Image processing apparatus

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• vector forming means for converting an original image into a set of vector line segments having initial and terminal points corresponding to characteristic points comprising end points, contact points, intersections, and branching points;
• rectangle extracting means for extracting vectors defining a rectangle on the basis of a connecting relationship between vector line segments belonging to the set of vector line segments, wherein said rectangle extracting means comprises:
• vector retrieving means for retrieving a horizontal or vertical vector from the vector line segments;
• vector tracing means for tracing a vertical or horizontal vector connected to the horizontal or vertical vector retrieved by said vector retrieving means, thereby extracting the vectors defining the rectangle;
• and
• numerical operating means for performing an operation on numerical information within each rectangle extracted by said rectangle extracting means in accordance with the position of said each rectangle.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• line segment extracting means for extracting from an original image a plurality of line segments including characteristic points;
• line segments selecting means for selecting line segments connected to one of the plurality of extracted characteristic points;
• classifying means for classifying the line segments selected by said line segments selecting means in accordance with angles between the selected line segments;
• storage means for storing classification results of said classifying means with the respective extracted line segments;
• frame making means for making a frame in accordance with the stored classification result;
• and
• numerical operating means for performing an operation on numerical information within the frame made by said frame making means.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• line segment extracting means for extracting from an original image a plurality of line segments including characteristic points;
• line segments selecting means for selecting line segments connected to one of the plurality of extracted characteristic points;
• classifying means for classifying the line segments selected by said line segments selecting means in accordance with lengths of the selected line segments;
• storage means for storing classification results of said classifying means with the respective extracted line segments;
• frame making means for making a frame in accordance with the stored classification result;
• and
• numerical operating means for performing an operation on numerical information within the frame made by said frame making means.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• vector forming means for converting an original image into a plurality of vector line segments;
• vector storing means for storing characteristic points including an initial point and a terminal point of each vector line segment converted by said vector forming means;
• rectangle extracting means for extracting vectors defining a rectangle on the basis of a connecting relationship between vector line segments belonging to the stored vector line segments, wherein said rectangle extracting means comprises:
• vector retrieving means for retrieving a horizontal or vertical vector from the vector line segments;
• vector tracing means for tracing a vector having the same point data as the characteristic points of the retrieved vector, thereby extracting the vectors defining the rectangle;
• and
• numerical operation means for performing an operation on numerical information within each rectangle extracted by said rectangle extracting means in accordance with the position of said each rectangle.

A method for processing an image comprising the steps of:

• extracting from an original image a plurality of line segments including characteristic points;
• classifying the line segments extracted in said line segment extracting step in accordance with angles between the line segments connected to the characteristic points, wherein said classifying step classifies the line segments into parallel lines, other parallel lines, and tilted lines in accordance with the angles formed between the line segments connected to the characteristic points;
• making a frame in accordance with the classification results of said classifying step;
• and
• performing an operation on numerical information within the frame made in said frame making step.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• converting an original image into a set of vector line segments having initial and terminal points corresponding to characteristic points comprising end points, contact points, intersections, and branching points;
• extracting vectors defining a rectangle on the basis of a connecting relationship between vector line segments belonging to the set of vector line segments, wherein said rectangle extracting step comprises the steps of:
• retrieving a horizontal or vertical vector from the vector line segments;
• and
• tracing a vertical or horizontal vector connected to the horizontal or vertical vector retrieved in said vector retrieving step, thereby extracting the vectors defining the rectangle;
• and
• performing an operation on numerical information within each rectangle extracted in said rectangle extracting step in accordance with the position of each rectangle.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• extracting from an original image a plurality of line segments including characteristic points;
• selecting line segments connected to one of the plurality of extracted characteristic points;
• classifying the line segments selected in said line segments selecting step in accordance with angles between the selected line segments;
• storing classification results of said classifying step with the respective extracted line segments;
• making a frame in accordance with the stored classification result;
• and
• performing an operation on numerical information within the frame made in said frame making step.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• extracting from an original image a plurality of line segments including characteristic points;
• selecting line segments connected to one of the plurality of extracted characteristic points;
• classifying the line segments selected in said line segments selecting step in accordance with lengths of the selected line segments;
• storing classification results of said classifying step with the respective extracted line segments;
• making a frame in accordance with the stored classification result;
• and
• performing an operation on numerical information within the frame made in said frame making step.

An image processing method comprising the steps of:

• converting an original image into a plurality of vector line segments;
• storing characteristic points including an initial point and a terminal point of each vector line segment converted in said vector forming step;
• extracting vectors defining a rectangle on the basis of a connecting relationship between vector line segments belonging to the stored vector line segments, wherein said rectangle extracting step comprises the steps of:
• retrieving a horizontal or vertical vector from the vector line segments;
• tracing a vector having the same point data as the characteristic points of the retrieved vector, thereby extracting the vectors defining the rectangle;
• and
• performing an operation on numerical information within each rectangle extracted in said rectangle extracting step in accordance with the position of each rectangle.