Image processing method, apparatus, and storage medium for recognition of irradiation area

Claim 2

A method according to Claim 1, further comprising a step of determining said irradiation area from a plurality of end points of the irradiation area judged in said judging step.

Claim 3

A method according to Claim 1, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in said plurality of areas are average density values in the respective areas.

Claim 4

A method according to Claim 1, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in said plurality of areas are medians of density values in the respective areas.

Claim 5

A method according to Claim 1, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in the plurality of areas are averages of density values at a limited number of points in the respective areas.

Claim 6

A method according to Claim 1, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in the plurality of areas are medians of density values at a limited number of points in the respective areas.

Claim 7

A method according to Claim 1, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in the plurality of areas are calculated using integrated values in a predetermined direction of pixels in said plurality of areas.

Claim 8

A method according to Claim 7, wherein said density values representing the respective areas in said plurality of areas are obtained by smoothing said integrated values.

Claim 9

An image processing method for extracting an irradiation area in an input image, said image processing method comprising: a step of detecting an irradiation end, based on a density distribution in each area, for a plurality of areas in a desired direction in said image; and a step of evaluating the result of said detection, based on the result of irradiation ends detected for each of said plurality of areas.

Claim 10

A method according to Claim 9, wherein said detection is carried out using secondary difference values.

Claim 11

A method according to Claim 9, wherein said evaluating step is to judge whether said result of the detection is correct or not, using a variance.

Claim 12

An image processing method for judging whether an object area in an image includes an irradiation area, said method comprising: a secondary difference value acquisition step of acquiring secondary difference values from one-dimensional image data of said object area; an irradiation end extraction step of extracting a coordinate of an end point of said irradiation area from the secondary difference values acquired in said secondary difference value acquisition step; a comparison step of comparing the coordinate extracted in said irradiation end extraction step with a coordinate of an end point of the irradiation area included in said image, said coordinate being obtained preliminarily; and a judgment step of judging whether said object area includes the irradiation area, based on the result of the comparison in said comparison step.

Claim 13

A method according to Claim 12, wherein said judgment step comprises a step of judging that said object area does not include the irradiation area, if the coordinates are close to each other, or otherwise judging that said object area includes the irradiation area.

Claim 14

A method according to Claim 12, further comprising an accumulated image data production step of producing projection of said object area as said one-dimensional image data, wherein said irradiation end extraction step comprises a step of carrying out processing for the one-dimensional image data obtained in said accumulated image data production step.

Claim 15

An image processing method for judging whether an object area in an image includes an irradiation area, said image processing method comprising: a coordinate indication step of providing an indication of a plurality of rows for which one-dimensional image data is to be extracted from said object area; a secondary difference value acquisition step of acquiring secondary difference values from the one-dimensional image data of said object area according to the indication in said coordinate indication step; an irradiation end extraction step of extracting coordinates of end points of said irradiation area from the secondary difference values acquired in said secondary difference value acquisition step; a storage step of successively storing the coordinates extracted in said irradiation end extraction step; an average acquisition step of acquiring an average of the plural coordinates stored in said storage step; a comparison step of comparing the average of the coordinates obtained in said average step with a coordinate of an end point of the irradiation area included in said image, said coordinate being obtained preliminarily; and a first judgment step of judging whether said object area includes the irradiation area, based on the result of the comparison in said comparison step.

Claim 16

A method according to Claim 15, wherein said first judgment step comprises a step of judging that said object area does not include the irradiation area, if the coordinates are close to each other, or otherwise judging that said object area includes the irradiation area.

Claim 17

A method according to Claim 15, further comprising a second judgment step which is carried out based on the result of the judgment in said first judgment step, wherein said second judgement step comprises a variance acquisition step of acquiring a variance of the coordinates stored in said storage step, a comparison step of comparing the variance obtained in the variance acquisition step with a predetermined value, and a judgment step of judging whether said object area includes the irradiation area, based on the result of the comparison in the comparison step.

Claim 18

A method according to Claim 16, wherein said second judgment step comprises a step of carrying out each of the steps when said first judgment step results in judging that said object area does not include the irradiation area.

Claim 19

A method according to Claim 15, wherein said irradiation end extraction step comprises a step of carrying out said extraction of coordinate, based on the sign, either positive or negative, of a primary difference value of said one-dimensional image data.

