Patent ID: 7974441

Claim:
An object detection apparatus which detects a specific object in an input image, the object detection apparatus comprising: a specific object detecting module performing a specific object detection process of: with a processor: setting the input image or a reduced image of the input image as a target image, and generating an edge feature image of the target image, determining whether the specific object exists in a determination region while scanning the determination region in the edge feature image of the target image, wherein the specific object detecting module includes a determination module for determining whether the specific object exists in the determination region based on an edge feature amount of the edge feature image corresponding to the determination region and a previously determined relationship between an edge feature amount and a weight indicating object likelihood for each predetermined feature pixel in an image having the same size as the determination region, wherein the specific object detecting module includes a specific object detecting table stored in a memory, the specific object detecting table previously prepared from a plurality of sample images, including the specific object, and storing a previously determined relationship between an edge feature amount and a weight indicating object likelihood for each predetermined feature pixel in the image having the same size as the determination region; and the determination module determining whether the specific object exists in the determination region based on the edge feature amount of the edge feature image corresponding to the determination region and the specific object detecting table, wherein the specific object detection module prepares a plurality of kinds of determination regions having different sizes, the specific object detection module holding a plurality of specific object detecting tables according to a plurality of kinds of determination regions, the specific object detection module setting the plurality of kinds of the determination regions in the edge feature image of the target image, and the specific object detection module performing the specific object detecting process in each set determination region using a specific object detecting table corresponding to the determination region.