US 6,983,069 B2
Image processing method, image processing device, image processing program, and recording medium for recording image processing program
Kouji Kita, Wakayama (Japan)
Assigned to Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd., Wakayama (Japan)
Filed on Jul. 27, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/915,532.
Claims priority of application No. 2000-227896 (JP), filed on Jul. 27, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2002/0051569 A1, May 02, 2002
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 382—167 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image processing method, comprising the steps of:
separating image data into luminosity data and chromaticity data; and
changing a rate of smoothing of the chromaticity data and a rate of smoothing of the luminosity data according to a variation of the luminosity data in two-dimensional coordinate space,
wherein:
a first reference value is specified as to a degree of the variation of the luminosity data; and
in image areas where the variation of the luminosity data is smaller than the first reference value, the chromaticity data is subjected to the smoothing first and, if necessary, the luminosity data is subjected to the smoothing thereafter.