Patent ID: 8055038

Claim:
An image processing apparatus for performing an imaging process on an original image having a connection figure including a first figure and a second figure connected to the first figure to generate an extraction image of the first figure extracted, said image processing apparatus comprising: a first image processor for obtaining a first image in which the connection figure in the original image is selectively extracted by performing a segmentation process on the original image; a second image processor for obtaining a second image including a third figure separated from the second figure and a fourth figure separated from the first figure in the connection figure by sequentially performing an erosion process and a dilation process in a morphologic operation so as to separate the first and second figures from each other, in the connection figure included in the first image obtained by the first image processor; a third image processor for obtaining a third image by performing a segmentation process so as to selectively extract the third figure in the second image obtained by the second image processor; a fourth image processor for obtaining a fourth image by performing a process of obtaining the difference between the first image obtained by the first image processor and the third image obtained by the third image processor; a fifth image processor for obtaining a fifth image by determining whether the size of a figure included in the fourth image obtained by the fourth image processor is equal to or larger than a reference value, and when the size is equal to or larger than the reference value, eliminating the figure from the fourth image and, when the size is less than the reference value, processing the fourth image so as to leave the figure in the fourth image; and a sixth image processor for obtaining the extraction image by adding the third image obtained by the third image processor and the fifth image obtained by the fifth image processor.