Image analysis – Pattern recognition – Feature extraction
Reexamination Certificate
1993-05-21
2001-02-20
Nguyen, Madeleine (Department: 2722)
Image analysis
Pattern recognition
Feature extraction
C382S263000, C382S264000, C382S266000, C382S269000, C358S451000, C358S466000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06192152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus for processing an input image signal and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus having a function of judging a feature of an input image.
2. Related Background Art
Methods of separating an image into an edge area including a character and a halftone area including a photograph image and executing proper processing for the separated areas are proposed in the following patents or applications by the same assignee as that of the present application.
(1) U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,807
(2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 456,615 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,114)
(3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 437,310 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,024)
(4) U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,173
(5) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 512,494 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,330)
(6) U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,579
(7) U.S. Pat. No. 4,729,035
(8) U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,294
(9) U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,334
(10) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 332,384 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,039)
(11) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 378,488 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,227)
(12) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 325,020 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,606)
(13) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 287,627 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,177,795)
(14) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 282,896 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,268)
(15) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 519,500 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,252)
(16) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 519,448 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,383)
(17) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 519,447 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,119,185)
However, there is a room for improvement in the above-mentioned techniques. In particular, in some originals, a halftone area expressed by dots (or screen) is erroneously judged as an edge portion, or a very thin character is erroneously judged as a screen portion. Thus, a portion of image is subjected to undesirable processing by a so-called “judgement error”, thus considerably impairing image quality.
Therefore, for example, a judgement error easily occurs in an original such as a map in which characters are mixed in a screen portion, and characters are undesirably blurred.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can solve the conventional problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can execute proper processing according to a feature of an input image.
In order to achieve the above objects, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising first detection means for detecting an edge of an input image on the basis of an input image signal, second detection means for detecting a screen portion of the input image on the basis of the input image signal, processing means for executing processing of the input image signal according to the detection results of the first and second detection means, and setting means for setting detection modes of the first and second detection means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can reliably grasp a feature of an input image.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising first detection means for detecting a change in density of an input image signal, second detection means for detecting a change in density in a specific direction of the input image signal, processing means for executing processing of the input image signal on the basis of the detection results of the first and second detection means, and setting means for setting detection modes of the first and second detection means.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus which can satisfactorily reproduce an original such as a map in which characters are mixed in a screen portion.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising detection means for detecting a feature of an input image on the basis of an input image signal, and setting means for setting a detection mode of the detection means, wherein the detection mode includes a map detection mode.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus suitable for high-speed processing.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus having good color reproducibility.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus with a simple circuit arrangement.
The above and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.
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Arimoto Shinobu
Funada Masahiro
Kawase Michio
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Nguyen Madeleine
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