System and method for automatically distinguishing between graphic information and text information of image data

Claim 1

A method for automatically distinguishing between information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit; (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c); (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (e) of distinguishing between the text portion and the graphic portion of the image data includes the step of: if the window includes at least one block with the background color illumination, determining the window as a window of the text portion of the image data; if the window includes no block with the background color illumination, determining the window as a window of the graphic portion of the image data.

Claim 2

A method for automatically distinguishing between information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit; (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c); (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (e) of distinguishing between the text portion and the graphic portion of the image data includes the step of: if the window includes at least one block with the background color illumination, determining the window as a window of the text portion of the image data; if the window includes no block with the background color illumination, determining the window as a window of the graphic portion of the image data.

Claim 5

A method for automatically distinguishing between graphic information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit; (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c): (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing. between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (f) of correcting the incorrectly distinguished window includes the step of: in vertical and horizontal correction cases where both edge windows of vertical and horizontal contiguous five windows are those of a same portion and at least one of inner windows is one of a portion different from a portion of edge windows, correcting the window of the different portion as a window of the same portion as that of the edge windows.

Claim 6

A method for automatically distinguishing between graphic information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit; (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c): (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing. between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (f) of correcting the incorrectly distinguished window includes the step of: in vertical and horizontal correction cases where both edge windows of vertical and horizontal contiguous five windows are those of a same portion and at least one of inner windows is one of a portion different from a portion of edge windows, correcting the window of the different portion as a window of the same portion as that of the edge windows.

Claim 7

A method for automatically distinguishing between graphic information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit;. (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c); (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (g) of performing the alignment edges of graphic/text portions includes the step of: thinning a window representative of a varied information portion which is changed from the graphic portion to the text portion or from the text portion to the graphic portion, to align an edge of the window.

Claim 8

A method for automatically distinguishing between graphic information and text information of image data, comprising the steps of: (a) converting an analog image signal outputted from a scanner into digital image data and storing the digital image data for each line unit;. (b) reading the digital image data stored at said step (a) on the basis of four line units; (c) subdividing the read image data into contiguous image data blocks with a desired mask and evaluating a block average; (d) evaluating a background color illumination utilizing the block average evaluated at said step (c); (e) setting a distinguishing unit as windows each of which includes a predetermined number of contiguous blocks and distinguishing between a text portion and a graphic portion of the image data by use of a window unit; (f) correcting an incorrectly distinguished window after completing said step (e); (g) performing an alignment of edges of graphic/text portions after the completion of the step (e); and (h) correcting for a real time delay after the completion of the step (g) and then completing distinguishing between graphic/text portions; wherein said step (g) of performing the alignment edges of graphic/text portions includes the step of: thinning a window representative of a varied information portion which is changed from the graphic portion to the text portion or from the text portion to the graphic portion, to align an edge of the window.