Image analysis – Histogram processing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-11-05
2002-02-26
Tran, Phuoc (Department: 2621)
Image analysis
Histogram processing
C382S162000, C382S172000, C382S274000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06351558
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing system, an image processing method, and a medium having an image processing control program recorded thereon. Particularly, the invention is concerned with an image processing system and method for executing an optimum image processing with use of a computer, as well as a medium having an image processing control program recorded thereon.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, for image data of natural pictures such as photographs and image data of drawing type unnatural pictures, there have been known software such as photoretouch for performing various effect processing. In such software image data are displayed on a display or the like, to which an operator applies a desired processing to form nice-looking image data.
For example, in the case of reading a photograph through a scanner to obtain electronic image data, it is sometimes desired to highlight the contrast and vividness of the image.
As a method for enlarging the contrast of image data there is known the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 66318/95, in which the relation the luminance y before transformation and the luminance y′ after transformation are correlated with each other according to the following expression (1), and the luminance of image data is transformed on the basis of parameter “a” or “b” selected by an operator, whereby there is obtained a contrast-highlighted image from image data weak in contrast:
y′=ay+b (1)
On the other hand, as a method for highlighting saturation to highlight the vividness there is known a method wherein the value of a desired color component is increased in the case where the color components of image data are represented in terms of gradation data of red (R), green (G) and blue (B).
More particularly, when the gradation data is in the range of 0 to 255, 20 is always added to the gradation data of red to make red color more vivid, or 20 is always added to the gradation data of blue to make blue color more vivid.
Thus, among various effect processing there is included one which transforms natural pictures into more beautiful pictures, while some images are not required to be retouched, such as drawing type images.
In the latter case, in an image processing system using the above conventional software, the operator is required to judge the type of image on the display and select an appropriate effect processing from among various ones or judge the degree of the processing. Thus, it has been impossible to automate this operation.
For example, it has so far been impossible to judge automatically whether contrast should be highlighted or not or whether vividness should be highlighted or not.
In highlighting contrast, the conventional methods merely adopt the technique of providing plural settings different in strength of contrast beforehand and then switching over from one to another. Thus, it has been impossible to automatically selected the most preferred one corresponding to the actual image data. Particularly, when luminance is changed in accordance with the foregoing expression (1), the result is such that only brightness is highlighted in the case of an image which is bright as a whole, or only darkness is highlighted in the case of an image which is dark as a whole.
Needless to say, the strength of contrast can be adjusted in television for example, but the parameter “b”, namely offset, is uniform and it has been impossible to effect an optimum highlighting for each individual image.
Also as to highlighting vividness, a man is required to judge to what degree of highlighting is to be performed with respect to each image data, and it has been impossible to select the best suited highlighting automatically.
Further, as to not only the contrast enlarging processing but also the saturation highlighting processing, there is a tendency to increase in value of image data. Therefore, if saturation is to be highlighted after highlighting of contrast, a loud image results. This is not desirable.
In this connection, in the above conventional image processing system, if one is adjusted to an appropriate condition and thereafter the other is adjusted, the result of the previous adjustment goes wrong and thus it is difficult to make adjustment as desired.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,105 there is disclosed a technique of diminishing the contrast width of image data automatically in view of the point that a color space reproducible in a CRT display is larger than that in a video printer. In this case, all that is required is merely causing image data to enter the color space in the video printer which is known in advance. Thus, automation is feasible because only such reduction of the contrast width is needed irrespective of the type of image. Such an automation has nothing to do with the foregoing effect processing that intends to make the most of the image quality of the image data. Thus, the application of the aforesaid technique is meaningless.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing system, an image processing method, and a medium having an image processing control program recorded thereon, capable of judging the type of image automatically on the basis of image data and performing an optimum image processing.
The image processing system according to the present invention comprises a number-of-color detecting means which inputs image data representing information of each of pixels resolved in a dot matrix form from an image and which detects the number of colors used while regarding information corresponding to the luminance of each pixel as color, and an image discriminating means for judging the type of image on the basis of the number of colors thus detected.
The image processing method according to the present invention performs a predetermined image processing for image data which represents information of each of the pixels resolved in a dot matrix form from an image. The same method comprises inputting the said image data, detecting the number of colors used while regarding information corresponding to the luminance of each pixel as color, and judging the type of image on the basis of the number of colors thus detected.
Further, the medium according to the present invention has an image processing control program recorded thereon for inputting to a computer image data which represents information of each of the pixels resolved in a dot matrix form from an image and for performing a predetermined processing. The said image processing control program includes the step of inputting the said image data and detecting the number of colors used while regarding information corresponding to the luminance of each pixel as color and the step of judging the type of image on the basis of the number of colors thus detected.
In the present invention thus constructed, when the number-of-color detecting means detects image data which represents information of each pixel resolved in a dot matrix form from an image, it detects the number of colors used while regarding information corresponding to the luminance of each pixel as color, and the image discriminating means judges the type of image on the basis of the number of colors thus detected.
The number of colors used differs depending on the type of image. For example, in the case of a natural picture such as a photograph, even if the object to be photographed is of the same blue color, plural colors are detected due to a shadow and thus a considerable number of colors may be used. On the other hand, in the case of a drawing type data or a business graph, a limit is encountered in the number of colors used because it has been drawn with colors designated by an operator.
According to the present invention, from the standpoint of the number of colors used, it is possible to judge the type of image automatically on the basis of image data. Needless to say, images including a large number of colors used correspond to natur
Seiko Epson Corporation
Tran Phuoc
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