Image processing apparatus and image processing method

An image processing method for exchanging image data, comprising:

• extracting a first feature value included in image data of a first captured image captured by a first image processing apparatus;
• receiving a second feature value and identification information of an other image processing apparatus from the other image processing apparatus;
• determining whether the extracted first feature value matches the received second feature value;
• determining that the first image processing apparatus has captured the first captured image;
• and
• transferring the image data of the first captured image and the identification information of the other image processing apparatus to the other image processing apparatus in response to the determining that the first image processing apparatus has captured the first captured image and there being a match between the first feature value extracted in the extracting and the second feature value.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a processor of an apparatus, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• extracting a first feature value included in image data of a first captured image captured by the apparatus;
• receiving a second feature value and identification information of an other apparatus from the other apparatus;
• determining whether the received second feature value matches the first feature value;
• determining that the apparatus has captured the first captured image;
• and
• transferring the image data of the first captured image and the identification information of the other apparatus in response to the determining that the apparatus has captured the first captured image and there being a match between the first feature value extracted in the extracting and the second feature value.

An image processing apparatus for exchanging image data, comprising:

• a feature value extraction unit configured to extract a first feature value included in image data of a first captured image captured by the image processing apparatus;
• a feature value reception unit configured to receive a second feature value from an other image processing apparatus and to receive a third feature value along with an addition flag and identification information of the other image processing apparatus from the other image processing apparatus;
• a first determination unit configured to determine whether the received second feature value matches the first feature value included in the image data of the first captured image, to determine, based on the addition flag, whether the received third feature value matches the first feature value included in the image data of the first captured image, and to determine when the image processing apparatus captures the first captured image;
• and
• an image data transfer unit configured to transfer the image data of the first captured image and the identification information of the other image processing apparatus to the other image processing apparatus in response to a determination by the first determination unit that the image processing apparatus has captured the first captured image and there being at least one match between the first feature value extracted by the feature value extraction unit and the second feature value and between the first feature value extracted by the feature value extraction unit and the third feature value.

An image processing apparatus for exchanging image data, comprising:

• a feature value extraction unit configured to extract a first feature value included in image data of a first captured image captured by the image processing apparatus;
• a feature value reception unit configured to receive a second feature value and identification information of an other image processing apparatus from the other image processing apparatus and to receive a third feature value along with an update flag and a specifier from the other image processing apparatus;
• a first determination unit configured to determine whether the received third feature value matches the first feature value included in the image data of the first captured image and to determine when the image processing apparatus captures the first captured image;
• and
• an image data transfer unit configured to transfer, based on the specifier specifying the second feature value, the image data of the first captured image and the identification information of the other image processing apparatus to the other image processing apparatus in response to a determination that the image processing apparatus has captured the first captured image and there being a match between the first feature value extracted by the feature value extraction unit and the third feature value instead of there being a match between the first and second feature values.