Patent ID: 8139082

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit to input first vector image data; a determination unit to determine whether or not the first vector image data includes both (i) a raster image data expression part and (ii) a third vector image data part, wherein the third vector image data part is not raster image data; an extracting unit to extract, when said determination unit determines that the first vector image data includes both the raster image data expression part and the third vector image data part, the raster image data expression part from the first vector image data; a segmenting unit to segment the raster image data expression part extracted by the extracting unit into regions of respective attributes, wherein said segmenting unit does not segment the third vector image data part; a conversion unit to convert the segmented regions having a predetermined attribute into second vector image data, wherein the conversion unit does not convert the segmented regions not having the predetermined attribute; and a storing unit to store the second vector image data instead of the segmented region of the raster image data expression part having the predetermined attribute into a memory when said determination unit determines that the first vector image data includes both the raster image data expression part and the third vector image data part, and to store the first vector image data into the memory when said determination unit determines that the first vector image data does not include the raster image data expression part.