Patent ID: 6278804
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: G06T,H04N

Abstract:
An image processing apparatus comprising:means for smoothing a profile of an image constituted by image data;means for discriminating a specific region containing a set of pixels fewer than a predetermined number in said image on a basis of the predetermined number and correlations of profile spots of the image constituting the profile;means for determining whether a smoothing operation is to be performed by using said smoothing means, in accordance with an outcome of the discriminating operation of said discriminating means;means for forming a pixel matrix by sequentially sampling input image data and providing the image data of the pixel matrix as sampled image data; andmeans for detecting the profile of a black image from said sampled image data provided by said matrix forming means, wherein;said discriminating means includes means for discriminating that an island-like region having a surface area smaller than a predetermined value exists in the sampled image data when the number of profile spots of the black image detected by said detecting means is smaller than a predetermined value; andsaid determining means includes image data switching means for selecting either the image data processed by said smoothing means or the sampled image data of said matrix forming means and producing the selected data as output.