Image Processing Apparatus Background Color Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing technologies fail to effectively correct images for background color, leading to issues like color cast and reduced image quality, especially when images are scanned from paper with non-white backgrounds.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that determines the ratio of background pixels to total pixels and applies either a first correction, which adjusts both internal and external pixel values to match a white background, or a second correction, which only adjusts pixels within a specific range to maintain object colors, based on this ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a correction curve is used to change all pixel values to white background, then background color is removed, but object colors are distorted and image quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different correction strategies to different regions of the image based on pixel analysis. Pixels within the background color range (first range) undergo full correction to white, while pixels outside this range (second range) are preserved with minimal or no correction. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing aggressive background correction only where needed, preserving object color accuracy in other regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments pixels into two distinct groups: first type pixels (within the first range containing background color) and second type pixels (outside the first range). This segmentation allows the correction process to treat background and object pixels differently, correcting background pixels to white while preserving the original colors of object pixels, thus resolving the contradiction between background correction and object color preservation.
2Manufacturing precision
If all pixel values are corrected uniformly, then background color is removed, but image quality and color fidelity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by applying correction only to pixels within the first range (background pixels) while preserving pixels in the second range (object pixels). This selective correction removes background color accurately without losing original color information of objects, resolving the contradiction between background removal and color preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and identifies background pixels based on their color values falling within the first range, then applies correction only to these extracted pixels. By separating background pixels from object pixels and applying different processing, the patent removes background color while preserving original color information of objects.
3Manufacturing precision
If background color correction is applied to all pixels, then background is corrected, but objects with colors similar to background are distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating correction based on pixel location in color space. Pixels within the first range (background) receive full correction to white, while pixels in the second range (objects) receive no correction or minimal correction. This resolves the contradiction by ensuring objects with colors similar to background are not distorted, as they fall outside the correction range.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the color space into a first range (containing background color) and a second range (containing object colors). This segmentation allows precise identification of background pixels versus object pixels, enabling correction of background while preserving object colors even when they are similar, thus resolving the measurement precision issue.
Data Source
AI summary
A first correction is executed on target image data representative of a target image when a ratio of a number of first type pixels relative to a number of a plurality of pixels in the target image data is determined to be greater than or equal to a prescribed value. A second correction is executed on the target image data when the ratio is determined to be smaller than the prescribed value. Pixel values of the first type pixels are within a first range that is defined based on a color value indicative of a background color of the target image. The first correction corrects both of internal pixel values and external pixel values which are within and out of a second range that contains the color value of the background color. The second correction corrects the internal pixel values and does not correct the external pixel values.