Image processing method and apparatus for mosaic or similar processing therefor

A image processing apparatus comprising:

• converter means for converting information of a pixel of an original image into color information of plural colors;
• detection means for detecting the proportions of the color information of the plural colors;
• and
• control means for, in case the proportions of the color information detected by said detection means coincide with predetermined proportions, increasing the relative proportion of the color information of a particular color, among said plural colors, with respect to the color information of the other colors.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a dividing means for dividing an image into an object area and a background area;
• processing means for effecting a mosaic processing on the image;
• and
• control means for varying the mosaic processing of the background area from that of the object area.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing an original image into blocks each composed of plural pixels;
• detection means for detecting the directions of edges in the image from the original image;
• and
• processing means for assigning values representative of the original image to selected pixels in each block divided by said dividing means according to the edge directions detected by said detection means.

An image processing comprising:

• digitizing means for digitizing information of a pixel of an original image;
• and
• calculating means for effecting a calculation on the information digitized by said digitizing means,
• wherein said calculating means comprises adding means for adding any error between the digitized information and the information of the pixel of the original image to the information of said pixel of the original image, and
• wherein said calculating means is adapted to convert the information of the pixel of the original image into information of plural pixels by assigning the digitized information to a first one of the plural pixels, causing said digitizing means to digitize the information of the pixel of the original image to which the error has been added by said adding means and assigning the resulting digitized information to a next one of the plural pixels, then causing said adding means to add any error between the digitized information assigned to the next pixel and the information of the pixel of the original image to the information of the pixel of the original image, and repeating these steps until digitized information has been assigned to all of the plural pixels.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• detection means for detecting a portion of low luminosity in an original color image;
• processing means for converting the hue of color date of the original color image to determine complementary color data for said color data;
• and
• control means for assigning the complementary color data for the color data obtained by said processing means to the portion of low luminosity detected by said detection means.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• dividing an original image into blocks each composed of plural pixels;
• detecting the direction of an edge in the image from the original image;
• and
• arranging a representative value in a block produced in said dividing step in said block according tot he edge direction detected in said detecting step.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• dividing means for dividing an original image into blocks each composed of plural pixels;
• detection means for detecting a directionality of image from the original image;
• and
• processing means for placing multi-level data of a representative pixel of each block divided by said dividing means in said block according to the directionality detected by said detecting means.