Patent ID: 8837821

Claim:
An image processing apparatus that extracts an unnecessary region from an intraluminal image, the apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, implement: a first judging unit that determines an unnecessary candidate region, on a basis of first feature data which is color feature data, based on color information of the intraluminal image; and a second judging unit that judges whether the unnecessary candidate region is the unnecessary region, based on second feature data, which is different from the color feature data, of the unnecessary candidate region, wherein the second judging unit includes: (a) a gradient feature data calculating unit that calculates gradient feature data of a surrounding region of the unnecessary candidate region, as the second feature data; and a gradient feature judging unit that judges whether the unnecessary candidate region is the unnecessary region, based on the gradient feature data; or (b) a saturation judging unit that judges whether the unnecessary candidate region is a saturated region or an unsaturated region, based on a level of a pixel value of a pixel in the unnecessary candidate region; and a saturated region judging unit that, with respect to the unnecessary candidate region judged to be the saturated region by the saturation judging unit, judges whether the unnecessary candidate region is the unnecessary region based on the second feature data.