Patent ID: 7349571
Filing Date: 2008-03-25
Classification: G06K,G06T

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus for extracting a character string from an input image, comprising: a unicolor area extraction -unit extracting a unicolor area from the input image by comparing a predetermined first threshold with color information about the character string in a predetermined area in the input image; a threshold computation unit computing color information about a representative color from color information about the unicolor area extracted, and computing a second threshold which is a value obtained by adjusting the first threshold according to the color information about the representative color; and a unicolor area re-extraction unit re-extracting a unicolor area from the input image by comparing the second threshold with the color information about the predetermined area in the input image, wherein the unicolor area extraction unit and the unicolor area re-extraction unit perform a color conversion using an equation: such that E is a value of each color component of a picture element before the color conversion, E the first and second thresholds of a color difference to deter mine the unicolor area are enlarged for a color having low color saturation, and the first and second thresholds to determine the unicolor area are reduced for a color having high color saturation.