Patent ID: 7873186

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting a target image, comprising: a first memory for storing data representing a first feature utilized in order to detect a target image from within the image of a subject; a reading device for reading data representing a second feature, which is utilized in order to detect the target image, from a second memory that stores the data representing the second feature; a first target-image detecting circuit for detecting the target image from within the image of the subject, which is applied thereto, using the data representing the first feature that has been stored in said first memory; a second target-image detecting circuit for detecting the target image from within the image of the subject, which is applied thereto, using the data representing the second feature that has been read by said reading device; a write mode setting device configured to set a first write mode in which data representing a feature of an image of a human face is written to said second memory as data representing the second feature, and configured to set a second write mode in which data representing a feature of an image of a specific target other than a human being is written to said second memory as data representing the second feature; a feature-data input device for inputting data representing the feature of the image of a human face and data representing the feature of the image of the specific target; and a write control device for, in response to setting of the first write mode by said write mode setting device, writing the data representing the feature of the image of a human face, which as been input from said feature-data input device, to said second memory, and in response to setting of the second write mode by said write mode setting device, writing the data representing the feature of the image of the specific target, which has been input from said feature-data input device, to said second memory.