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US 2006/0222240 A1Published application
Image processing apparatus, image forming apparatus and color image determination method thereof
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsYoshihiko Hirota, Katsuhisa Toyama, Shoji Imaizumi, Hideyuki Hashimoto, Kazuhiro Ishiguro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The inventive image processing apparatus takes steps of 1) dividing an image to be processed into numerals of blocks; 2) determining whether a block is a color block or not; 3) determining whether the image is a color image or not based on the rate of color blocks to the entire blocks. Thereby, valid color pixel rate can be obtained at blocks belonging to a color region even though an image is almost monochrome but partially colored. Accordingly, the inventive image processing apparatus can appropriately determine whether the image is a color image or not.
Claims32
1-2. (canceled)
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block;
- and
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means;
- and
- third determination means for determining whether or not said each block is a color block respectively based on the number of color pixels for each block wherein the second determination means determines whether or not the image is a color image based on the determination result by the third determination means
- wherein the third determination means determines a block as a color block in case color pixel ratio which is ratio of the number of color pixels to that of entire pixels in the block exceeds a first threshold.
4 more elements
(canceled)
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks;
- counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block;
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means;
- and
- third determination means for determining whether or not said each block is a color block, respectively, based on the number of color pixels for each block, wherein the second determination means determines whether or not the image is a color image based on the determination result by the third determination means,
- wherein the second determination means determines an image as a color image irrespectively of the determination results for the other blocks by the third determination means in case the third determination means determines a block on a certain portion as a color block.
4 more elements
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks;
- counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block;
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means;
- and
- third determination means for determining whether or not said each block is a color block, respectively, based on the number of color pixels for each block, wherein the second determination means determines whether or not the image is a color image based on the determination result by the third determination means,
- wherein the second determination means determines an image as a color image in case a color block ratio which is the ratio of the number of color blocks to all of the blocks included in the image exceeds sixth threshold.
4 more elements
22-23. (canceled)
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks;
- counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block,
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means;
- and
- group processing means for summing up the number of color pixels for a block group consisting of a plurality of blocks adjacent to one another, wherein the second determination means determines whether or not an image is a color image based on the group processing result.
3 more elements
29-30. (canceled)
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block;
- and
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means,
- wherein the second determination means excludes a block on a certain portion from the determination, and
- wherein the certain portion includes image folding portions on an original in the form of a book.
3 more elements
An image processing apparatus including:
- first determination means for determining whether or not a pixel included in an image is a color pixel;
- means for dividing the image into a plurality of blocks;
- counting means for counting the number of color pixels for each block;
- second determination means for determining whether or not the image is a color image based on the counting result by the counting means;
- and
- further including means for correcting the counting result of the number of color pixels for a specified block on a certain portion.
3 more elements
35-57. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.