Image processing method, image processing apparatus, and storage medium

An image extracting method comprising:

• a core setting step of setting a core by designating at least one of a predetermined point, line segment and area in an image;
• a standard point setting step of setting a representative point on the core as a standard point;
• a similarity calculating step of obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point, said similarity calculating step comprising the steps of
• determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• determining a first distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• determining a second distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in the neighborhood of the standard point;
• an extraction area renewing step of combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area;
• and
• a borderline display step of displaying the borderline of the extraction area after renewal.

An image extracting method comprising:

• an initial outline setting step of setting an initial outline present inside or outside an object to be extracted;
• a standard point setting step of setting a representative point of a plurality of predetermined representative points on the initial outline as a standard point;
• a similarity calculating step of obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point,
• wherein said similarity calculating step comprises the steps of
• determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• determining a first distance between the attention point and the standard point based in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• determining a second distance between the attention point and the standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in a neighborhood of the standard point;
• an extraction area renewing step of combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area a predetermined number of times;
• and
• a threshold value setting step of determining the threshold value based on an edge ratio on an inner borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present outside the object, or determining the threshold value based on the edge ratio on an outer borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present inside the object.

An image extraction apparatus comprising:

• core setting means for setting a core by designating at least one of a predetermined point, line segment and area in an image;
• calculating means for calculating an evaluation function including a texture characteristic amount in a local area, the local area including at least one standard point corresponding to the core;
• and
• determining means for determining a borderline of a predetermined area in the image by renewing a shape of the core based on a value of the evaluation function,
• wherein said calculating means comprises
• means for determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• means for determining a first distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• means for determining a second distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• means for weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in a neighborhood of the at least one standard point, and
• wherein said determining means for determining a borderline comprises
• means for obtaining a similarity between a neighborhood area of the at least one standard point and a neighborhood area of the attention point, based on a function value obtained by calculating the evaluation function;
• and
• means for (a) renewing the shape of the core by combining (i) the attention point or a neighborhood area of the attention point and (ii) a predetermined extraction area that includes the at least one standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, and for (b) renewing the shape of the core by removing the attention point and the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and the attention point is included in the extraction area.

An image extraction apparatus comprising:

• core setting means for setting a core by designating at least one of a predetermined point, line segment and area in an image;
• standard point setting means for setting a representative point on the core as a standard point;
• similarity calculating means for obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point, said similarity calculating means comprising
• means for determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• means for determining a first distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• means for determining a second distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• means for weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in the neighborhood of the standard point;
• extraction area renewing means for combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area;
• and
• borderline display means or displaying the borderline of the extraction area after renewal.

An image extraction apparatus comprising;

• initial outline setting means for setting an initial outline present inside or outside an object to be extracted;
• standard point setting means for setting a representative point of a plurality of predetermined representative points on the initial outline as a standard point;
• similarity calculating means for obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point,
• wherein said similarity calculating means comprises
• means for determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• means for determining a first distance between the attention point and the standard point based in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• means for determining a second distance between the attention point and the standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• means for weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in a neighborhood of the standard point;
• extraction area renewing means for combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area a predetermined number of times;
• and
• threshold value setting means for determining the threshold value based on an edge ratio on an inner borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present outside the object, or determining the threshold value based on the edge ratio on an outer borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present inside the object.

A storage medium for storing a program, said program comprising the steps of:

• setting a core by designating at least one of a predetermined point, line segment and area in an image;
• calculating an evaluation function including a texture characteristic amount in a local area, the local area including at least one standard point corresponding to the core, and
• renewing a shape of the core based on a value of the evaluation function to determine a borderline of a predetermined area in the image,
• wherein said step of calculating an evaluation function comprises
• determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• determining a first distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• determining a second distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in a neighborhood of the at least one standard point, and
• wherein said step of renewing a shape of the core comprises
• obtaining a similarity between a neighborhood area of the at least one standard point and a neighborhood area of the attention point, based on a function value obtained by calculating the evaluation function,
• renewing the shape of the core by combining (i) the attention point or a neighborhood area of the attention point and (ii) a predetermined extraction area that includes the at least one standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• renewing the shape of the core by removing the attention point and the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and the attention point is included in the extraction area.

A storage medium for storing a program, said program comprising the steps of:

• setting a core by designating at least one of a predetermined point, line segment and area in an image;
• setting a representative point on the core as a standard point;
• obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point, said similarity calculating step comprising the steps of
• determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• determining a first distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• determining a second distance between the attention point and the at least one standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in the neighborhood of the standard point;
• combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area;
• and
• displaying the borderline of the extraction area after renewal.

A storage medium for storing a program, said program comprising the steps of:

• setting an initial outline present inside or outside an object to be extracted;
• setting a representative point of a plurality of predetermined representative points on the initial outline as a standard point;
• obtaining a similarity of a neighborhood area of the standard point and a neighborhood area of an attention point,
• wherein said step of obtaining a similarity comprises the steps of
• determining an attention point using a predetermined method;
• determining a first distance between the attention point and the standard point based in a characteristic space based on a color component characteristic amount;
• determining a second distance between the attention point and the standard point in a characteristic space based on a texture characteristic amount;
• and
• weighting and adding the first distance and the second distance, wherein weighting factors are determined based on a dispersion value concerning a shading value in a neighborhood of the standard point;
• combining the attention point or a neighborhood area with a predetermined extraction area including the standard point, when the similarity is larger than a predetermined threshold value, or removing the attention point or the neighborhood area from the extraction area when the similarity is equal to or less than the threshold value and when the attention point is included in the extraction area, to renew a borderline of the extraction area a predetermined number of times;
• and
• determining the threshold value based on an edge ratio on an inner borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present outside the object, or determining the threshold value based on the edge ratio on an outer borderline of the renewed extraction area when the entire initial outline is present inside the object.