Claim 20

A method according to Claim 15, wherein said secondary difference value acquisition step comprises a step of carrying out said acquisition of the secondary difference values from said one-dimensional image data subjected to smoothing.

Claim 21

An image processing method comprising a coordinate indication step of indicating a row for calculation of characteristic quantities of two-dimensional image data, a characteristic quantity calculation step of calculating said characteristic quantities from data of the row indicated in said coordinate indication step, an end point extraction step of extracting an end point of an object area from the characteristic quantities calculated in said characteristic quantity calculation step, an end point storage step of storing coordinates of end points extracted in said end point extraction step, a rotation angle indication step of indicating an angle of a rotation axis onto which the end points stored in said end point storage step are projected, an accumulated quantity calculation step of calculating projection of the end points stored in said end point storage step onto said rotation axis of the angle indicated in said rotation angle indication step, an accumulated quantity storage step of storing a projection quantity onto said rotation axis, calculated in said accumulated quantity calculation step, and a rotation angle judgment step of judging a rotation angle of the object area from said projection quantity stored in said accumulated quantity storage step.

Claim 22

A method according to Claim 21, wherein a start point of said rotation axis onto which the end points stored in said end point storage step are projected is placed at a barycenter of image data not less than a fixed density value.

Claim 23

An image processing apparatus comprising: means for determining a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined direction on an image and each having a predetermined shape; means for calculating a secondary difference value of density values representing the respective areas in said plurality of areas; and means for judging one end point of an irradiation area from said secondary difference values calculated by said calculating means.

Claim 24

An image processing apparatus for extracting an irradiation area in an input image, said image processing apparatus comprising: means for detecting an irradiation end, based on a density distribution in each area, for a plurality of areas in a desired direction in said image; and means for evaluating the result of said detection, based on the result of irradiation ends detected for each of said plurality of areas.

Claim 25

An image processing apparatus comprising coordinate indication means for indicating a row for calculation of characteristic quantities of two-dimensional image data, characteristic quantity calculation means for calculating said characteristic quantities from data of the row indicated by said coordinate indication means, end point extraction means for extracting an end point of an object area from the characteristic quantities calculated by said characteristic quantity calculation means, end point storage means for storing coordinates of end points extracted by said end point extraction means, rotation angle indication means for indicating an angle of a rotation axis onto which the end points stored in said end point storage means are projected, accumulated quantity calculation means for calculating projection of the end points stored in said end point storage means onto said rotation axis of the angle indicated by said rotation angle indication means, accumulated quantity storage means for storing a projection quantity onto said rotation axis, calculated by said accumulated quantity calculation means, and rotation angle judgment means for judging a rotation angle of the object area from said projection quantity stored in said accumulated quantity storage means.

Claim 26

A storage medium storing a program for carrying out an image processing routine comprising: a step of determining a plurality of areas arranged in a predetermined direction on an image and each having a predetermined shape; a step of calculating a secondary difference value of density values representing the respective areas in said plurality of areas; and a step of judging one end point of an irradiation area from said secondary difference values calculated in said calculating step.

Claim 27

A storage medium storing a program for carrying out an image processing routine for extracting an irradiation area in an input image, said image processing routine comprising: a step of detecting an irradiation end, based on a density distribution in each area, for a plurality of areas in a desired direction in said image; and a step of evaluating the result of said detection, based on the result of irradiation ends detected for each of said plurality of areas.

Claim 28

A storage medium storing a program for carrying out an image processing routine comprising a coordinate indication step of indicating a row for calculation of characteristic quantities of two-dimensional image data, a characteristic quantity calculation step of calculating said characteristic quantities from data of the row indicated in said coordinate indication step, an end point extraction step of extracting an end point of an object area from the characteristic quantity calculated in said characteristic quantities calculation step, an end point storage step of storing coordinates of end points extracted in said end point extraction step, a rotation angle indication step of indicating an angle of a rotation axis onto which the end points stored in said end point storage step are projected, an accumulated quantity calculation step of calculating projection of the end points stored in said end point storage step onto said rotation axis of the angle indicated in said rotation angle indication step, an accumulated quantity storage step of storing a projection quantity onto said rotation axis, calculated in said accumulated quantity calculation step, and a rotation angle judgment step of judging a rotation angle of the object area from said projection quantity stored in said accumulated quantity storage step.