images having a difference in pixel values equal to or less than the threshold value from being outputted into the respective output images.

5. The image processing apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

setting means for allowing the user to set the threshold value.