Information processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, control system applicable to moveable apparatus, information processing method, and storage medium of program of method

An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

• an image capturing sensor to capture an image of an object from a plurality of viewpoints to acquire stereo images of the object;
• and
• an information processing apparatus to process the stereo images to recognize the object, the information processing apparatus comprising:
• processing circuitry to calculate a disparity of the stereo images by using a matching process, the disparity calculator comprising processing circuitry being configured to:
• calculate a correlation evaluation value in a search range set for the stereo images;
• detect an extreme value of the calculated correlation evaluation value;
• set a threshold range for the detected extreme value;
• count a number of the extreme value existing within the threshold range;
• and
• update the set threshold range to a new threshold range when a new extreme value indicating a higher correlation level of the disparity compared to the set threshold range is detected,
• wherein the processing circuitry is configured to count the number of the extreme value in the new threshold range most recently updated in the search range.

A method of recognizing an object by capturing stereo images of the object from a plurality of viewpoints and calculating a disparity of the stereo images by using a matching process, the method comprising;

• calculating a correlation evaluation value in a search range set for the stereo images;
• detecting an extreme value of the calculated correlation evaluation value;
• setting a threshold range for the detected extreme value;
• counting a number of extreme value existing within the set threshold range;
• and
• updating the set threshold range to a new threshold range when an extreme value having a higher correlation level of the disparity compared to the set threshold range is detected at the detecting step;
• and
• counting the number of extreme value in the new threshold range updated most recently in the search range.