# US 8,787,676 B2 · Image processing apparatus, computer readable medium storing program, and image processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,787,676 B2 - Document ID: US8787676B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/029,635 - Filed: 2011-02-17 - Published: 2012-02-09 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-08-03 - Assignees: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Eiichi Tanaka - Inventors: Eiichi Tanaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8787676B2 ## CPC - G06V 30/15: {Cutting or merging image elements, e.g. region growing, watershed or clustering-based techniques} - G06V 30/10: Character recognition - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An image processing apparatus includes a receiving unit, a path calculation unit, and a separation unit. The receiving unit receives an image including at least a character image. The path calculation unit calculates a separation path in the image received by the receiving unit. The separation path is a line segment that separates a character image from the image. The separation unit separates the image received by the receiving unit into plural character images using a separation path calculated by the path calculation unit. The path calculation unit calculates a separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives an image including at least a character image; a path calculation unit that calculates a separation path in the image received by the receiving unit, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image and is defined by a convergence of paths about an outer boundary of the character image; and a separation unit that separates the image received by the receiving unit into a plurality of character images using the separation path calculated by the path calculation unit, wherein the path calculation unit calculates the separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a feature value calculation unit; and a selection unit, wherein the path calculation unit calculates separation paths in a plurality of directions, wherein the feature value calculation unit calculates feature values of the separation paths in the plurality of directions calculated by the path calculation unit, wherein the selection unit determines a direction in which the image received by the receiving unit is to be separated and a state of a character image in the image in accordance with the feature values calculated by the feature value calculation unit, and selects a separation path among the separation paths in the plurality of directions in accordance with determination results, and wherein the separation unit separates the image received by the receiving unit into a plurality of sub-images using the separation path selected by the selection unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path calculation unit calculates a separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of products of the luminance values of pixels along the separation path and weight coefficients based on a movement of the separation path satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path calculation unit determines whether a width of a gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a third predetermined condition, and, based on a determination corresponding to the third predetermined condition, the path calculation unit combines the adjacent separation paths into one separation path, or wherein the path calculation unit determines whether a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels in the gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a fourth predetermined condition, and, based on a determination corresponding to the fourth predetermined condition, the path calculation unit combines the adjacent separation paths into one separation path. ### Claim 5 A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer to execute a process for image processing, the process comprising: receiving an image including at least a character image; calculating a separation path in the received image, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image and is defined by a convergence of paths about an outer boundary of the character image; and separating the received image into a plurality of character images using the calculated separation path, wherein in the calculating, a separation path is calculated within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition. ### Claim 6 An image processing method comprising: receiving an image including at least a character image; calculating a separation path in the received image, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image and is defined by a convergence of paths about an outer boundary of the character image; and separating the received image into a plurality of character images using the calculated separation path, wherein in the calculating, the separation path is calculated within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, wherein, in the calculating, the separation path is calculated within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of products of the luminance values of pixels along the separation path and weight coefficients based on a movement of the separation path satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising: determining whether a width of a gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a third predetermined condition, and combining the adjacent separation paths into one separation path based on a determination corresponding to the third predetermined condition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising: determining whether a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels in the gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a fourth predetermined condition, and combining the adjacent separation paths into one separation path based on a determination corresponding to the fourth predetermined condition. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the line segment is only disposed in gaps between character images from the image. ### Claim 11 An image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives an image including at least a character image; a path calculation unit that calculates a separation path in the image received by the receiving unit, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image; and a separation unit that separates the image received by the receiving unit into a plurality of character images using the separation path calculated by the path calculation unit, wherein the path calculation unit calculates a separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of products of the luminance values of pixels along the separation path and weight coefficients based on a movement of the separation path satisfies the predetermined condition. ### Claim 12 An image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives an image including at least a character image; a path calculation unit that calculates a separation path in the image received by the receiving unit, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image; and a separation unit that separates the image received by the receiving unit into a plurality of character images using the separation path calculated by the path calculation unit, wherein the path calculation unit calculates the separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition, and wherein the path calculation unit determines whether a width of a gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a third predetermined condition, and, based on a determination corresponding to the third predetermined condition, the path calculation unit combines the adjacent separation paths into one separation path. ### Claim 13 An image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives an image including at least a character image; a path calculation unit that calculates a separation path in the image received by the receiving unit, the separation path comprising a line segment that separates a character image from the image; and a separation unit that separates the image received by the receiving unit into a plurality of character images using the separation path calculated by the path calculation unit, wherein the path calculation unit calculates the separation path within a predetermined range including a portion of a character image in the image so that a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels along the separation path satisfies a predetermined condition, and wherein the path calculation unit determines whether a cumulative value of luminance values of pixels in the gap between adjacent separation paths satisfies a fourth predetermined condition, and, based on a determination corresponding to the fourth predetermined condition, the path calculation unit combines the adjacent separation paths into one separation path.