Abstract: Systems and methods may automatically evaluate printed line weights in an image composition. An image composition may be received and the number of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels may be determined. The number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical rows may then be determined. An actual size of a pixel may be calculated. The actual size of a pixel may be multiplied by the number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows to determine a positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows. A predetermined minimum permissible positive line weight for the image composition may be identified and compared to the positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows.

Abstract: Attributes of a graphical element are compared to attributes of one or more groups of graphical elements. Responsive to identifying a similarity between the graphical element and a group of graphical elements among the one or more groups, the graphical element is added to the group of graphical elements. The adding enables editing operations performed with respect to the group of graphical elements to result in changes to the graphical element.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems to protect an organization's secure image information from unauthorized disclosure. In one embodiment, methods and systems to generate image fingerprints are provided. The fingerprints are generated for each feature point of an image data. Because the fingerprints take into account the neighborhood features around each feature point, the image fingerprints are robust against derivative images where the original image may have been altered. Methods and systems to maintain a fingerprint database for an organization's secure image data is also provided. In one embodiment, client fingerprints are generated for image data that a user intends to transmit outside of the organization. In some embodiments, suitable security actions are initiated if any of the client fingerprints match any of the fingerprints in the fingerprint database.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for an improved workflow for digital image editing is disclosed. The method comprises accessing a file containing a plurality of effects to apply to an image; merging a plurality of visible layers of the image to create a merged layer; applying the plurality of effects to the merged layer; installing a layer mask on the merged layer; and applying a plurality of user strokes made during an image editing process to the installed layer mask.

Abstract: Systems and methods may automatically evaluate printed line weights in an image composition. An image composition may be received and the number of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels may be determined. The number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical rows may then be determined. An actual size of a pixel may be calculated. The actual size of a pixel may be multiplied by the number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows to determine a positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows. A predetermined minimum permissible positive line weight for the image composition may be identified and compared to the positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to methods, devices, and computer-implemented methods for receiving a modulated signal transmitted from at least one signal emitter. The method can include receiving at least one image that comprises image data representing the modulated signal received as radiation emitted from the at least one signal emitter, wherein the radiation represented in the image data comprises at least one period of the modulated signal and wherein the at least one image was captured by a camera of a computing device while a field of view of the camera was moving relative to the at least one signal emitter; analyzing, by at least one processor, the at least one image; extracting, based on the analyzing, the image data representing the radiation; and determining, from the image data that was extracted, the modulated signal transmitted by the at least one signal emitter.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line information reception unit, a prediction determination unit, a feature amount calculation unit and a line determination unit. The line information reception unit receives a set of information indicating (i) information on an image having a possibility of being line and (ii) line element being a rectangular pixel lump constituting a line. The prediction determination unit determines whether or not a target line element matches a predicted value based on the received information. The predicted value indicates line element which is predicted when the target line element constitutes a line. The feature amount calculation unit calculates feature amount of the image when the prediction determination unit determines the target line element does not match the predicted value. The line determination unit determines whether or not the image is a line based on the calculated feature amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems to protect an organization's secure image information from unauthorized disclosure. In one embodiment, methods and systems to generate image fingerprints are provided. The fingerprints are generated for each feature point of an image data. Because the fingerprints take into account the neighborhood features around each feature point, the image fingerprints are robust against derivative images where the original image may have been altered. Methods and systems to maintain a fingerprint database for an organization's secure image data is also provided. In one embodiment, client fingerprints are generated for image data that a user intends to transmit outside of the organization. In some embodiments, suitable security actions are initiated if any of the client fingerprints match any of the fingerprints in the fingerprint database.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line information reception unit, a line extraction unit, an inversion unit and a determination unit. The line information reception unit receives a set of information indicating (i) information on an image having a possibly of being a line and (ii) line elements being a rectangular pixel lump which constitutes a line. The line extraction unit extracts a line by tracing from a first start point to an end point of the line, based on the received information indicating the line elements and a tracing direction of the line. The inversion unit inverts the tracing direction of the line, sets the extracted end point of the line as a second start point and sends the second start point and the inverted tracing direction to the line extraction unit. The determination unit determines whether or not to cause the inversion unit to perform a process.

