Image processing apparatus and method

1. An image processing apparatus for combining a first raster image and a second raster image, comprising:

a segmentation unit, arranged to segment the first raster image into plural segment images, each of which has plural pixels and a first predetermined size included in a first segmented image group, and to segment the second raster image into plural segmented images, each of which has plural pixels and a second predetermined size, included in a second segment image group;

an addition unit, arranged to add first unique information to each segmented image of the first segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images of the first segmented image group, and to add second unique information to each segmented image of the second segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images of the second segmented image group;

a determination unit, arranged to determine whether or not each segmented image of the first segmented image group includes an image to be combined with the second raster image, based on the pixels of each segmented image;

an extraction unit, arranged to extract each segmented image of the first segmented image group which has the first predetermined size and is determined by said determination unit to include the image to be combined by said determination unit with the second raster image, and to extract each segmented image from the second segmented image group which has the second predetermined size and the added information corresponding to that of the extracted segmented image of the first segmented image group;

a combination unit, arranged to combine the segmented image of the first segmented image group, which has the first predetermined size and is extracted by said extraction unit, with a corresponding segmented image of the second segmented image group, which has the second predetermined size and is extracted by said extraction unit; and

a generation unit, arranged to generate a synthetic image, as the result of synthesis of the first and second raster images, from at least one image combined by said combination unit and at least one segmented image of the second segmented image group which is not extracted by said extraction unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said segmentation unit generates the plural segmented images by segmenting the first and second raster images into rectangular regions having the first or second predetermined size.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said extraction unit extracts each segmented image of the first segmented image group that contains a pixel having a color different from a background color, as the image to be combined with the second raster image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a data packet generation unit arranged to generate for each one of the extracted images a data packet containing the one segmented image extracted by said extraction unit and position information of the one segmented image.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein if a combining process of said combination unit is not executed in a normal fashion, said data packet generation unit again generates the data packet of each segmented image extracted by said extraction unit related to the combining process that was not executed normally.

6. An image processing method of combining a first raster image and a second raster image, comprising the steps of:

segmenting the first raster image into plural segment images, each of which has plural pixels and a first predetermined size, included in a first segmented image group, and segmenting the second raster image into plural segmented images, each of which has plural pixels and a second predetermined size, included in a second segment image group;

adding first unique information to each segmented image of the first segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images of the first segmented image group, and adding second unique information to each segmented image of the second segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images, of the second segmented image group;

determining whether or not each segmented image of the first segmented image group includes an image to be combined with the second raster image, based on the pixels of each segmented image;

extracting each segmented image of the first segmented image group which has the first predetermined size and is determined to include the image to be combined in the determining step with the second raster image, and extracting each segmented image from the second segmented image group which has the second predetermined size and the added information corresponding to that of the extracted segmented image of the first segmented image group;

combining the segmented image of the first segmented image group, which has the first predetermined size and is extracted with a corresponding segmented image of the second segmented image group which has the second predetermined size and is extracted; and

generating a synthetic image as the result of synthesis of the first and second raster images, from at least one combined image and at least one segmented image of the second segmented image group which is not extracted.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the segmenting step generates the plural segmented images by segmenting the first and second raster images into rectangular regions having the first or second predetermined size.

8. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the extracting step extracts each segmented image of the first segmented image group that contains a pixel having a color different from a background color, as the image to be combined with the second raster image.

9. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising the step of generating for each one of the extracted images a data packet containing the one segmented image extracted and position information of the one segmented image.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein if a combining process in the combining step is not executed in a normal fashion, the generating step again generating the data packet of each segmented image extracted related to the combining process that was not executed normally.

11. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium, the program comprising computer program code for an image processing method of combining a first raster image and a second raster image, said method comprising the steps of:

segmenting the first raster image into plural segment images, each of which has plural pixels and a first predetermined size, included in a first segmented image group, and segmenting the second raster image into plural segmented images, each of which has plural pixels and a second predetermined size, included in a second segment image group;

adding first unique information to each segmented image of the first segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images of the first segmented image group, and adding second unique information to each segmented image of the second segmented image group to discriminate between the segmented images of the second segmented image group;

determining whether or not each segmented image of the first segmented image group includes an image to be combined with the second raster image, based on the pixels of each segmented image;

extracting each segmented image of the first segmented image group which has the first predetermined size and is determined to include the image to be combined in the determining step with the second raster image, and extracting each segmented image from the second segmented image group which has the second predetermined size and the added information corresponding to that of the extracted segmented image of the first segmented image group;

combining the segmented image of the first segmented image group, which has the first predetermined size and is extracted, with the corresponding segmented image of the second segmented image group, which has the second predetermined size and is extracted; and

generating a synthetic image, as the result of synthesis of the first and second raster images, from at least one combined image and at least one segmented image of the second segmented image group which is not extracted.

12. The product according to claim 11 , wherein the segmenting step generates the plural segmented images by segmenting the first and second raster images into rectangular regions having the first or second predetermined size.

13. The product according to claim 11 , wherein the extracting step extracts each segmented image of the first segmented image group that contains a pixel having a color different from a background color, as the image to be combined with the second raster image.

14. The product according to claim 11 , wherein said method further comprises the step of generating for each one of the extracted images a data packet containing the one segmented image extracted and position information of the one segmented image.

15. The product according to claim 14 , wherein if a combining process in the combining step is not executed in a normal fashion, the generating step again generating the data packet of each segmented image extracted related to the combining process that was not executed normally.