Image processing method and apparatus

• US 7,283,673 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2004
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• 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): Mehta; Bhavesh M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Strege; John B
• Application Number:
  US10/985,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20050089229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 382/218, 382/219, 382/283, 382/294
• 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 associated with an image inputted through an image input mechanism;

storing means for storing image information associated with an image input through the image input mechanism;

comparing means for comparing image information associated with an image newly input through said image input mechanism with image information associated with an image previously stored in the storing means;

output means for outputting from the image processing apparatus pixels generated from the results of comparisons performed by the comparing means; and

a positional displacement detecting device for detecting a positional displacement relative to said input mechanism between a source of a previously input image and a source of an image to be newly inputted;

wherein the comparing means includes calculating means for calculating a difference in pixel values which represent pixel densities, between image information associated with an image newly inputted through said input mechanism and image information associated with an image previously 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 comparing means with a preset threshold value;

wherein the comparing means includes extracting means for causing the output means to output from the image forming apparatus only pixels corresponding to pixels of the stored and newly input images respectively recognized by the recognizing means when the difference in pixel values calculated by the calculating means is equal to or less than said preset threshold value and

wherein a warning of a positional displacement relative to said input mechanism between a source of a previously input image and a source of an image to be newly inputted is provided on a display means in a case where a positional displacement is detected by said positional displacement detecting device.

2. The image processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

setting means for allowing a user to set said threshold value.

3. An image processing apparatus comprising at least:

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

storing means for storing image information associated with an image input through the image input mechanism;

comparing means for comparing image information associated with an image newly input through said image input mechanism with image information associated with an image previously stored in the storing means;

output means for outputting from the image processing apparatus pixels generated from the results of comparisons performed by the comparing means; and

a positional displacement detecting device for detecting a positional displacement relative to said input mechanism between a source of a previously input image and a source of an image to be newly inputted;

wherein the comparing means includes calculating means for calculating a difference in pixel values which represent pixel densities, between image information associated with an image newly inputted through said input mechanism and image information associated with an image previously 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 comparing means with a preset threshold value;

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

wherein a comparison result is sent (i) to image processing means including at least one of color correcting means, black producing means, filter processing means, halftone processing means and a printing mechanism, or (ii) to said storage means;

wherein said output means has a further function of sending an image read from said storage means to image processing means including color correcting means; and

wherein a warning of a positional displacement relative to said input mechanism between a source of a previously input image and a source of an image to be newly inputted is provided on a display means in a case where a positional displacement is detected by said positional displacement detecting device.