IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING COLORS INCLUDED IN A COLOR IMAGE AND AN IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND A STORAGE MEDIUM THEREFOR

• US 20070030501A1
• Filed: 07/28/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanami, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,248,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.900
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/622 with simulation on a subsidiary picture reproducer

Abstract

The present invention enables a user to easily identify individual colors included in a color image. Specifically, a color image is divided into two or more areas based on colors, and based on the feature values for the individual areas obtained by division, the order of the colors is changed. Then, the colors of the individual areas are displayed in accordance with the changed order.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an area division unit configured to divide a color image into a plurality of areas based on colors;

a feature value calculation unit configured to calculate pixel counts and representative colors for the areas obtained by division;

a rearrangement unit configured to employ the pixel counts to change the order of the representative colors for the areas; and

a display unit configured to display the representative colors for the areas in accordance with the changed order.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to employ the pixel counts obtained to determine display widths of the representative colors for the areas,

wherein the display unit is configured to display the representative colors for the areas in accordance with the display widths that are determined by the determination unit.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rearrangement method selection unit configured to select a rearrangement method for the order of the representative colors;

wherein the rearrangement unit is configured to change the order of the representative colors for the areas in accordance with the selected rearrangement method.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a color selection unit configured to select one of the representative colors for the areas that are displayed;

a setup unit configured to set a correction value; and

a color change unit configured to change the representative color selected in the image based on the correction value.

5. An image processing method comprising:

dividing a color image into a plurality of areas based on colors;

calculating pixel counts and representative colors for the areas obtained by division;

changing the order of the representative colors for the areas based on the pixel counts that are obtained; and

displaying the representative colors for the areas in accordance with the order.

6. A storage medium, on which is stored computer-readable program code for performing an image processing method comprising:

dividing a color image into a plurality of areas based on colors;

calculating pixel counts and representative colors for the areas obtained by division;

changing the order of the representative colors for the areas based on the pixel counts that are obtained; and

displaying the representative colors for the areas in accordance with the order.