# US 2016/0026906 A1 · Image processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing an image processing program

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- Number: US 2016/0026906 A1
- Document ID: US20160026906A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/803,322
- Filed: 2015-07-20
- Published: 2016-01-28
- Earliest claimed: 2014-07-25
- Assignees: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Applicants: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Harada; Sota Nanbu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20160026906A1

## CPC

- H04N 1/40: Picture signal circuits (H04N1/387 takes precedence)
- G06K 15/1881: {Halftoning (halftoning of still images in general H04N1/405, H04N1/52)}
- H04N 1/40062: {Discrimination between different image types, e.g. two-tone, continuous tone}
- H04N 1/40081: {Soft dot halftoning, i.e. producing halftone dots with gradual edges}
- H04N 1/4105: {for halftone screened pictures}
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an area extracting unit, a specific halftone dot area detecting unit, and an encoding unit. The area extracting unit extracts a halftone dot area from an image. The specific halftone dot area detecting unit detects a specific halftone dot area, the specific halftone dot area being the extracted halftone dot area that includes a character and of which a variation range in a distribution of luminance and hue is less than a predetermined range. The encoding unit encodes the specific halftone dot area in an encoding manner different from an encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area, the encoding manner for the specific halftone dot area providing higher image quality after encoding than image quality provided by the encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing apparatus, comprising:
an area extracting unit configured to extract a halftone dot area from an image;
a specific halftone dot area detecting unit configured to detect a specific halftone dot area, the specific halftone dot area being the extracted halftone dot area that includes a character and of which a variation range in a distribution of luminance and hue is less than a predetermined range; and
an encoding unit configured to encode the specific halftone dot area in an encoding manner different from an encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area, the encoding manner for the specific halftone dot area providing higher image quality after encoding than image quality provided by the encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoding unit is further configured to encode the specific halftone dot area at a higher resolution than a resolution of the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encoding unit is further configured to encode the specific halftone dot area in an encoding method different from an encoding method for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the specific halftone dot area detecting unit is further configured to separate the character from the specific halftone dot area if a character size of the character in the specific halftone dot area is less than a predetermined threshold value; and
the encoding unit is further configured to encode the specific halftone dot area in which the character has been removed and the separated character independently in respective encoding methods different from each other.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:
the area extracting unit is further configured to extract a table area in the image;
the specific halftone dot area detecting unit is further configured to detect the specific halftone dot area in the halftone dot area overlapping with the table area; and
the encoding unit is further configured to encode the table area including the specific halftone dot area in an encoding manner, the encoding manner for the table area including the specific halftone dot area providing higher image quality after encoding than image quality provided by the encoding manner for the table area not including the specific halftone dot area.

### Claim 6

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing an image processing program, the image processing program causing a computer to act as:
an area extracting unit configured to extract a halftone dot area from an image;
a specific halftone dot area detecting unit configured to detect a specific halftone dot area, the specific halftone dot area being the extracted halftone dot area that includes a character and of which a variation range in a distribution of luminance and hue is less than a predetermined range; and
an encoding unit configured to encode the specific halftone dot area in an encoding manner different from an encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area, the encoding manner for the specific halftone dot area providing higher image quality after encoding than image quality provided by the encoding manner for the halftone dot area other than the specific halftone dot area.