Method and apparatus for sectioning image into plurality of regions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sectioning an image into a plurality of regions, by which regions of an image having various features can be extracted stably in a form similar to what humans can perceive, are provided. The method for sectioning an input image into a plurality of regions includes the steps of: converting each pixel of the input image into color coordinates in an arbitrary color space including a luminance (L) axis; forming a plurality of layers and a plurality of bins from the color space; if a distance between the centers of upper last and lower last circles determined using a color, a texture, and a position on an image plane for a pixel is less than a first threshold value, including the upper last and lower last circles in the same cluster and performing the above step on an adjacent lower layer; if the distance between the centers of the upper last and lower last circles is no less than the first threshold value or if the adjacent lower layer does not exist, partitioning the cluster using a last circle including the smallest number of pixels in the color space used in calculating an average color, an average texture, and an average position among the last circles included in the cluster; and performing the above steps on the remaining pixels not included in the upper last or the lower last circle and generating an image graph using clusters obtained for all pixels in the color space.