Patent ID: 6163624
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
An image processing circuit for discriminating image features of a specific region on an image in accordance with image data obtained through scanning of a document so as to carry out image processing in accordance with an image feature discriminated, said image processing circuit comprising:succession extracting means for extracting, in accordance with entire image data in the specific region, a succession indicative of how pixels of equal density in all pixels in the specific region succeed one another with respect to each in a main scanning direction and in a sub scanning direction;wherein said succession extracting means includes:average value calculating means for determining an average value of the image data in the specific region;converting means for converting, in accordance with the average value, all the image data in the specific region into binary data that vary depending on density; andsucceeding pixels calculating means for (1) calculating, in accordance with the binary data, the number of pixels of equal density in each of the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction in the specific region, (2) adding the number of pixels of equal density with respect to adjacent image data in each of the main scanning direction and the sub scanning direction, and (3) determining, in accordance with results of addition, a main scanning direction maximum succession, which is a maximum value in the main scanning direction, and a sub scanning direction maximum succession, which is a maximum value in the sub scanning direction, so as to output the main and sub scanning direction maximum successions as the succession; anddiscriminating means for discriminating the image feature of the specific region in accordance with the main scanning direction maximum succession and the sub scanning direction maximum succession.