Image processing apparatus

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a background density distribution estimating part that estimates density distribution of pixels in a background area in an image to be processed;

an area density distribution estimating part that estimates density distribution in a designated area in the image; and

an entry existence judging part that judges existence or not of entry of predetermined information in the designated area, based on the density distribution of the pixels in the background area estimated by said background density distribution estimating part and the density distribution in the designated area estimated by said area density distribution estimating part.

2. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

a background density estimating part that estimates density of the pixels in the background area in the image,

wherein said area density distribution estimating part estimates density distribution in each of small areas into which the designated area is divided, and

wherein said entry existence judging part includes a first entry existence judging part that judges the existence or not of the entry of the predetermined information in each of the small areas in the image, based on the density distribution of the pixels in the background area estimated by said background density distribution estimating part and the density distribution in each of the small areas estimated by said area density distribution estimating part.

3. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2 , further comprising:

an area density replacing part that replaces the density of the small area in the image which is judged as having no entry of the predetermined information by said first entry existence judging part, by the background density estimated by said background density estimating part.

4. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 ,

wherein said area density replacing part fills the small area in the image which is judged as having no entry of the predetermined information by said first entry existence judging part, by the background density estimated by said background density estimating part.

5. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 , further comprising:

a density value converter that converts a set of M density values of each pixel of an image in which each pixel is represented by a set of plural density values, into a set of N pieces of density values in a representation format same as or similar to a representation format of the set of the density values of the image, and inputs a resultant image to said background density distribution estimating part,

wherein said area density replacing part replaces a set of density values in the area which is judged as having no entry of the predetermined information by said entry existence judging part, by a set of background density values estimated by the background density estimating part.

6. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 2 ,

wherein said area density distribution estimating part includes a first area density distribution estimating part that estimates density distribution of each of small areas into which the designated area in the image is divided in a first direction, and the apparatus further comprising:

a first area detector that detects an area including an entry width of the predetermined information in or near the small area which is judged as having the entry of the predetermined information by the first entry existence judging part.

7. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 6 ,

wherein said first area detector couples contiguous small areas out of the small areas judged as having the entry of the predetermined information, and detects a resultant area as the area including the entry width of the predetermined information.

8. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 6 ,

wherein said first area detector detects the area including the entry width of the predetermined information extending in a specific direction, from the small areas judged as having the entry of the predetermined information.

9. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising:

a second area density distribution estimating part that estimates density distribution of each of small areas into which the area detected by said first area detector is divided in a second direction intersecting with the specific direction;

a second entry existence judging part that judges the existence or not of the entry of the predetermined information in each of the small areas based on the density distribution of the pixels in the background area estimated by said background density distribution estimating part and the density distribution of each of the small areas estimated by said second area density distribution estimating part; and

a second area detector that detects an area including an entry range of the predetermined information out of the small areas which are judged as having the entry of the predetermined information by said second entry existence judging part.

10. The image processing apparatus as set forth in claim 9 ,

wherein each of said first area detector and said second area detector couples contiguous small areas out of the small areas judged as having the entry of the predetermined information, and detects a resultant area as the area including the entry width of the predetermined information.

11. An image processing method where a computer processes an image, comprising:

estimating, by the computer, density distribution of background pixels out of pixels forming the image to be processed;

estimating, by the computer, density distribution in a predetermined area in the image;

judging, by the computer, existence or not of entry of a character which is predetermined information, in the designated area, based on the estimated density distribution of the background pixels and the estimated density distribution in the designated area.