Patent ID: 8644560

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a depth image obtaining unit configured to obtain a depth image including information on distances from an image-capturing position to a subject in a two-dimensional image to be captured, the depth image being in units of pixels of the image; a local tip portion detection unit configured to detect a portion of the subject at a depth and a position close from the image-capturing position as a local tip portion in units of blocks formed every plurality of adjacent pixels in the depth image; a projecting portion detection unit configured to detect, in a case where, when each of the blocks is set as a block of interest, the local tip portion of the block of interest in an area formed of the plurality of blocks adjacent to the block of interest, including the block of interest, becomes a local tip portion closest from the image-capturing position in the region, the local tip portion as a projecting portion; and a tracking unit configured to continuously track the position of the projecting portion detected by the projecting portion detection unit.