Image processing apparatus for converting image in characteristic region of original image into image of brushstroke patterns

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to obtain an image that is more similar to a real ink-wash painting. An ink-wash painting conversion unit 44 converts data of an original image into data of a painterly image. A characteristic region detection unit 42 detects a characteristic region of the original image from the data of the original image. A conversion unit 45 executes gradation processing of gradating the characteristic region detected by the characteristic region detection unit 42, and margin setting processing of setting a margin region to be added to the painterly image, as image processing of further converting the data of the painterly image that was converted by the ink-wash painting conversion unit 44.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
 a first conversion unit that converts data of an original image into data of a painterly image;   a characteristic region detection unit that detects a characteristic region of the original image, from the data of the original image; and   a second conversion unit that executes gradation processing of gradating the characteristic region detected by the characteristic region detection unit, and margin setting processing of setting a margin region to be added to the painterly image, as image processing of further converting the data of the painterly image that was converted by the first conversion unit.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the data of the painterly image is data of an ink-wash-painting-like image.   
     
     
         3 . An image processing apparatus, comprising:
 an original image acquisition unit that acquires data of an original image;   a first conversion unit that converts the data of the original image acquired by the original image acquisition unit into data of an ink-wash-painting-like image;   a characteristic region detection unit that detects a characteristic region of the original image, from the data of the original image acquired by the original image acquisition unit;   an importance information calculation unit that calculates importance information of the original image, based on the data of the original image acquired by the original image acquisition unit; and   a second conversion unit that executes gradation processing of gradating the characteristic region detected by the characteristic region detection unit, and margin setting processing of setting a margin region to be added to the ink-wash-painting-like image, based on the importance information calculated by the importance information calculation unit, as image processing of further converting the data of the ink-wash-painting-like image that was converted by the first conversion unit.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the importance information calculation unit includes:   an importance calculation unit that calculates importance of each pixel composing the original image; and   an importance barycenter calculation unit that calculates an importance barycenter of the original image, based on the importance of the each pixel calculated by the importance calculation unit, and   wherein the second conversion unit executes conversion of the data of the ink-wash-painting-like image, based on the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit.   
     
     
         5 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the second conversion unit includes:   a gradation unit that executes the gradation processing on the characteristic region detected by the characteristic region detection unit, and on an object(s) in at least one region in the characteristic region, based on the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit.   
     
     
         6 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the second conversion unit includes:   an importance barycenter position ratio calculation unit that calculates a position ratio of the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit; and   a background image position ratio calculation unit that calculates a barycenter position ratio of a background image, based on the position ratio of the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter position ratio calculation unit, and   wherein the second conversion unit synthesizes the data of the background image and the data of the ink-wash-painting-like image, based on the position ratio of the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter position ratio calculation unit, and based on the position ratio of the barycenter of the background image calculated by the background image position ratio calculation unit, thereby setting the margin region to be added to the ink-wash-painting-like image.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the importance information calculation unit further includes:
 an importance region calculation unit that calculates an importance region, based on the importance calculated for each pixel by the importance calculation unit, and   wherein the gradation unit calculates an amount of gradation in each pixel, based on the importance of each pixel in the importance region calculated by the importance region calculation unit, and based on a distance between each pixel and the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the gradation unit further includes:   an importance region integration unit that integrates a plurality of importance regions calculated by the importance region calculation unit as an integrated importance region, in a case in which there are a plurality of importance regions calculated by the importance region calculation unit, wherein, inside the importance regions of the integrated importance region, the gradation unit calculates an amount of gradation in each pixel, based on importance of each pixel in the importance regions, and based on a distance between each pixel and the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit, and   wherein, outside the importance regions of the integrated importance region, the gradation unit calculates an amount of gradation in each pixel, based on importance of each pixel inside the integrated importance region, a distance between each pixel and the importance barycenter calculated by the importance barycenter calculation unit, and the importance barycenter as well as an edge direction of the integrated importance region.   
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the second conversion unit further includes:   an image region division unit that divides the data of the ink-wash-painting-like image into a plurality of regions, and   wherein, among the regions divided by the image region division unit, in a case in which a region including a pixel with high importance calculated by the importance calculation unit is in contact with a periphery of the ink-wash-painting-like image, a margin region is not added to the periphery of the region.   
     
     
         10 . An image processing method performed by an image processing apparatus to execute image processing on an original image, the method comprising:
 a first converting step of converting data of the original image into data of a painterly image;   a characteristic region detecting step of detecting a characteristic region of the original image, from the data of the original image; and   a second converting step of executing gradation processing of gradating the characteristic region detected in the characteristic region detecting step, and margin setting processing of setting a margin region to be added to the painterly image, as image processing of further converting the data of the painterly image that was converted by the first converting step.   
     
     
         11 . A storage medium having stored therein a computer readable program for controlling an image processing apparatus that executes image processing on an original image, the program causing a computer to implement functions of:
 a first converting unit that converts data of the original image into data of a painterly image;   a characteristic region detection unit that detects a characteristic region of the original image, from the data of the original image; and   a second conversion unit that executes gradation processing of gradating the characteristic region detected by the characteristic region detection unit, and margin setting processing of setting a margin region to be added to the painterly image, as image processing of further converting the data of the painterly image that was converted by the first conversion unit.