Image processing apparatus and image processing program

• US 8,923,635 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2010
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp. (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Eiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): BEKELE, MEKONEN T
• Application Number:
  US12/878,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 382/282, 382/321, 382/197, 382/199, 382/218, 382/128, 382/173, 382/176, 382/190, 382/195, 382/280, 382/233
• US Class Current: 382/233
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10008 from scanner, fax or copier
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/149 involving deformable models, e.g. active contour models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/15 Cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a first path information calculating unit, a second path information calculating unit, and a path selecting unit. The first path information calculating unit calculates first path information which is information representing a first path for separating areas from an image. The second path information calculating unit calculates second path information representing a second path for separating the areas from the image, the second path being the reverse of the first path. The path selecting unit selects one of the first path information calculated by the first path information calculating unit and the second path information calculated by the second path information calculating unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a first path information calculating unit that calculates first path information which is information representing a first path, the first path separating a partial image from an image;

a second path information calculating unit that calculates second path information which is information representing a second path, the second path separating the partial image from the image, the second path being the reverse of the first path;

wherein at least one of the first path information or the second path information include a path cost, wherein the path cost includes an accumulative value of luminescence values of pixels on the path; and

a path selecting unit that select one of the first path information calculated by the first path information calculating unit and the second path information calculated by the second path information calculating unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first path and the second path are paths where an accumulative value of luminescence values of pixels on the paths satisfies a predetermined condition.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second path information calculating unit calculates the second path information based on the first path information calculated by the first path information calculating unit, and

wherein the first path information calculating unit calculates the first path information based on the second path information calculated by the second path information calculating unit in processes after the second path information is calculated by the second path information calculation unit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second path information calculating unit calculates the second path information based on the first path information calculated by the first path information calculating unit, and

wherein the first path information calculating unit calculates the first path information based on the second path information calculated by the second path information calculating unit in processes after the second path information is calculated by the second path information calculation unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein conditions on termination of the process by the first path information calculating unit and the process by the second path information calculating unit are that the processes are performed a given number of times or that the first path information coincides with the second path information.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein conditions on termination of the process by the first path information calculating unit and the process by the second path information calculating unit are that the processes are performed a given number of times or that the first path information coincides with the second path information.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for image processing, the process comprising:

calculating first path information which is information representing a first path, the first path separating a partial image from an image;

calculating second path information which is information representing a second path, the second path separating the partial image from the image, the second path being the reverse of the first path;

calculating a path cost included in at least one of the first path information or the second path information, the path cost including an accumulative value of luminescence values of pixels on the path; and

selecting one of the first path information and the second path information.