Abstract: A handwriting apparatus has unit for acquiring first-handwriting data, storage unit for storing one-stroke-handwriting data and a first command as an instruction. The instruction corresponds to the one-stroke-handwriting data. When the first-handwriting data corresponds to the one stroke, a unit executes the first command when the corresponding first command is searched from the storage unit, a unit stores one-stroke-handwriting data and a second command as an instruction that corresponds to the one-stroke-handwriting data. The second command is different from the first command, and searches the storage unit for the second command corresponding to the one-stroke-handwriting data. There is a unit, when the corresponding second command is searched out from the storage unit, to execute the corresponding second command.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for generating a reference line or a virtual level enables tilt correction of an image. A user is able to utilize the reference line to see how an image should be oriented for the objects within the image to be level. The user is able to then correct the tilt of the image as desired using the reference line for assistance.

Abstract: When generating outline data, the contour pixels of the binarized image data are first extracted. Based on the extracted contour pixels, the contour of the image data is approximated to a straight line. In the straight-line approximation process, the distance between adjacent contour pixels among the extracted contour pixels is calculated. It is determined based on the result of the comparison between the length of the first straight line and the length of the second straight line whether the first straight line is used as a contour of the image data. The first straight line connects the first contour pixel and the second contour pixel adjacent to the first contour pixel. The second straight line connects the second contour pixel and the third contour pixel adjacent to the second contour pixel.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a visible-light communication apparatus includes an image input unit, a calculation unit, a preamble detection unit, a bit train detection unit, and a reception unit. The image input unit is configured to input image data generated by photographing a source of visible light carrying data. The calculation unit is configured to generate, from the image data, luminance data about an image at a designated position. The preamble detection unit is configured to detect a preamble at the head of the data, on the basis of the luminance data. The bit train detection unit is configured to detect the data bit train from the image data, in accordance with the preamble. The reception unit is configured to reproduce the data from the data bit train.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for procedural directional texture generation. A procedural directional texture generation method may, for example, be used to design hair or hairstyles. The method may obtain one or more strokes, one or more optional masks, and one or more optional user maps. One or more interpolated orientation maps may be generated from the input. The orientation maps, possibly along with one or more optional user maps, may be used to compute synthetic low-frequency lighting. A noise map may be generated at one or more frequencies and used, along with the interpolated maps, to generate high-frequency lighting. Alternatively, a flow-guided texture synthesis method may be used to generate high-frequency lighting. The low- and high-frequency lighting may then be combined to generate a desired frequency spectrum. Color may be added to the full structure, or alternatively color may be added at an earlier step.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for analyzing image attachments to email messages and reliably determines whether the image includes spam, so that the message can be blocked. A method for processing email messages comprises processing an image included in or attached to an email message to determine whether the image includes features that indicate whether the image is spam and determining whether the image is spam based on the included features that indicate whether the image is spam.

Abstract: A system for recognizing handwriting. A handwritten character is captured as an image of black pixels and white pixels. The image is partitioned into segments, each of which having a pixel ratio of a total number of black pixels in the segment to a total number of black pixels in the image. A reference character has segments corresponding to the image segments. Each reference character segment has a value range of a pixel ratio of a total number of black pixels in the segment of the reference character to a total number of black pixels in the reference character. It is ascertained that the pixel ratio of more than a predetermined number of segments in the image are within the value range of the pixel ratio of the corresponding segments of the reference character, from which, the handwritten character is recognized as the reference character.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for recognizing handwriting. A handwritten character is captured as an image of black pixels and white pixels. The image is partitioned into segments, each of which having a pixel ratio of a total number of black pixels in the segment to a total number of black pixels in the image. A reference character has segments corresponding to the image segments. Each reference character segment has a value range of a pixel ratio of a total number of black pixels in the segment of the reference character to a total number of black pixels in the reference character. It is ascertained that the pixel ratio of more than a predetermined number of segments in the image are within the value range of the pixel ratio of the corresponding segments of the reference character, from which, the handwritten character is recognized as the reference character.

Abstract: A method for navigating identifies line features in a first three-dimensional (3-D) image and a second 3-D image as a navigation platform traverses an area and compares the line features in the first 3-D image that correspond to the line features in the second 3-D image. When the lines features compared in the first and the second 3-D images are within a prescribed tolerance threshold, the method uses a conditional set of geometrical criteria to determine whether the line features in the first 3-D image match the corresponding line features in the second 3-D image.

