Patent ID: 8340469

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a band-shaped area selecting section selecting, from among band-shaped areas each having a first angle with respect to a second direction orthogonal to a first direction in which a first point group extends side by side with a second point group, a first band-shaped area having a maximum height, which satisfies a condition that the first band-shaped area is on one side of the first point group, which is in a direction same as or opposite to the first direction and on one side of the second point group, which is in a direction opposite to or same as the first direction; an angle selecting section selecting a candidate for the first angle from among angles smaller or larger than the first angle, on the basis of relationships between a first point in the first point group which touches the first band-shaped area, a second point in the second point group which touches the first band-shaped area, and the first angle; and a control section effecting control to repeat selecting of the first band-shaped area by the band-shaped area selecting section and selecting of the candidate for the first angle by the angle selecting section, and obtaining the first band-shaped area finally selected by the band-shaped area selecting section, as a processing result.