Patent ID: 6996269

Claim:
An image encoding apparatus comprising: image area separating means for determining for each pixel whether an input original image is a line image or a plane image and outputting separation information representing a type of image for each pixel; line image position information encoding means for encoding the separation information output from said image area separating means and outputting coded line image position information; line image generating means for extracting a line image from the input original image on the basis of the separation information output from said image area separating means; line image color information quantizing means for quantizing the line image output from said line image generating means and outputting quantized line image color information; line image color information encoding means for encoding the quantized line image color information output from said line image color information quantizing means, and outputting coded line image color information; plane image generating means for extracting a plane image from the input original image on the basis of the separation information output from said image area separating means; plane image quantizing means for quantizing the plane image output from said plane image generating means and outputting quantized plane image information; and plane image encoding means for encoding the quantized plane image information output from said plane image quantizing means and outputting coded plane image information.