Patent ID: 7602966

Claim:
An image processing method performed by an image processing circuit, comprising: a first step of selecting a single probability density function from among a plurality of probability density functions each of which defines, for each of pixel data which form a plurality of image data, whether the pixel data belongs to a matchable region in which any pixel data corresponds to one of said pixel data in the other image data or an occlusion region in which any pixel data corresponds to none of said pixel data in the other image data; a second step of specifying a correspondence relationship in a unit of pixel data between said plural image data which minimizes the energy representative of a correspondence relationship between said plural image data defined in accordance with probability density function selected at said first step; a third step of updating parallax data indicative of a parallax between said plural image data and the occlusion regions based on said correspondence relationship defined at said second step; and a fourth step of updating the probability density functions based on said parallax data and the occlusion regions updated at said third step.