Abstract: A method is provided for authenticating an image printed at a predefined print resolution or in accordance with a predetermined print grid. The method includes the steps of scanning the image to produce digital data and segmenting the data into first and second groups corresponding, respectively, to first and second predefined sections of the image. Next, a determination is made concerning the anticipated spatial position of select columns of digital data from each of the first and second groups of data. By examining the data, differences may be identified between the anticipated and actual spatial position of the columns, to determine the authenticity of the image. The identified differences which may include (i) a rotary/linear displacement in the actual spatial position of the select columns. (ii) a change in beat frequency between sections of the image, and/or (iii) a phase shift in a beat frequency.

Abstract: To remove an underline even if a business document includes a chart or even if the underline touches a character string, provided is an underline removal apparatus that removes an underline area from binary image data including the underline area touching a character string, the underline removal apparatus including: an underline search processing unit that executes a line template matching process by setting a point on the binary image data as a starting point to set a rectangular line template, tracing pixels included in the line template, and extracting a polyline indicating underline position coordinates; and an underline removal processing unit that uses the polyline to execute a process of obtaining background borderline coordinates between the underline area and a background area and character borderline coordinates between the underline area and the character string obtained by applying an interpolation process to a part in the underline area touching the character string and to execute a process of r

Abstract: A method for a makeover application executed by a processor includes, when a cloud face analyzer is accessible over a compute network, transmitting an image with a face to the cloud face analyzer over the computer network. The cloud face analyzer detects the face and facial feature points of the face, and returns this information to the makeover application. When the cloud face analyzer is not accessible over the computer network, the method includes using a local face analyzer to detect the face and the facial feature points. The method further includes applying an effect to the face in the image based on the facial feature points, displaying the image, and saving the image.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying one or more scored candidate objects that may correspond to one or more actual pallets in a gray scale image. The method may comprise: identifying, by a computer, a first plurality of scored candidate objects in the gray scale image; storing, by the computer, a list of the first plurality of scored candidate objects, wherein the list includes a respective record for each of the first plurality of scored candidate objects; determining, by the computer, a subset of the first plurality of scored candidate objects to eliminate from the list based on a comparison amongst the respective records of the first plurality of scored candidate objects; and removing, by the computer, the subset of the first plurality of scored candidate objects from the list to create an updated list for a second plurality of scored candidate objects, wherein the updated list includes a respective record for each of the second plurality of scored candidate objects.

Abstract: A method is provided for evaluating a possible center stringer of a pallet. The method may comprise providing a first Ro image; providing a second Ro image comprising pixels that may generally correspond to an orthogonal distance from an origin point to one or more possible vertical right lines in the corresponding gray scale image; identifying, using a computer, a possible lower left corner location of a center stringer in the corresponding gray scale image; determining, using the computer, an upper left corner location based on the possible lower left corner location; identifying, using the computer, a possible lower right corner location of the center stringer in the corresponding gray scale image; and determining, using the computer, an upper right corner location based on the possible lower right corner location.

Abstract: A method is provided for tracing a line from a possible corner of a pallet. The method may comprise: providing a Ro image; identifying, using a computer, a possible pallet corner in the Ro image; positioning, using the computer, a J×K window over at least respective portions of a plurality of rows in the Ro image including at least a portion of a row containing the possible corner; calculating, using the computer, an average of pixel values for each row in the J×K window; determining, using the computer, one of the rows in the J×K window having an average pixel value nearest a current pixel location being considered for inclusion in a line being traced and defining the one row as a nearest row; and deciding, using the computer, whether the nearest row is over a pallet.

Abstract: A method is provided for identifying one or more scored candidate objects that may correspond to one or more actual pallets in a gray scale image.

Abstract: A deblock method for processing at least one image including a plurality of pixels. The method comprises the step of determining a shift amount of block boundary by pixel data differences between adjacent pixels and thereby determining block boundaries between macroblocks in the image, and the step of optionally performing a deblock process on the block boundaries.

