Patent Document ID: 9275279
Application ID: 14461511
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a processor that acquires image data, extracts a set of candidate character components from the image data for each gradation of the image data on the basis of a predetermined first criterion, removes a non-character component from the set of the candidate character components on the basis of a predetermined second criterion; counts the number of character pixels representing the number of pixels included in the candidate character component after the non-character component is removed; counts the number of edge pixels representing the number of edge pixels adjacent to the candidate character component after the non-character component is removed; selects as an output image the candidate character component, from which the non-character component is removed, in the gradation having a largest number of pixels when there is a significant difference between the number of character pixels in the gradation having the largest number of character pixels and the number of character pixels in the gradation having the second largest number of character pixels, selects as the output image the candidate character component, from which the non-character component is removed, in the gradation having a smallest number of edge pixels when there is no significant difference between the number of character pixels in the gradation having the largest number of character pixels and the number of character pixels in the gradation having the second largest number of character pixels, and outputs the output image being selected.