Apparatus and method for combining a plurality of images

An image combining apparatus for combining a first image and a second image having an overlapping region which overlaps with the first image, comprising:

• identifying means for discriminating the overlapping region within the first and second images, and identifying a first partial image corresponding to the overlapping region of the first image and a second partial image corresponding to the overlapping region of the second image;
• detecting means for detecting corresponding pixels between the first partial image and the second partial image, and detecting tone densities of the first and second partial images on the basis of detected corresponding pixels;
• tone correction means for performing tone correction on at least one of the corresponding pixels of the first partial image and those of the second partial image on the basis of a difference in tone density of the first partial image and the second partial image so that the tone density of the at least one partial image approximates to the other;
• and
• combining means for combining the first image and the second image, substituting image data in the overlapping region with image data indicative of the corrected first partial image and the second partial image.