Abstract: Vectorization of an image in which a monospaced line and surfaces coexist without generation of a gap in a boundary between the monospaced line and the surfaces or between the surfaces, is realized. Separation processing of the monospaced line and the surface is executed for each color region. After the separation, a pixel position where the monospaced line is located is filled with color information of an adjacent surface. Boundary-sharing type vectorization processing is executed for data which is obtained by filling the monospaced line. Further, vector data expressed by a core line and a line width is generated based on the monospaced line obtained by separation processing of the monospaced line and surface. A vectorization result of the monospaced line extracted according to each color, and a vectorization result of a boundary line of the surface generated from data after a monospaced line region is filled are outputted.

Abstract: A renderer allows for a flexible and temporally coherent ordering of strokes in the context of stroke-based animation. The relative order of the strokes is specified by the artist or inferred from geometric properties of the scene, such as occlusion, for each frame of a sequence, as a set of stroke pair-wise constraints. Using the received constraints, the strokes are partially ordered for each of the frames. Based on these partial orderings, for each frame, a permutation of the strokes is selected amongst the ones consistent with the frame's partial order, so as to globally improve the perceived temporal coherence of the animation. The sequence of frames can then, for instance, be rendered by ordering the strokes according to the selected set of permutations for the sequence of frames.

Abstract: A method of determining a ground line from an input image. The method includes determining a plurality of ground line candidates from the image, determining a certain band a central-line of which is a boundary between a G region and other regions in a Ground Building Sky (GBS) map of the image, and determining the ground line of the image by selecting a ground line candidate, among the plurality of ground line candidates, having the greatest extent crossing the certain band.

Abstract: An image processing device includes: an extractor configured to extract a region of interest which includes a point of interest and satisfies a specified condition in a first image frame; a divider configured to divide the region of interest into a first subregion including the point of interest and a second subregion not including the point of interest at a narrow portion of the region of interest; and a specifying unit configured to specify a specified pixel in the first subregion as a point of interest of a second image frame.

Abstract: Techniques to manage a whiteboard for multimedia conference events are described. An apparatus may comprise a whiteboard manager component operative to manage whiteboard recording, image processing and reproduction operations for a multimedia conference event. The whiteboard manager component may comprise an image quantizer module operative to receive an image of a writing surface with pen strokes, and quantize each pixel of the image into a predetermined number of colors, an attribute extractor module communicatively coupled to the image quantizer module, the image quantizer module operative to extract stroke attribute information for the pen strokes from the quantized pixels, and a whiteboard interface module communicatively coupled to the attribute extractor module, the whiteboard interface module operative to send the stroke attribute information to a meeting console for rendering as digital pen strokes on a digital writing surface. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: When photographing images including a person's face at an event, photographers tend to photograph images so that features of the event appear in a region around the person's face. An image data processing device of the present invention extracts image feature information so that an image feature calculated based on pixels in the region around the person's face, which tends to represent features of an event, is reflected more than that calculated based on pixels in a region remote from the person's face, which tends not to represent features of an event. This allows the image data processing device to calculate image feature information reflecting features of an event more than that calculated by a conventional image data processing device. The image data processing device therefore improves classification precision compared to the conventional device when classifying images using the image feature information calculated by the image data processing device.

