Patent ID: 8355564

Claim:
A corresponding point searching method comprising the steps of: taking in a plurality of images of an object when viewed from different viewpoints via image take-in means; cutting out one-dimensional pixel data strings from the plurality of images along epipolar lines calculated from a parameter for the image take-in means and a reference point; and searching for corresponding points in the plurality of images from a correlation between the one-dimensional pixel data strings cut out from the plurality of images; wherein the step of cutting out comprises the steps of cutting out one-dimensional pixel data strings from the plurality of images along the epipolar lines, and cutting out one-dimensional pixel data strings near the one-dimensional pixel data strings along lines parallel to the epipolar lines, and the step of searching comprises the step of searching for corresponding points in the plurality of images from a correlation obtained by synthesizing correlations taken between each of a plurality of corresponding pairs of one-dimensional pixel data strings cut out from the plurality of images.