Patent ID: 7130469
Filing Date: 2006-10-31
Classification: G06K

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus comprising: edge determination means for determining whether or not each pixel of an input image is an edge pixel; object-image extraction means for extracting an object image section having pixels of a predetermined pixel value or more from the input image; first-characteristic-amount calculation means for calculating a first characteristic amount that represents a characteristic of the object image section contained in a first local pixel block containing a prescribed first target pixel on the basis of the result of extraction by the object-image extraction means; edge-class determination means for determining which of a plurality of edge classes the first target pixel belongs to, on the basis of the result of determination by the edge determination means and the first characteristic amount calculated by the first-characteristic-amount calculation means; second-characteristic-amount calculation means for calculating a second characteristic amount that represents a characteristic of an image of a second local pixel block containing a prescribed second target pixel on the basis of the result of classification by the edge-class determination means; and image-class determination means for determining which of a plurality of image classes the second target pixel belongs to, on the basis of the second characteristic amount calculated by the second-characteristic-amount calculation means.