Image processing apparatus, image processing method and recording medium

An image processing method of extracting foreground pixels of a foreground image from input image data, comprising steps of:

• dividing an image area related to the input image data into a plurality of image areas;
• classifying the plurality of image areas into uniform density areas and variable density areas that are areas other than uniform density areas, in each of the uniform density areas the difference between pixel values of pixels included therein being less than a predetermined value;
• extracting a plurality of adjacent variable density areas of the classified variable density areas as continuous variable density areas;
• calculating color information of the variable density areas;
• and
• extracting foreground pixels for each of the extracted continuous variable density areas according to the calculated color information.

A recording medium, on which a computer program for extracting foreground pixels of a foreground image from input image data is recorded in the form of readable format with computer, the computer program comprising steps of causing a computer:

• to divide an image area related to the input image data into a plurality of image areas;
• to classify the plurality of image areas into uniform density areas and variable density areas that are areas other than the uniform density areas, in each of the uniform density areas the difference between pixel values of pixels included therein being less than a predetermined value;
• to extract a plurality of adjacent variable density areas of the classified variable density areas as continuous variable density areas;
• to calculate color information of the variable density areas;
• and
• to extract foreground pixels for each of the extracted continuous variable density areas according to the calculated color information.