Patent ID: 6606408
Filing Date: 2003-08-12
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
An image segmenting apparatus comprising:an initial image segmenting unit for converting color signals of an input image into a predetermined color space and for segmenting the input image into a plurality of regions according to positions of color pixels of the input image in the color space; a region structurizing unit for classifying the plurality of regions into layers according to horizontal, adjacent relation and hierarchical, inclusive relation between the regions, and grouping adjacent regions into region groups in each layer, so as to derive a hierarchical, inclusive relation between the region groups; and a redundant region combiner for determining the order in which adjacent regions are combined according to the horizontal, adjacent relation between regions and the hierarchical, inclusive relation between region groups, for determining whether to combine adjacent regions according to the determined combination order, and for combining adjacent regions if the adjacent regions are determined to have substantially the same image property.