PURPOSE: To eliminate random noise at the time of camera input and to prevent image area selection from being misdecided by discriminating the character part and pattern part by image data of plural frames.
CONSTITUTION: An image decision part 1 detects a character outline from multivalued-level camera input image data and stores the detection result in a memory 2 by plural frames. Then an edge emphasis part 4 emphasizes the edge of the multivalued-level camera input image data, a moire suppression edge emphasis part 6 performs an edge emphasizing process which eliminates moire for the binarization output of a fixed threshold level binarization part 5 and the multivalued-level camera input image data, and a majority decision processing part 3 generates a final character outline according to the binarization output of an error diffusion binarization part 7 and the detection results of plural frames stored in the memory 2 and outputs the result by switching a selector 8. Thus, a majority decision is made according to the results of decisions on image areas of plural frames to eliminate noise which is generated at random and then misdecision making is reduced to maintain high picture quality.
NAKAMURA TOSHIAKI
OKUDE MARIKO
INUZUKA TATSUKI