Abstract: The recognition of a lane boundary line expressed by a stud-shaped lane mark is realized with high accuracy against noise and with a small calculation amount and a small memory consumption amount. A lane recognition device extracts a candidate position of a lane mark from a received input image. A vote value is weighted according to the elapsed time with regard to the extracted candidate position of the lane mark to cumulatively perform voting to a parameter space of an approximate curved line or an approximate straight line, and, thus, to generate a time-series cumulative voting feature image. A candidate of a lane boundary line position is extracted based on the generated time-series cumulative voting feature image to determine the lane boundary line position. The lane recognition device may be provided with an image output device which images an image and outputs the imaged image.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for determining and displaying at least one piece of information on a target volume, especially in a human body, the information being obtained from an image record. At least one embodiment of the method includes: a first and at least one second image record of a target zone encompassing the target volume are recorded, the first image record having a higher contrast regarding the boundaries of the target volume, and the first and the second image record being registered together; the target volume is segmented in the first image record; target volume image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line information reception unit, a line extraction unit, an inversion unit and a determination unit. The line information reception unit receives a set of information indicating (i) information on an image having a possibly of being a line and (ii) line elements being a rectangular pixel lump which constitutes a line. The line extraction unit extracts a line by tracing from a first start point to an end point of the line, based on the received information indicating the line elements and a tracing direction of the line. The inversion unit inverts the tracing direction of the line, sets the extracted end point of the line as a second start point and sends the second start point and the inverted tracing direction to the line extraction unit. The determination unit determines whether or not to cause the inversion unit to perform a process.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a line information reception unit, a prediction determination unit, a feature amount calculation unit and a line determination unit. The line information reception unit receives a set of information indicating (i) information on an image having a possibility of being line and (ii) line element being a rectangular pixel lump constituting a line. The prediction determination unit determines whether or not a target line element matches a predicted value based on the received information. The predicted value indicates line element which is predicted when the target line element constitutes a line. The feature amount calculation unit calculates feature amount of the image when the prediction determination unit determines the target line element does not match the predicted value. The line determination unit determines whether or not the image is a line based on the calculated feature amount.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for capturing a signature, and placing a representation of the captured signature in an appropriate field of a document. A camera or other appropriate sensor can capture an image of a signature provided by a user on a piece of paper. The signature can be digitized to create a representation that a device may use in a displayed document. To determine where to place the representation, a horizontal line of a document can be identified by selectively rendering portions of the document adjacent to an input position, and identifying one or more boundaries for a detected horizontal line. The representation can be scaled to fit in a detected field of the document.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image processing method, an image processing apparatus and an image processing program for dealing with inverted characters (outlined characters) constituted by white pixels on a black ground in a tree structure same as that of normal characters constituted by black pixels on a white ground. In the present invention, black pixel blocks and white pixel blocks are sampled recursively from a binary image, tree structure data indicating a positional relation between the sampled black pixel blocks and white pixel blocks is created, an inverted image is created by white-black-inverting the insides of black pixel blocks that can include inverted characters, of black pixel blocks included in the tree structure data, white pixel blocks and black pixel blacks are sampled from the created inverted image, and data regarding the sampled white pixel blocks and black pixel blocs is added to corresponding nodes of the tree structure data.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for automatically estimating the tilting angle in tilted images enables level correction of the images. A preferred orientation of objects in an image and the deviation of the current orientation from the preferred orientation is determined by tilt image analysis without object recognition. Tilt image analysis includes several steps such as gradient feature computation, line segment tracking, line segment estimation and orientation deviation estimation. Once the tilt angle is determined, the image can be corrected so that an object or scene is not tilted or is tilted by only the appropriate amount.

Abstract: An image, represented by an ordered set of elements (xi) each having a value is analysed in order to detect vanishing points. The method comprises, for each of a plurality of root positions (x0), repeatedly performing the steps of: (i) selecting a first plurality of elements (xi) from the ordered set; (ii) for each selected element (xi), selecting a second element (ui) such that the selected second element has a vector position relative to the root position that is scaled by a factor (?) in comparison with the position of the first selected element; (iii) determining whether the selected elements meet a match criterion requiring that the value of each of the first elements is similar to the value of the corresponding second element; and (iv) in the event of a match, updating a similarity score (H) in respect of that root element. Once these scores have been found, they can be examined a part of the image corresponding to a peak value of the similarity score.

Abstract: A handwriting apparatus includes unit acquiring first-handwriting data, unit storing one-stroke-handwriting data and a first command as an instruction, the instruction corresponding to the one-stroke-handwriting data and being executed with a device, unit, when the first-handwriting data corresponds to one stroke, searching the storage unit for the first command corresponding to the one-stroke-handwriting data corresponding to the one stroke, unit planning to execute the first command when the corresponding first command is searched out from the storage unit, unit storing one-stroke-handwriting data and a second command as an instruction which corresponds to the one-stroke-handwriting data, the second command being different from the first command, unit regarding the first-handwriting data as one-stroke-handwriting data at time intervals and search the storage unit for the second command corresponding to the one-stroke-handwriting data, and unit, when the corresponding second command is searched out from the

Abstract: A device for processing an input image may include a degree-of-symmetry calculation unit, which may be configured to receive the input image and calculate a degree of symmetry of the input image. The device may also include a parting line detection unit, which may be configured to receive the input image and detect a parting line that separates two sides of the input image. Additionally, the device may include a classification unit, which may be configured to classify the input image based on the degree of symmetry and the parting line. The classification unit may also be configured to generate a classification signal to cause at least one of display or storage of the classification.

