Segmented layered image system

A document encoding system comprising:

• a mask separator that receives a document image and generates a mask from the document image, the mask generated so as to reduce an estimated compression of a foreground image and a background images, the estimated compression comprising an energy variance computation;
• a retouch component that identifies spurious boundaries and/or extends the foreground and/or background image by way of the mask;
• and
• an image segmenter that segments the document image into a plurality of layers according to the mask, the plurality of layers represented in non-binary format.

A document encoding system comprising:

• a colorspace converter that converts a document image having a first colorspace to a converted document image having a second colorspace;
• a mask separator that generate a mask from the converted document image, the mask represented in binary format and being generated at least in part via merging regions by pairs of the document image based at least in part upon minimization of pixel energy;
• and
• a foreground background segnienter that segments the convened document image into a foreground image and a background image according to the mask, the foreground image and the background image represented in a non-binary format, the mask generated so as to reduce an estimated compression of the foreground image and the background image, the estimated compression comprising an energy variance computation.

A document decoding system comprising:

• a separator component that separates a bitstream into a foreground bitstream, a background bitstream and a mask bitstream;
• a foreground decoder that decodes the foreground bitstream into a foreground image;
• a background decoder that decodes the background bitstream into a background image;
• a mask decoder that decodes the mask bitstream into a mask, the mask generated so as to reduce an estimated compression of the foreground image and the background image, the estimated compression comprising an energy variance computation;
• and
• a combiner component that generates a document image as a combination of the foreground image and the background image according to the mask.

A document system comprising:

• a colorspace converter that converts a colorspace of a document image;
• a mask separator that receives the document image from the colorspace converter and generates a mask for the document image at least in part via merging regions by pairs of the document image based at least in part upon minimization of pixel energy;
• a mask processor component that receives the mask from the mask separator and to process the mask;
• and
• a segmenter that segments the document image into a foreground image and a background image according to the mask, the mask generated so as to reduce an estimated compression of the foreground image and the background image, the estimated compression comprising an energy variance computation.

A method of decoding a document comprising:

• receiving a bitstream;
• separating the bitstream into a mask bitstream, a foreground bitstream and a background bitstream;
• decoding the foreground bitstream into a foreground image;
• decoding the background bitstream into a background image;
• decoding the mask bitstream into a mask, the mask generated such that an energy variance of the foreground image, the background image and the mask is reduced, the energy variance being an estimate of compression;
• and
• combining the foreground image and the background image according to the mask into a reconstructed document image.

A computer readable medium having computer usable components for a document encoding system, comprising:

• a colorspace converter component tat converts a colorspace of a document image;
• a mask separator component that receives the document image from the colorspace converter component and generates a mask for the document image at least in part via merging regions by pairs of the document image based at least in part upon minimization of pixel energy;
• and
• a segmenter component that receives the document image from the colorspace converter and segments the document image into a foreground image and a background image according to the mask, the mask generated such that an energy variance of the foreground image, the background image and the mask is reduced, the energy variance being an estimate of compression.

An encoding system comprising:

• means for generating a mask for a document image at least in part via merging regions by pairs of the document image based at least in part upon minimization of pixel energy;
• means for segmenting the document image into a foreground image and a background image;
• means for encoding the mask into a mask bitstream, the mask generated such that an energy variance of the foreground image, the background image and the mask is reduced, the energy variance being an estimate of compression;
• means for encoding the foreground image into a foreground bitstream;
• means for encoding the background image into a background bitstream;
• and
• means for combining the mask bitstream, the foreground bitstream and the background bitstream into a combined bitstream.