Method and apparatus for computing degree of matching

A method causing a computer to perform the process of:

• transforming an input image so that the input image is matched to a template object region corresponding to an object region of a template image, the transforming process including:
• an object corresponding region processing step of shaping a non-background region to a form of the template object region in the object corresponding region that is the region of the input image corresponding with the template object region, and the object corresponding region processing step, in order to shape the input image, including:
• a step of allocating distance information to a target pixel of the object corresponding region of the input image by referring to the distance information, and replacing a pixel value of the target pixel with a pixel value of a target pixel located in a predetermined range and having an allocated distance equal to that of the target pixel, and
• an object non-corresponding region processing step of arranging an oozed region that is a non-background region contacting with a template object corresponding region so that the oozed region has no substantial impact on the degree of matching in the object non-corresponding region that is a region of the input image not corresponding with the template object region;
• and
• computing a degree of matching between the transformed input image and the template image;
• wherein the transforming process includes a step of creating distance information used to store distance information indicating a distance between a pixel of the template image and a boundary of the template object region, thereby acting as pre-process to the object corresponding region processing step, used to execute the shaping.

A method of comparing an input image with an object template image and computing a degree of matching between the input image and the object template image based on the compared result, comprising:

• a transforming step of transforming the input image so that the input image is matched to the template object region corresponding to the object region of the template image;
• and
• a computing step of computing a degree of matching between the transformed input image and the template image, wherein the degree of matching is a normalized correlation value between the transformed input image and the template image;
• wherein the transforming step includes:
• an object corresponding region processing step of shaping a non-background region to the form of an object region in an object corresponding region of the input image that is a region corresponding with the template object region, and the object corresponding region processing step, in order to shape the input image, includes:
• a step of allocating distance information to a target pixel of the object corresponding region of the input image by referring to the distance information, and replacing a pixel value of the target pixel with a pixel value of a target pixel located in a predetermined range and having an allocated distance equal to that of the target pixel;
• and
• an object non-corresponding region processing step of arranging an oozed region corresponding to the non-background region contacting with the object corresponding region so that the oozed region has no substantial impact on the degree of matching in an object non-corresponding region of the input image that is a region not corresponding with the template object region;
• wherein the transforming process includes a step of creating distance information used to store distance information indicating a distance between a pixel of the template image and a boundary of the template object region, thereby acting as a pre-process to the object corresponding region processing step, used to execute the shaping.