Image processing method and image processing apparatus for recognizing target object

An image processing apparatus for recognizing a target object, the image processing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to execute the program instructions to execute:

• acquiring an original image comprising a target object;
• performing binarization processing on the original image, to obtain a binarized image;
• performing, by a multi-core processor, one-dimensional scanning in a parallel manner on each pixel row of the binarized image, to extract one-dimensional connected regions of each pixel row of the binarized image, wherein each one-dimensional connected region has a head indicating a start position of the one-dimensional connected region, a tail indicating an end position of the one-dimensional connected region, and an intermediate region located between the head and the tail;
• combining adjacent pixel rows subjected to the one-dimensional scanning to generate a first maximum connected region including a plurality of one-dimensional connected regions, wherein the one-dimensional connected regions of the combined adjacent pixel rows are in communication with each other;
• and
• with regard to respective pixel rows of the first maximum connected region, aligning the heads of initial one-dimensional connected regions of the respective pixel rows, and aligning the tails of final one-dimensional connected regions of the respective pixel rows, so as to generate a second maximum connected region, wherein the initial one-dimensional connected regions are located at a one-dimensional scanning start-side, and the final one-dimensional connected regions are located at a one-dimensional scanning end-side;
• performing two-dimensional scanning on the aligned heads and the aligned tails of the second maximum connected region, to recognize the target object.