Patent ID: 7446914

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an image input section that receives image data; an image region discrimination section that executes image region discrimination using the image data that is input from the image input section; an image separation section that provides the image data of each of regions with attribute information of the associated region on the basis of the image data, which is input from the image input section, and an image region discrimination result from the image region discrimination section; an image processing section that executes an image process for the image data of each region, which is provided with the attribute information that is output from the image separation section; and a region integration section that integrates a plurality of regions on the basis of the image data of each region, which is subjected to the image process in the image processing section, and the provided attribute information, wherein the region integration section includes a region integration method determination section that determines which regions are to be integrated, on the basis of the image data of each region, which is processed by the image processing section, and the provided attributed information, and integrates a plurality of regions on the basis of a determination result of the region integration method determination section, wherein the region integration method determination section includes a region character string information analysis section that analyzes at least a meaning of a character string in the region.