Image collating apparatus, image collating method, image collating program and computer readable recording medium recording image collating program

Claim 2

An image collating apparatus, comprising: partial image feature value calculating means for calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searching means for searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating means for calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out by said maximum matching score position searching means; and determining means for determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 3

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising category determining means for determining, based on the partial image feature value output by said partial image feature value calculating means for one of two images, a category to which said one image belongs; wherein said the other image is selected based on the category of said one image determined by said category determining means.

Claim 4

The image collating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said the other image belongs to the same category as said one image.

Claim 5

The image collating apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein when a plurality of images are prepared as said the other image, one image among said plurality of the other images that belong to the same category as said one image is selected with priority.

Claim 6

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said maximum matching score position searching means searches that partial area set in said the other image which has the same said partial image feature value as said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 7

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image indicates that said pattern extends along one of said vertical direction and said horizontal direction, said maximum matching score position searching means searches that partial area of the image set in said the other image of which said partial image feature value indicates said pattern extending along said one direction and searches that partial area of the image set in said the other image of which said partial image feature value indicates said other pattern.

Claim 8

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said partial area having said partial image feature value indicating said other pattern is excluded from the search by said maximum matching score position searching means.

Claim 9

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said partial image feature value calculating means calculates maximum length of consecutive pixels along horizontal direction and maximum length of consecutive pixels along vertical direction, and outputs said partial image feature value based on values indicating respective maximum lengths.

Claim 10

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said partial image feature value calculating means extracts strings of pixels representative of horizontal and vertical directions, from each of said partial area images, and based on a number of changes in pixel value in each extracted string of pixels, outputs said partial image feature value.

Claim 11

The image collating apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said partial image feature value calculating means provides, for each of said partial area images, an image by displacing the partial area image to the left and right by a prescribed number of pixels and superposing the resulting images, and an image by displacing the partial area image upward and downward by a prescribed number of pixels and superposing the resulting images; calculates a difference in pixel value between the image obtained by displacing each partial area image to the left and right by a prescribed number of pixels and superposing and the corresponding partial area image, and a difference in pixel value between the image obtained by displacing the partial area image upward and downward by a prescribed number of pixels and superposing and the corresponding partial area image; and outputs said partial image feature value based on the calculated differences.

Claim 12

An image collating method, comprising a processor to implement the steps of: partial image feature value calculating step of calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searching step of searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating step of calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out in said maximum matching score position searching step; and determining step of determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched in said maximum matching score position searching step is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 13

An image collating method, comprising a processor to implement the steps of: partial image feature value calculating step of calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searching step of searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating step of calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out in said maximum matching score position searching step; and determining step of determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched in said maximum matching score position searching step is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 14

An image collating method comprising a processor to implement: calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out; and determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 15

An image collating method comprising a processor to implement: calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out; and determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 16

A computer readable recording medium recording an image collating program causing a computer to execute an image collating method, said method including partial image feature value calculating step of calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searching step of searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating step of calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out in said maximum matching score position searching step; and determining step of determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched in said maximum matching score position searching step is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 17

A computer readable recording medium recording an image collating program causing a computer to execute an image collating method, said method including partial image feature value calculating step of calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searching step of searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating step of calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out in said maximum matching score position searching step; and determining step of determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched in said maximum matching score position searching step is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 18

An image collating apparatus, comprising: partial image feature value calculating unit calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searcher searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating unit calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out by said maximum matching score position searcher; and determining unit determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 19

An image collating apparatus, comprising: partial image feature value calculating unit calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is one of three different values and wherein said one of three different values respectively represent that said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction, a pattern extending along the horizontal direction and other pattern, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searcher searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating unit calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out by said maximum matching score position searcher; and determining unit determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 20

An image collating apparatus, comprising: partial image feature value calculating unit calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is a plurality of different values and wherein two of said plurality of different values include a value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and a value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searcher searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating unit calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out by said maximum matching score position searcher; and determining unit determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 21

An image collating apparatus, comprising: partial image feature value calculating unit calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is a plurality of different values and wherein two of said plurality of different values include a value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and a value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; maximum matching score position searcher searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; similarity score calculating unit calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out by said maximum matching score position searcher; and determining unit determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 22

The image collating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the partial image feature value calculating unit compares the value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and the value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and wherein a result of the comparison being the value of the partial image feature value outputted by the partial image feature value calculating unit.

Claim 23

The image collating apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the partial image feature value calculating unit compares the value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and the value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and wherein if a result of the comparison provides a direction having a larger value being horizontal, outputting a value representing a horizontal direction being the value of the partial image feature value outputted by the partial image feature value calculating unit, if a result of the comparison provides a direction having a larger value being vertical, outputting a value representing a vertical direction being the value of the partial image feature value outputted by the partial image feature value calculating unit, and if a result of the comparison is neither of a direction having a larger value being vertical or a direction having a larger value being horizontal, outputting a predetermined value being the value of the partial image feature value outputted by the partial image feature value calculating unit.

Claim 24

An image collating method comprising a processor to implement: calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is a plurality of different values and wherein two of said plurality of different values include a value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and a value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out; and determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 25

An image collating method comprising a processor to implement: calculating, on each of a plurality of partial area images set in an image, a value reflecting a pattern of the image of the partial area, wherein said partial image feature value is a plurality of different values and wherein two of said plurality of different values include a value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and a value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and outputting the value as a partial image feature value; searching, for each of a plurality of partial area images set in one of two images, for a maximum matching score position of the other of the two images, which is a position of a partial area image having the maximum matching score with the partial area image; calculating a similarity score between the two images and outputting an image similarity score, using information related to that partial area of which positional relation amount is within a prescribed range, said positional relation amount representing positional relation between a reference position, for each of said partial areas, for measuring a position of the partial area within said one image, and said maximum matching score position corresponding to the partial area searched out; and determining whether said two images match or not, based on said image similarity score applied thereto; wherein scope of said the other image searched by said maximum matching score position searching means is selected and determined from among a plurality of partial areas set in said the other image in accordance with said partial image feature value of the partial area image set in said one image.

Claim 26

The image collating method according to claim 18 , wherein the partial image feature value calculating unit compares the value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and the value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and wherein a result of the comparison being the value of the partial image feature value outputted by the partial image feature value calculating unit.

Claim 27

The image collating method according to claim 18 , wherein the partial image feature value calculating unit compares the value indicating said partial area image has a pattern extending along the vertical direction and the value indicating partial area image has a pattern extending along the horizontal direction, and wherein if a result of the comparison provides a direction having a larger value being horizontal, outputting a value representing a horizontal direction being the value of the partial image feature value outputted, if a result of the comparison provides a direction having a larger value being vertical, outputting a value representing a vertical direction being the value of the partial image feature value outputted, and if a result of the comparison is neither of a direction having a larger value being vertical or a direction having a larger value being horizontal, outputting a predetermined value being the value of the partial image feature value outputted.