Abstract: A system and method for determining inflection points in an image of an object includes obtaining the image of the object, performing binary image processing on a border of the image to obtain border points, selecting a predetermined number of the border points to fit a straight line, calculating a vertical distance between each selected border point and the straight line, and obtaining a total distance. The method further includes adding a new border point to the selected border points if the total distance is less than a predetermined value, so as to fit a new straight line and do a loop cycle, otherwise, regarding a last border point of the selected border points as an inflection point, and sequentially selecting the predetermined number of other border points to fit another new straight line.

Abstract: Systems and methods may automatically evaluate printed line weights in an image composition. An image composition from a user and a selected portion of the image composition may be determined along with the number of horizontal and vertical rows of pixels in the selected portion. The number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal and vertical rows may then be determined. An actual printed size of a pixel may be calculated. The actual printed size of a pixel may be multiplied by the number of positive pixels in each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows to determine a positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows. A predetermined minimum positive line weight for the image composition may be identified and compared to the positive line weight of each of the horizontal rows and each of the vertical rows.

Abstract: Described is searching directly based on digital ink input to provide a result set of one or more items. Digital ink input (e.g., a handwritten character, sketched shape, gesture, drawing picture) is provided to a search engine and interpreted thereby, with a search result (or results) returned. Different kinds of digital ink can be used as search input without changing modes. The search engine includes a unified digital ink recognizer that recognizes digital ink as a character or another type of digital ink. When the recognition result is a character, the character may be used in a keyword search to find one or more corresponding non-character items, e.g., from a data store. When the recognition result is a non-character item, the non-character item is provided as the result, without keyword searching. The search result may appear as one or more item representations, such as in a user interface result panel.

Abstract: A method for extracting line segments from an edge image comprises receiving a digital image comprising a plurality of edge pixels, and processing the plurality of edge pixels using a breadth first search to determine a plurality of breadth first search pixels in a breadth first search order for a connected component. The connected component comprises a plurality of components. The method continues by processing the plurality of breadth first search pixels in an order related to the breadth first search order to determine a plurality of component pixels for at least one component of the plurality of components. Each of the plurality of components comprises a line segment. The method concludes by processing the plurality of component pixels to determine a plurality of line segment pixels for the line segment.

Abstract: Provided is a digital watermarking technology for embedding digital watermark information in text data thereby to generate a digitally watermarked image. The technology includes a digital watermarking program, a digital watermarking device and a digital watermarking method, in which digital watermark information can be embedded in document in such a way as not to be easily detected visually and be stably detected even after being printed out, copied or scanned by detecting the features of a character as data to be digitally watermarked, such as the direction and thickness of a line composing the character as the features thereof and embedding the digital watermark information in the character on the basis of the detected features.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and module for preprocessing ultrasound imaging. The method comprises a calculation step for constructing a multivalue vector field and a smoothing step for smoothing the whole volume data. The method further comprises a judgement step and minification and magnification steps. The module includes a calculation unit, a smoothing unit, a judgement unit, a minification unit and a magnification unit. According to the method for preprocessing ultrasound imaging, speckle noise can be eliminated effectively by calculating a mean value of a plurality of nodes distributed over the surface, so as to implement the smoothing. Therefore, this method is capable of smoothing data without compromising details.

Abstract: Image data is displayed on an image display unit. An information input unit specifies a characteristic extracting range corresponding to the image data. An image-characteristic extracting unit extracts a representative characteristic from the specified range within the image data. The extracted representative characteristic are associated with the image data and stored in a storage device. The representative characteristic associated with the image data are also retrieved when retrieving the image data.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus in which the position of the boundary between an image of an original and a background image, as well as a skew and the size of the image of the original, can be accurately detected even with dust on a line image sensor or on an opposing member opposite to the line image sensor. An image formed on an original is read by a reading unit, and an opposing member is arranged at a position opposite to the reading unit. A plate glass distances the original from the opposing member. Shadow portions of the read image is detected from changes in a sub-scanning direction of pixel data of a read image generated based on output from the reading unit, and boundary coordinate data of the image of the original is obtained.