Positioning method for searching a previously registered standard pattern out of an inspection target image

A positioning apparatus for searching a previously registered standard pattern out of an inspection target image obtained by capturing an image of an inspection target, to position the standard pattern with respect to the inspection target image, so as to conduct a pass/fail determination of a product or sorting of a product, wherein the inspection target is the product manufactured in a factory

• the apparatus comprising:
• a setting unit for displaying a standard image of a product to be a standard for the inspection target and setting a first region in the standard image so as to surround the standard pattern in the standard image and a second region in the standard image, the second region being a region for sorting a plurality of candidates similar to the standard pattern in the inspection target image;
• a storing unit for storing a relative positional relation of the second region with respect to the first region set by the setting unit;
• an extraction unit for searching the standard pattern from the inspection target image, extracting the plurality of candidates similar to the standard pattern from the inspection target image, and deciding the position of the first region corresponding to each of the plurality of candidates;
• a sorting unit for disposing the second region with respect to each of the plurality of candidates, extracted by the extraction unit so as to have said relative positional relation with respect to the position of the first region provided by the extraction unit, and sorting the plurality of candidates extracted by the extraction unit based on an evaluation value of the second region disposed with respect to each of the plurality of candidates for the standard pattern;
• and
• an output unit for outputting the desired candidate for the standard pattern based on a sorting result of the sorting unit.