Color Monochrome Image Detection via Block Pattern Analysis

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image processing techniques for determining whether a document is color or monochrome face challenges in accurately distinguishing due to impurities, false colors, and varying content sizes and arrangements, leading to erroneous determinations.

Innovation Solution

An image processing apparatus with an obtaining unit, a first determination unit to classify blocks as color or monochrome, and a second unit to assess the arrangement of blocks against a predetermined pattern, incorporating smoothing and chromatic color determination to suppress noise and color shift effects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the number of color pixels in each block is used to determine color blocks, then small color contents can be detected, but impurities and false colors cause erroneous determination

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection accuracy of color contentsVSAvoiddetermination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and each block is independently analyzed for color content. This segmentation allows local color detection while enabling subsequent pattern-based validation across the entire image, resolving the contradiction between detecting small color contents and avoiding false positives from impurities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A pattern matching mechanism serves as an intermediary between block-level color detection and image-level determination. The predetermined pattern of color and monochrome blocks acts as a filter that validates whether detected color blocks form meaningful structures, thereby eliminating false determinations caused by impurities or noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If consecutive color blocks are required for color image determination, then false color blocks are reduced, but small or scattered color contents are missed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetermination accuracyVSAvoiddetection accuracy of color contents

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The pattern matching mechanism serves as an intermediary that validates whether detected color blocks form meaningful structures, thereby eliminating false determinations caused by impurities or noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter from requiring strict consecutiveness to allowing scattered arrangements that match predetermined patterns. This enables detection of both consecutive and non-consecutive color contents while maintaining reliability through pattern validation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If block division is used for color determination, then processing is simplified, but accuracy decreases due to impurities and false colors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing complexityVSAvoiddetermination accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The image is divided into multiple blocks, and each block is independently analyzed for color content. This segmentation allows local color detection while enabling subsequent pattern-based validation across the entire image, resolving the contradiction between detecting small color contents and avoiding false positives from impurities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A pattern matching mechanism serves as an intermediary between block-level color detection and image-level determination. The predetermined pattern of color and monochrome blocks acts as a filter that validates whether detected color blocks form meaningful structures, thereby eliminating false determinations caused by impurities or noise.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10477071B2Image processing apparatus and image processing method in which color and monochrome images are distinguished

Publication Date: 2019.11.12 CANON KK

AI summary

An image processing apparatus determines whether each of pixels in a scanned image is a color pixel or a monochrome pixel, determines whether each of blocks including the multiple pixels in the scanned image is a color block or a monochrome block, based on determination results of the respective pixels, and determines that the scanned image is a color image in a case where an arrangement pattern of blocks determined to be color blocks matches a predetermined pattern.