Image processing apparatus and method for recognizing specific pattern and recording medium having image processing program recorded thereon

An image processing method for retrieving a pattern from an image, the pattern comprising a plurality of elements having a specific positional relationship with each other, the method comprising:

• detecting a plurality of the elements from the image;
• specifying two of the detected elements as candidate elements of the pattern based on an amount of distance between the two detected elements;
• calculating positions of residual elements of the pattern other than elements of the pattern that correspond to the two specified elements based on coordinates of the two specified elements;
• verifying that residual detected elements other than the specified elements are in the calculated positions;
• and
• retrieving the pattern based on the two specified elements and the detected residual elements.

A computer readable recording medium in which a program for controlling the computer to retrieve a pattern from an image is recorded, the pattern comprising a plurality of elements having a specific positional relationship with each other, the program being capable of executing the following functions:

• a reference element detecting function for detecting a plurality of elements from the image, and for specifying two of the detected elements as candidate elements of the pattern;
• an element position calculating function for calculating positions of residual elements of the pattern other than elements of the pattern that correspond to the two specified detected elements based on coordinates of the two detected elements;
• a residual element verifying function for verifying residual detected elements, which are the detected elements not specified by the reference element detecting unit, in the positions calculated by the element position calculating function;
• and
• a pattern retrieving function for retrieving the pattern based on the two specified elements detected by the reference element detecting function and the residual elements detected by the residual element detecting function.

An image processing apparatus for retrieving a specific pattern from an image, the apparatus comprising:

• a unit for setting a size of a search region of which a size in a vertical scanning direction is greater than a size of the specific pattern in the direction by a first amount or more, and a size in a horizontal scanning direction is greater than the size of the specific pattern in the direction by a second amount or more;
• a unit for determining a position of the search region by moving the search region by the first amount in the vertical scanning direction during vertical scanning and moving the search region by the second amount in the horizontal scanning direction during the horizontal scanning;
• and
• a unit for retrieving the specific pattern in the search region of which position is determined.

An image processing method for retrieving a specific pattern from an image, comprising:

• setting a size of a search region of which a size in a vertical scanning direction is greater than a size of the specific pattern in the direction by a first amount or more, and a size in a horizontal scanning direction is greater than the size of the specific pattern in the direction by a second amount or more;
• determining a position of the search region by moving the search region by the first amount in the vertical scanning direction during vertical scanning and moving the search region by the second amount in the horizontal scanning direction during the horizontal scanning;
• and
• retrieving the specific pattern in the search region of which position is determined.

A computer readable recording medium in which a program for controlling the computer to retrieve a specific pattern from an image is recorded, the program being capable of executing the following functions:

• a function for setting a size of a search region of which a size in a vertical scanning direction is greater than a size of the specific pattern in the direction by a first amount or more, and a size in a horizontal scanning direction is greater than the size of the specific pattern in the direction by a second amount or more;
• a function for determining a position of the search region by moving the search region by the first amount in the vertical scanning direction during vertical scanning and moving the search region by the second amount in the horizontal scanning direction during the horizontal scanning;
• and
• a function for retrieving the specific pattern in the search region of which position is determined.

An image processing apparatus for retrieving a pattern image from an object image, the pattern image comprising a plurality of elements having a specific positional relationship with each other, the apparatus comprising:

• a reference pattern holding unit for holding, as a reference pattern, information about positions of the elements comprised by the pattern image;
• a detecting unit for detecting all the elements existing in the object image;
• a position information holding unit for holding information about the positions of the elements in the object image, which are detected by the detecting unit;
• and
• a pattern specifying unit for collating the position information of the elements comprised by the pattern image held in the reference pattern holding unit with the position information of the elements in the object image held in the position information holding unit, and thereby determining whether the pattern image exists in the object image.

An image processing method for retrieving a pattern image from an object image, the pattern image comprising a plurality of elements having a specific positional relationship with each other, the method comprising:

• holding, as a reference pattern, information about positions of the elements comprised by the pattern image;
• detecting all of the elements existing in the object image;
• holding information about the positions of the elements detected in the object image;
• collating the held position information of the elements comprised by the pattern image with the held position information of the elements in the object image;
• and
• determining whether the pattern image exists in the object image.

A computer readable recording medium in which a program for controlling the computer to retrieve a pattern image from an object image is recorded, the pattern image including a plurality of elements having a specific positional relationship with each other, the program being capable of executing the following functions:

• a reference pattern holding function for holding, as a reference pattern, information about positions of the elements comprised by the pattern image;
• a detecting function for detecting all of the elements existing in the object image;
• a position information holding function for holding information about the positions of the elements in the object image, which are detected by the detecting function;
• and
• a pattern specifying function for collating the position information of the elements comprised by the pattern image held by the reference pattern holding function with the position information of the elements in the object image held by the position information holding function, and determining whether the pattern image exists in the object image.