Patent Document ID: 20080049264
Application ID: 11892392
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. An image processing method for extracting a plurality of feature vectors of each of images obtained by successively reading a plurality of documents, and performing processing to classify the plurality of documents based on the extracted feature vectors, the method comprising: a first storage step of storing the feature vectors of the image of the document being read first and an identifier assigned for classifying the document; a determination step of determining whether or not the feature vectors of the images of the documents successively read subsequently to the document being read first match with the feature vectors of the image of the document classified by the stored identifier; a voting step of voting, when it is determined that the feature vectors match, the image from which the matching feature vectors are extracted; a decision step of deciding whether the stored identifier is assigned or a new identifier is assigned to the documents being successively read, based on the number of votes obtained by the voting; a second storing step of storing, when the new identifier is assigned, the feature vectors of the image of the document classified by the identifier, and the identifier; and a step of classifying the documents based on the assigned identifier.