IMAGE PROCESSOR

PURPOSE: To shorten the time for labeling processing and to economize memory areas required for labeling processing. CONSTITUTION: When scanning two-dimensional image data for each picture element, it is judged whether the value of concerned image data d(x, y) is '1' finding a linked component or not. Assuming that the value is '1', these concerned image data d(x, y) are adjacent to a circumscribed rectangle ru, to which downside adjacent data belong, of coordinate (x, y-1) and adjacent to a circumscribed rectangle rn, to which left side adjacent image data belong, of coordinate (x-1, y). Therefore, those two circumscribed rectangles ru and rl are integrated and defined as a circumscribed rectangle rn. In this case, since slip extension in (x) direction is performed when integrating the circumscribed rectangles, the concerned image data to be next scanned are concerned image data d[x+width(rn)+1, y] for which the concerned image data d(x, y) are skipped from the (x) component just for the slip extension component width(rn)+1.