Image processing method, recording medium, and image processing apparatus

A recording medium storing an image processing program for causing a computer to perform processing for eliminating noise from electronic data pertaining to an image entered by way of input unit, by smoothing the electronic data, the computer being caused by the image processing program to perform:

• an intensity computation step for computing smoothing intensity to be used for smoothing the electronic data, from the intensity of a predetermined color component output from a pixel of interest from among a plurality of pixels constituting an image input by way of the input unit and from the intensity of predetermined color components output from surrounding pixels constituting a matrix centered on the pixel of interest;
• and
• a smoothing step for smoothing the electronic data through use of the computed smoothing intensity and outputting the smoothed electronic data;
• wherein the smoothing intensity is set on the basis of a relationship between the intensity of a predetermined color component and the frequency of noise, and
• wherein when the intensity of a predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is high, a rate at which the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is to be distributed to surrounding pixels constituting the matrix is set to a large value, and when the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is low, the rate at which the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is to be distributed to surrounding pixels constituting the matrix is set to a small value.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image input unit into which image information is input and which can output the image information as electronic data;
• and
• an intensity computation unit for computing smoothing intensity to be used for smoothing the electronic data, from the intensity of a predetermined color component included in the electronic data output from the image input unit,
• wherein the smoothing intensity is set on the basis of a relationship between the intensity of a predetermined color component and the frequency of noise, and
• wherein when the intensity of a predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is high, a rate at which the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is to be distributed to surrounding pixels constituting the matrix is set to a large value, and when the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is low, the rate at which the intensity of the predetermined color component output from the pixel of interest is to be distributed to surrounding pixels constituting the matrix is set to a small value.