Image processing using meshes and gradient information

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a unit which extracts an area of an object from an image as an object area;
• a specification unit which specifies a pixel within the object area in the vicinity of a boundary pixel, positioned on a frame of the object area, as a correction pixel for each boundary pixel;
• an update unit which updates the object area by assigning a value of the correction pixel to a value of the boundary pixel;
• and
• a division unit which divides the object area updated by the update unit into a plurality of meshes and obtains position information, gradient information, and color information of respective vertices which form the meshes,
• wherein the specification unit specifies, as the correction pixel, a pixel at a position where an amount of change in color in a direction toward a specific position within the object area from a position of the boundary pixel is not more than a threshold value.

An image processing method for an image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a step of extracting an area of an object from an image as an object area by a processing unit included in the image processing apparatus;
• a division step of, by the processing unit, dividing the object area into a plurality of meshes and obtaining position information, gradient information, and color information of respective vertices which form the meshes;
• a specification step of, by the processing unit, specifying, of a pixel group positioned on one side, in a direction toward an interior of the object area, of a mesh to which a boundary vertex positioned on a frame of the object area belongs, a pixel at a position where an amount of change in color in the direction is not more than a threshold value as a correction pixel for each boundary vertex;
• a step of, by the processing unit, obtaining a curve which connects adjacent correction pixels to each other for each set of adjacent correction pixels, and obtaining an area surrounded by the obtained curves as a non-correction area;
• and
• an update step of, by the processing unit, updating the object area by assigning values of respective pixels on a frame of the non-correction area to values of corresponding pixels positioned on the frame of the object area.

An image processing method for an image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a step of extracting an area of an object from an image as an object area;
• a specification step of specifying a pixel within the object area in the vicinity of a boundary pixel, positioned on a frame of the object area, as a correction pixel for each boundary pixel;
• an update step of updating the object area by assigning a value of the correction pixel to a value of the boundary pixel;
• and
• a division step of dividing the object area updated in the update step into a plurality of meshes and obtaining position information, gradient information, and color information of respective vertices which form the meshes,
• wherein the specification step specifies, as the correction pixel, a pixel at a position where an amount of change in color in a direction toward a specific position within the object area from a position of the boundary pixel is not more than a threshold value.