Patent ID: 8457369

Claim:
A finger/palm-print image processing apparatus for processing a finger/palm-print image that is an image of a finger/palm-print, the finger/palm-print image processing apparatus comprising: an image converting unit for converting the finger/palm-print image into a converted image having sets in which elements of the finger/palm-print image are gathered and comprising a first set of elements in which the degree of change in color information in the elements within the set of elements satisfy a predetermined criterion, and a second set of elements in which the degree of change in color information in the elements within the set of elements do not satisfy a predetermined criterion; and a region detecting unit for selecting a region that is a part of the converted image converted by the image converting unit, determining whether or not a selected region that is the region that was selected contains at least a prescribed number of the first set of elements, and detecting the selected region as a region with at least a prescribed number of the first set of elements only when at least the prescribed number are contained; wherein the region detecting unit selects a region on the right side of the selected region as a second selected region when the selected region is on the left side of the converted image, and from there reselects regions surrounding the selected regions until a predetermined number of regions containing at least a predetermined number of the first set of elements is detected in a counterclockwise direction; and selects a region on the left side of the selected region as a second selected region when the selected region is on the right side of the converted image, and from there reselects regions surrounding the selected regions until a predetermined number of regions containing at least a predetermined number of the first set of elements is detected in a clockwise direction.