Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program

Abstract

The present invention provides an image processing device that can detect multiple documents and acquire image data with lower processing load and higher accuracy than conventional methods, even when the density difference between the background and the document is small. [Solution] An image processing apparatus comprising: an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data obtained by reading multiple documents placed on a document placement table in a single operation; a content detection processing unit that detects multiple content areas estimated to correspond to the multiple documents from the image data and performs processing to detect the vertical direction of each of the multiple content areas from the character information contained in the multiple content areas; and a content integration processing unit that performs processing to integrate two of the multiple content areas if the difference in distance and vertical angle between any two of the multiple content areas satisfies predetermined integration conditions.

Claims

1. An image data acquisition unit that acquires image data obtained by simultaneously scanning multiple documents placed on a document placement table, A content detection processing unit that detects multiple content areas estimated to correspond to the multiple original documents from the image data, and performs processing to detect the vertical direction of each of the multiple content areas from the character information contained in the multiple content areas, An image processing apparatus comprising a content integration processing unit that performs a process to integrate two content areas for all of the plurality of content areas when the distance between any two of the plurality of content areas and the difference in the vertical angle between them satisfy predetermined integration conditions.

2. The system further includes an image data processing unit that generates reduced image data by reducing the aforementioned image data by a predetermined ratio. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content detection processing unit detects the plurality of content regions and detects the vertical direction of the plurality of content regions from the reduced image data generated by the image data processing unit.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the content integration processing unit, when determining whether the distance between any two of the plurality of content areas satisfies the integration condition, sets a combined area by expanding the area of ​​one of the two content areas by a predetermined length in the vertical direction, and determines that the distance between the two content areas satisfies the integration condition if a part of the other content area is included within the combined area.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the content integration processing unit, when determining whether the difference in the vertical angle between any two of the plurality of content areas satisfies the integration condition, calculates the inclination of each of the two content areas, and determines that the difference in the vertical angle between the two content areas satisfies the integration condition if the difference in the inclination of the two content areas is less than or equal to a predetermined angle range.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image data processing unit generates first reduced image data and second reduced image data obtained by reducing the image data by a predetermined first ratio and second ratio, respectively, and generates reduced image data from which noise has been removed by taking the difference between the first reduced image data and the second reduced image data.

6. An image processing method characterized by acquiring image data obtained by simultaneously reading multiple documents placed on a document placement table, detecting multiple content areas estimated to correspond to the multiple documents from the image data, detecting the vertical direction of each of the multiple content areas from the character information contained in each of the multiple content areas, and merging two of the content areas if the distance between any two of the multiple content areas and the difference in the vertical angle between them satisfy predetermined merging conditions, and performing this process for all of the multiple content areas.

7. An image processing program characterized in that it causes the processor of an image processing device to acquire image data obtained by reading multiple documents placed on a document placement table in a single operation, to detect multiple content areas estimated to correspond to the multiple documents from the image data, to detect the vertical direction of each of the multiple content areas from the character information contained in each of the multiple content areas, and to perform a process to merge two of the content areas if the distance between any two of the multiple content areas and the difference in the vertical angle between them satisfy predetermined merging conditions, for all of the multiple content areas.

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