Image Processing Method, and Program

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• determining whether a binary image including a background pixel having a pixel value representing a background and an outline pixel having a pixel value representing an outline includes any row or column including only the background pixels, and selecting, from pixels representing the binary image, a processing target region from which the row and the column including only the background pixels have been removed;
• performing run-length encoding processing on data representing the processing target region, and outputting a pixel value of each pixel constituting the data representing the processing target region and a frequency of the pixel having the pixel value;
• extracting pixel frequency information representing frequencies of the background pixel and the outline pixel constituting the target region from among output values of the processing target region;
• dividing the extracted pixel frequency information into frequency information about the background pixel and frequency information about the outline pixel;
• and
• performing the run-length encoding processing on the frequency information about the outline pixel.

A program for causing a computer to execute:

• a procedure for determining whether a binary image including a background pixel having a pixel value representing a background and an outline pixel having a pixel value representing an outline includes any row or column including only the background pixels, and selecting, from pixels representing the binary image, a processing target region from which the row and the column including only the background pixels have been removed;
• a procedure for performing run-length encoding processing on data representing the processing target region, and outputting a pixel value of each pixel constituting the data representing the processing target region and a frequency of the pixel having the pixel value;
• a procedure for extracting pixel frequency information representing frequencies of the background pixel and the outline pixel constituting the target region from among output values of the processing target region;
• a procedure for dividing the extracted pixel frequency information into frequency information about the background pixel and frequency information about the outline pixel;
• and
• a procedure for performing the run-length encoding processing on the frequency information about the outline pixel.