Patent ID: 6943792

Claim:
An apparatus for generating a three-dimensional data set, comprising: an acquiring portion for acquiring a first original data set and a second original data set, the first original data set and the second original data set respectively representing first and second original images, each of the first and second original images being obtained by imaging a same object from differing observation points; a resolution multiplication unit for converting the first original data set and the second original data set to a first low resolution data set and a second low resolution data set, respectively; an extracting portion for separating high precision areas from low precision areas in the first original data set; a corresponding point searching unit for searching at least one set of corresponding points in the low precision areas and for searching at least one set of corresponding points in the high precision areas, the corresponding point searching unit uses results of the search of corresponding points in the low precision areas as a default for beginning the search of corresponding points in the high precision areas; and a three-dimensional generating portion for generating a three-dimensional data set of the object using the corresponding points found by the corresponding point searching unit and the first original data set and the second original data set and the first low resolution data set and the second low resolution data set; wherein the three-dimensional data set comprises a first part and a second part, the first part is generated using the first original data set and the second original data set, and the second part is generated using the first low resolution data set and the second low resolution data set; and the first part of the three-dimensional data set comprises the extracted high precision areas.