Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a region segmentation unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of regions, wherein the input image is not outline data;
• a selection unit configured to determine whether each of the regions is suitable for thinning processing and configured to select outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• an outlining unit configured to generate outline data for each of the regions using the outlining processing selected by the selection unit;
• and
• an outputting unit configured to output outline data generated by the outlining unit,
• wherein the outlining processing selected by the selection unit includes first outlining processing of generating outline data based on a contour of an object included in each of the regions and second outlining processing of generating outline data based on the object which is included in each of the regions and which has been subjected to the thinning processing, and
• wherein the selection unit selects the first outlining processing when it is determined that a region to be processed has a character attribute.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a region segmentation unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of regions;
• a selection unit configured to determine whether each of the regions is suitable for thinning processing and configured to select outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• an outlining unit configured to generate outline data for each of the regions using the outlining processing selected by the selection unit;
• and
• an outputting unit configured to output outline data generated by the outlining unit,
• wherein the outlining unit outputs a binary image when the size of a character image included in a region having a character attribute is equal to or lower than a first threshold value, and performs outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the first threshold value, and
• the outlining unit further performs function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and performs function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a region segmentation unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of regions;
• an outlining unit configured to generate outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• a function approximation unit configured to perform function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and perform function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• an output unit configured to output outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

An image processing method comprising:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions, wherein the input image is not outline data;
• determining whether each of the divided regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• and
• outputting generated outline data
• wherein the outlining processing to be selected in the selecting step includes first outlining processing of generating outline data based on a contour of an object included in each of the regions and second outlining processing of generating outline data based on the object which is included in each of the regions and which has been subjected to the thinning processing, and
• wherein it is determined in the selecting step whether regions having a drawing attribute among the regions are suitable for thinning processing for individual regions and when the determination is affirmative, the second outlining processing is selected and when the determination is negative, the first outlining processing is selected.

An image processing method comprising:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• generating outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• performing function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and performing function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• outputting outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program executed by a computer, the computer program comprising steps of:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions, wherein the input image is not outline data;
• determining whether each of the divided regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• and
• outputting generated outline data,
• wherein the outlining processing to be selected in the selecting step includes first outlining processing of generating outline data based on a contour of an object included in each of the regions and second outlining processing of generating outline data based on the object which is included in each of the regions and which has been subjected to the thinning processing, and
• wherein it is determined in the selecting step whether regions having a drawing attribute among the regions are suitable for thinning processing for individual regions and when the determination is affirmative, the second outlining processing is selected and when the determination is negative, the first outlining processing is selected.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program executed by a computer, the computer program comprising steps of:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions, wherein the input image is not outline data;
• determining whether each of the divided regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• and
• outputting generated outline data,
• wherein the selected outlining processing includes first outlining processing of generating outline data based on a contour of an object included in each of the regions and second outlining processing of generating outline data based on the object which is included in each of the regions and which has been subjected to the thinning processing, and
• wherein the first outlining processing is selected when it is determined that a region to be processed has a character attribute.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program executed by a computer, the computer program comprising steps of:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• generating outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• performing function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and performing function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• outputting outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a region segmentation unit configured to divide an input image into a plurality of regions;
• an outlining unit configured to generate outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• a function approximation unit configured to perform function-approximation processing using straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and perform function-approximation processing using curve approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

An image processing method comprising:

• a segmentation step of dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• an outlining step of generating outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• a function-approximation step of performing function-approximation processing using straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and performing function-approximation processing using curve approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program executed by a computer, the computer program comprising:

• a segmentation step of dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• an outlining step of generating outline data for a character image included in a region having a character attribute among the divided regions using outlining processing;
• a function-approximation step of performing function-approximation processing using straight-line approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, and performing function-approximation processing using curve approximation on the generated outline data when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the outline data to which the function-approximation processing has been performed.

An image processing method comprising steps of:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions, wherein the input image is not outline data;
• determining whether each of the divided regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• and
• outputting generated outline data,
• wherein the selected outlining processing includes first outlining processing of generating outline data based on a contour of an object included in each of the regions and second outlining processing of generating outline data based on the object which is included in each of the regions and which has been subjected to the thinning processing, and
• wherein the first outlining processing is selected when it is determined that a region to be processed has a character attribute.

An image processing method comprising:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• determining whether each of the regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• outputting outline data generated by the outlining unit;
• outputting a binary image when the size of a character image included in a region having a character attribute is equal to or lower than a first threshold value;
• performing outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the first threshold value;
• performing function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold;
• and
• performing function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program executed by a computer, the computer program comprising:

• dividing an input image into a plurality of regions;
• determining whether each of the regions is suitable for thinning processing;
• selecting outlining processing to be executed based on a result of the determination;
• generating outline data for each of the regions using the selected outlining processing;
• outputting outline data generated by the outlining unit;
• outputting a binary image when the size of a character image included in a region having a character attribute is equal to or lower than a first threshold value;
• performing outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the first threshold value;
• performing function-approximation processing using only straight-line approximation on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is equal to or smaller than a second threshold;
• and
• performing function-approximation processing using Bezier approximation processing on the character image which has been subjected to the outlining processing when the size of the character image is larger than the second threshold value.