Image processing apparatus, method, and program that classifies data of images

An image processing method carried out by an image processing apparatus to execute image processing by using data of a target image as a target, the method comprising:

• detecting a region including a face of a subject in the target image, as a face region, using data of a captured image that can identify a capture date thereof, as the data of the target image;
• recognizing an age of the subject in the target image based on the detected face region;
• searching for data of an existing image having a face region similar to the detected face region detected, as data of a similar image, from among data of a plurality of existing images that can respectively identify capture dates thereof, each of which belongs to one of a plurality of groups;
• determining whether or not the recognized age of the subject in the target image is within a predetermined first range;
• acquiring, in a case in which it is determined that the age of the subject in the target image is within the first range, a difference between a first capture date of the data of the target image and a second capture date of the data of the similar image, and comparing the difference with a predetermined second range;
• and
• classifying the data of the target image into the same group as the group to which the data of the similar image belongs, in a case in which the difference is within the second range according to a result of the comparison.

A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein a program executable by a computer that controls an image processing apparatus to carry out image processing on data of a target image as a target, the program causing the computer to perform functions comprising:

• detecting a region including a face of a subject in the target image, as a face region, using data of a captured image that can identify a capture date thereof as the data of the target image;
• recognizing an age of the subject in the target image based on the detected face region;
• searching for data of an existing image having a face region similar to the detected face region, as data of a similar image, from among data of a plurality of existing images that can respectively identify capture dates thereof, each of which belongs to one of a plurality of groups;
• determining whether or not the recognized age of the subject in the target image is within a predetermined first range;
• acquiring, in a case in which it is determined that the age of the subject in the target image is within the first range, a difference between a first capture date of the data of the target image and a second capture date of the data of the similar image, and comparing the difference with a predetermined second range;
• and
• classifying the data of the target image into the same group as the group to which the data of the similar image belongs, in a case in which the difference is within the second range according to a result of the comparison.