Patent ID: 7639388

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit configured to input multi-valued image data of a document; a binary image generation unit configured to generate binary image data from the inputted multi-valued image data; a layout analysis unit configured to divide the generated binary image data into areas for each attribute, and generate layout information of the divided areas; a first partial image extraction unit configured to extract, from the binary image data, a partial image having text-attribute on the basis of the layout information; a second partial image extraction unit configured to extract, from the multi-valued image data, a partial image having non-text-attribute on the basis of the layout information; an encryption unit configured to encrypt one of partial images extracted by said first and second partial image extraction unit, as a partial image to be encrypted; and an storage unit configured to store the encrypted data generated by said encryption unit, the partial image which is not to be encrypted and has been extracted by either said first or second partial image extraction units, and the layout information.