Patent ID: 8259313

Claim:
An image processing apparatus that performs character recognition processing of recognizing a character included in a document, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive page description data of the document; a first intermediate data generating unit configured to convert the page description data received by the receiving unit, thereby generating first intermediate data that is described for each object; a second intermediate data generating unit configured to convert the first intermediate data generated by the first intermediate data generating unit, thereby generating second intermediate data that is described with edge information of an object; a first storage unit configured to store, in a storage area, data representing drawing position information of an object included in the document; a first determining unit configured to, referring to the data representing the drawing position information of an object that is stored by the first storage unit, determine whether the object overlaps with and is located behind another object; and a character recognition unit configured to, in the case where it is determined that the object overlaps with and is located behind another object as a result of the determination by the first determining unit, perform character recognition processing on the first intermediate data generated by the first intermediate data generating unit, thereby recognizing a character of the object, and, in the case where it is determined that the object does not overlap with and is not located behind another object, perform character recognition processing on the second intermediate data generated by the second intermediate data generating unit, thereby recognizing a character of the object.