Abstract: There is disclosed an image extraction method for extracting, from a subject image that records both the background and the object to be extracted, image data of the object using a mask. An initial mask used for extracting the subject region is generated on the basis of difference data between the subject image and the background image that records the background alone, the region of the initial mask is grown on the basis of the similarity between the features of a first region and its neighboring second region in the subject image corresponding to the initial mask, and the image data of the object is extracted from the first image on the basis of the grown mask region.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for managing data including images, voice, characters, and the like, in a unified manner. The apparatus has an attribute file or an attribute table for registering therein an attribute peculiar to the data to be registered so that the data attribute can be registered simultaneously with the registration of the data. The data can thus be managed through an application in a unified manner based on the attribute data registered in the attribute file or the attribute table. In order to complete the processing of the application, the attribute data of the attribute file or the attribute table is set to be a mode either of "read-only" or "hidden".

Abstract: An image combine apparatus for combining a plurality of images to generate a panoramic image. The image combine apparatus identifies an overlapping region of two inputted images and determines a boundary of the two images. The image combine apparatus then sets a tone correction area having a predetermined width such that the boundary of the two images is the center of the area, and performs tone correction within the area. The image combine apparatus performs linear tone correction in accordance with a distance between a pixel and the boundary. In the neighbor of the boundary of the two images within the tone correction area, density of the image gradually changes, thus a combined image whose boundary of the two images is inconspicuous is obtained.

Abstract: A plurality of data items are stored in a storage medium, and time information of each of the plurality of data items is obtained. In a display window on a display screen, a time axis, having a spiral shape, which includes arrangement positions, each corresponding to a predetermined period of time, is displayed. At each of the arrangement positions, on the time axis, corresponding to time represented by the obtained time information of each of the plurality of data items, information (data icon) representing the corresponding data item is displayed. The display sizes of the data icons are reduced toward the center of the spiral time axis, thereby depth can be expressed.

Abstract: A file retrieval apparatus and method for retrieving a desired file out of a plurality of files stored in a storage medium. Retrieval is made based on the files, information on correspondence between the files and keywords, and attribute information of the keywords, to find a file that corresponds to an input keyword. When displaying the retrieved results in form of a list, a file a user most desires is displayed at the top of the list, and keywords located at lower levels of hierarchical keywords are also displayed as retrieval objects.

Abstract: This invention provides an information processing method and apparatus, which can automatically set a word, which has already been electronically stored, as a search keyword, and can perform a search operation. For this purpose, in an information search apparatus for searching a data file for desired data, and reading out the desired data, input text data is stored in a data storage area, and when extraction of a search keyword is instructed, a search keyword extraction program automatically extracts a keyword used for search from the text data stored in the data storage area in response to the instruction. A multimedia data file stored in a nonvolatile storage medium is searched based on the extracted keyword.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method and system for managing a file that allows an operator to easily select, specify, and manage a multimedia file (including audio data, text, still image, moving image, etc.) via a display screen. The type of a file is identified. If the file is an audio data file, then an icon is generated with an image representing an amplitude waveform or a frequency distribution waveform of the audio data, or, the icon is generated with an image including a color or a pattern preassigned to the frequency distribution or both. If the file is a text file, then an icon is generated with an image representing an arbitrary area of an arbitrary page of the text file. If the file is a still image file, then an icon is generated with an image obtained by reducing an arbitrary area of the still image. If the file is a moving image file, then an icon is generated with an image obtained by reducing an arbitrary area of an arbitrary scene of the moving image.

Abstract: There is disclosed a driving device for a recording head such as a thermal head or an ink jet head driven in plural blocks, which is capable of avoiding formation of division lines, or low-density streaks, in the recorded image at the boundaries of the driving blocks of the head. In this driving device, the time difference between the start of pulse application to a heat generating element of the recording head and that of an adjacent element is maintained so as not to exceed the maximum pulse duration to the heat generating element. Also, a group of plural heat generating elements positioned at the boundary of two divided blocks is activated simultaneously with each of the two divided blocks.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium includes a mounting unit, a discriminating unit, a recording unit, and a control unit. The mounting unit detachably mounts an ink sheet, the discriminating unit discriminates a kind of ink sheet mounted in the mounting unit. The recording unit performs recording on the recording medium and has a plurality of recording elements. The control control unit performs drive control of the recording elements on the basis of a discrimination result of the discriminating unit.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus comprises: a circuit to provide a color image signal consisting of a luminance signal and two color difference signals; a converter to convert the two color difference signals into the hue signal and saturation signal; a compressing circuit to independently compress the dynamic ranges of one of or both of the luminance signal and the saturation signal and to output; a memory to store the hue signal and the output of the compressing circuit; and a color printer to reproduce the color image on the basis of the hue signal, saturation signal, and luminance signal stored in the memory. The compressing circuit performs the compression on the basis of a frequency distribution of the input signal levels. With this apparatus, the color balance can be automatically adjusted by use of correction ROMs of a small memory capacity.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus generates color image data, measures the quantity of the image data within a predetermined region of color space, obtains a representative color value for the image data within that region, and corrects the color image data based on the representative value and the measured quantity.The number of image data which exist within a predetermined region on a (u,v), chromaticity diagram and which are among input color image data is counted. When the counted number is smaller than a predetermined value, the correcting operation is not executed. The difference between a predetermined coordinate point and a coordinate point at which the largest counted number of image data exist is obtained, and by the obtained distance either all the image data or the image data within the predetermined region are corrected.

Abstract: A color image processing apparatus comprises: a circuit to provide a color image signal comprising a luminance signal and two color difference signals; a converter to convert the two color difference signals into a hue signal and a saturation signal; a compressing circuit to independently compress the dynamic range of one or both of the luminance signal and the saturation signal a memory to store the hue signal and the output of the compressing circuit; and a color printer to reproduce the color image on the basis of the hue signal, and signals stored in the memory. The compressing circuit performs the compression on the basis of a frequency distribution of the input signal levels. With this apparatus, the color balance can be automatically adjusted by use of correction ROMs of a small memory capacity.

Abstract: A color image signal processing apparatus for recording a color image from input color image signals includes an input unit for inputting color image signals composed of a plurality of color component signals into the apparatus, a unit for obtaining a luminance signal, a hue signal and a chroma signal based on the plurality of inputted color component signals, a gradation converter for converting the gradation characteristic of the luminance signal, and a color correction unit for performing color correction based on the luminance signal converted by the gradation converter, the hue signal and the chroma signal, and obtaining a recording original color signal. The hue and chroma signals are obtained based on spectrum tristimulus values which are obtained through conversion of said color component signals. The present invention thus enables more accurate color reproduction since it uses individual gradation conversion of the luminance signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of ink jet recording for forming a color image including a color-mixed portion by using a plurality of colored inks for at least one of which a plurality of inks having different dyestuff densities are used, the method comprising: compensating OD value data concerning discharge of ink in accordance with a rate of change in the OD value of an image due to a change in the amount of ink supplied and a total amount of ink supplied per picture element.