Patent ID: 8774495

Claim:
An image synthesizing apparatus, comprising: a common area determination unit configured to determine a common area which is included in both first and second images shot at different positions and whose boundary includes a first part common to a boundary of the first image and a second part common to a boundary of the second image; a coincidence degree calculation unit configured to calculate a first coincidence degree which indicates a degree of coincidence between a first area within the common area of the first image and the first area within the common area of the second image, and to calculate a second coincidence degree which indicates a degree of coincidence between a second area within the common area of the first image and the second area within the common area of the second image; and an image synthesizing unit configured to synthesize the first and second images using the common area included in the first image when the first coincidence degree is higher than the second coincidence degree, and to synthesize the first and second images using the common area included in the second image when the second coincidence degree is higher than the first coincidence degree, wherein first area is included within the common area and has a width within a prescribed width from the first part of the boundary of the common area, and the second area is included within the common area and has a width within the prescribed width from the second part of the boundary of the common area.