Identifying and extracting a sub-image in a document image file

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

modifying colors in a document image file to form a modified document image file, wherein the document image file contains a first color, a second color, and a third color, wherein a threshold is used to determine whether each of different levels of the third color is to be one of the first color and the second color;

creating a first image file with solid horizontal lines and a second image file with solid vertical lines from the modified document image file;

removing the solid horizontal lines from the first image file having a pre-defined width and the solid vertical lines from the second image file having a pre-defined height;

adding remaining solid horizontal lines in the first image file and remaining solid vertical lines in the second image file in a new image file;

identifying a sub-image in the new image file based on the remaining solid horizontal lines and the remaining solid vertical lines;

extracting a segment that includes the sub-image; and

performing post-processing on the segment.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first color is white, wherein the second color is black, and wherein the third color is grey.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein edge detection is used to extract the segment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the post-processing includes any of storing the segment in a database, re-using the segment, modifying the segment, and re-using the modified segment.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a Software as a Service (SaaS) is configured to perform method operations.

6. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code executable by at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

modifying colors in a document image file to form a modified document image file, wherein the document image file contains a first color, a second color, and a third color, wherein a threshold is used to determine whether each of different levels of the third color is to be one of the first color and the second color;

creating a first image file with solid horizontal lines and a second image file with solid vertical lines from the modified document image file;

removing the solid horizontal lines from the first image file having a pre-defined width and the solid vertical lines from the second image file having a pre-defined height;

adding remaining solid horizontal lines in the first image file and remaining solid vertical lines in the second image file in a new image file;

identifying a sub-image in the new image file based on the remaining solid horizontal lines and the remaining solid vertical lines;

extracting a segment that includes the sub-image; and

performing post-processing on the segment.

7. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the first color is white, wherein the second color is black, and wherein the third color is grey.

8. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein edge detection is used to extract the segment.

9. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein the post-processing includes any of storing the segment in a database, re-using the segment, modifying the segment, and re-using the modified segment.

10. The computer program product of claim 6 , wherein a Software as a Service (SaaS) is configured to perform computer program product operations.

11. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories and one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more computer-readable, tangible storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more computer-readable memories, to perform operations comprising:

modifying colors in a document image file to form a modified document image file, wherein the document image file contains a first color, a second color, and a third color, wherein a threshold is used to determine whether each of different levels of the third color is to be one of the first color and the second color;

creating a first image file with solid horizontal lines and a second image file with solid vertical lines from the modified document image file;

removing the solid horizontal lines from the first image file having a pre-defined width and the solid vertical lines from the second image file having a pre-defined height;

adding remaining solid horizontal lines in the first image file and remaining solid vertical lines in the second image file in a new image file;

identifying a sub-image in the new image file based on the remaining solid horizontal lines and the remaining solid vertical lines;

extracting a segment that includes the sub-image; and

performing post-processing on the segment.

12. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the first color is white, wherein the second color is black, and wherein the third color is grey.

13. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein edge detection is used to extract the segment.

14. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein the post-processing includes any of storing the segment in a database, re-using the segment, modifying the segment, and re-using the modified segment.

15. The computer system of claim 11 , wherein a Software as a Service (SaaS) is configured to perform computer system operations.