Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image capture apparatus and computer program

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a usage state determination portion determining a usage state of a camera portion; and

an object detection portion detecting an object from an image captured by the camera portion using a plurality of template images,

wherein the object detection portion detects the object from the captured image by prioritizing the plurality of template images based on the usage state of the camera portion.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the object detection portion includes the plurality of template images and detects the object by performing pattern matching with the captured image on each template image with a frequency according to the priority.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the usage state determination portion determines a posture when the camera portion captures the image of the object, and

the object detection portion prioritizes the plurality of template images in which the inclination of the object is different according to the posture of the camera portion, and detects the object by performing pattern matching with the captured image on each template image in which the inclination is different with a frequency according to the priority.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the usage state determination portion determines a direction of an optical axis when the camera portion captures the image of the object, and

the object detection portion prioritizes each template image based on the determined direction of the optical axis, and detects the object by performing pattern matching with the captured image on each template image in which the inclination is different with a frequency according to the priority.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 ,

wherein the usage state determination portion determines an angle of rotation of roll rotation of the optical axis of the camera portion, and

the object detection portion applies a higher priority than the template image having an inclination close to the angle of rotation of roll rotation of the optical axis of the camera portion.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the object detection portion prioritizes each template image for each region of the captured image, and detects the object by performing pattern matching with the captured image on each template image in which the inclination is different with a frequency according to the priority.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein when an optical axis of the camera portion faces the vertical direction, the object detection portion prioritizes each template image according to an angular position of the region with respect to the optical axis of the camera portion for each region of the captured image.

8. An image processing method comprising:

determining a usage state of a camera portion; and

detecting an object from an image captured by the camera portion using a plurality of template images,

wherein in the detecting of the object, the object is detected from the captured image by prioritizing the plurality of template images based on the usage state of the camera portion.

9. An image capture apparatus comprising:

a camera portion;

a usage state determination portion determining a usage state of the camera portion, wherein the usage state is a state in which an optical axis of the camera portion faces the vertical direction; and

an object detection portion detecting an object from an image captured by the camera portion using a plurality of template images,

wherein the object detection portion detects the object from the captured image by prioritizing the plurality of template images based on an angular position of a region with respect to the optical axis of the camera portion for each region of the captured image.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute steps comprising:

in an image processing apparatus comprising at least one processor and a memory storing instructions for execution by the at least one processor:

determining a usage state of a camera portion; and

detecting an object from an image captured by the camera portion using a plurality of template images,

wherein in the detecting of the object, the object is detected from the captured image by prioritizing the plurality of template images based on the usage state of the camera portion.