Image processing apparatus, imaging apparatus, image processing method

An imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a first image capturing device to capture a first image in a first direction to generate a first captured image;
• and
• a second image capturing device to capture a second image in a second direction to generate a second captured image, the first direction and the second direction being different from each other;
• the first captured image and the second captured image having an overlapping area, the overlapping area in the first captured image having a plurality of target areas in each of which a stitching position is to be obtained, the plurality of target areas being arranged in an orthogonal direction with respect to a direction in which the first captured image and the second captured image are arranged and having a corresponding plurality of sizes different from each other,
• wherein:
• the first captured image and the second captured image are to be one of a spherical image and a panoramic image,
• the plurality of target areas includes two target areas including a first target area and a second target area,
• the first target area and the second target area are arranged in a vertical direction with an equator as a boundary, and
• the first target area has a size less than the size of the second target area.

An image processing method, comprising:

• receiving an input of a first captured image and an input of a second captured image;
• and
• obtaining, in the first captured image, a stitching position in an overlapping area of the first captured image and the second captured image, wherein
• the overlapping area in the first captured image has a plurality of target areas in each of which a stitching position is to be obtained, the plurality of target areas is arranged in an orthogonal direction with respect to a direction in which the first captured image and the second captured image are arranged and has a corresponding plurality of sizes different from each other,
• wherein:
• the first captured image and the second captured image are to be one of a spherical image and a panoramic image,
• the plurality of target areas includes two target areas including a first target area and a second target area,
• the first target area and the second target area are arranged in a vertical direction with an equator as a boundary, and
• the first target area has a size less than the size of the second target area.