Patent ID: 9396396
Filing Date: 2016-07-19
CPC Classification: G01B,G06K,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A place estimation apparatus comprising: a feature value extraction unit that extracts a position-invariant feature value from an input image; a matching unit that refers to a database and obtaining matching between the input image and a registered place, the database storing each registered place and its associated position-invariant feature value; a similarity-level calculation unit that calculates a similarity level in which a registered place near a selected registered place is included in the calculation when the matching is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold; and a place recognition unit that recognizes that the input image is the registered place when the similarity level is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the feature value extraction unit comprises: a local feature value extraction unit that extracts a local feature value from each of input images formed from successively-shot successive images; a feature value matching unit that obtains matching between successive input images for the local feature value extracted by the local feature value extraction unit; defining a vector in each of the input images formed from the successive images, the vector being formed by a center of gravity of the already-extracted position-invariant feature values and one of the corresponding feature values; newly extracting, when a difference between the vectors formed in respective input images formed from the successive images is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the one of the corresponding feature values as the position-invariant feature value; and