Patent Document ID: 6088483
Application ID: 09093708
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An image processing method for matching a template image and a search image comprising the steps of: capturing a reference image to generate, from said captured image, a template image having an insensitive region and a sensitive region; generating in an image raster direction in a mask image of the same size as said generated template image, based on a sequence of pixel values corresponding to said sensitive region, a coordinate sequence code having coordinates for a start point and for an end point of said sensitive region; multiplying said mask image having said pixel values by said template image to acquire a variance for said template image having a mask; capturing said search image, and obtaining a covariance for said captured image and said template image having said mask by performing a multiplication and accumulation operation for said captured image and said template image having a mask; multiplying said search image by said mask image having said coordinate sequence of said pixel values and calculating the sum and the squared sum of a search image with a mask to be searched for; subtracting said sum of said search image having said mask corresponding to pixel values for said coordinate sequence of said start points, from said sum of said search image having said mask corresponding to pixel values for said coordinate sequence of said end points; subtracting said squared sum of said search image having said mask corresponding to pixel values for said coordinate sequence of said start points, from said squared sum of said search image having said mask corresponding to pixel values for said coordinate sequence of said end points; acquiring, from said sum and said squared sum of said search image having said mask, a variance for said search image having said mask having the same size as said template image having said mask; calculating a normalized correlation factor by employing said variance for said template image having said mask, said covariance and said variance for said search image having said mask being searched for; and determining whether said template image matches said image being searched for by calculating a coordinate value for which said normalized correlation factor is the maximum.