Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and imaging system

An image processing apparatus for synthesizing a plurality of input images, comprising:

• means for obtaining a characteristic amount for each of a plurality of target images in a first input image;
• means for obtaining slope information;
• and
• means for synthesizing the first input image and a second input image, based on the slope information which has been obtained and a first joint position detected by performing a search between a first target image and a part of the second input image, the search using a second joint position between the first input image and the second input image with respect to a second target image having the characteristic amount greater than the characteristic amount of the first target image.

An image processing method for synthesizing a plurality of input images, comprising:

• obtaining a characteristic amount for each of a plurality of target images in a first input image;
• obtain slope information;
• and
• synthesizing the first input image and a second input image, based on the slope information which has been obtained and a first joint position detected by performing a search between a first target image and a part of the second input image, the search using a second joint position between the first input image and the second input image with respect to a second target image having the characteristic amount greater than the characteristic amount of the first target image.