Abstract: A learning unit generates a function table indicating the relationship between the class number and position information of an object and the probability of appearance of the object for each small area image pattern of a code book, calculates a sharing matrix indicating the commonality of a feature amount between the classes, makes a tree diagram in which the classes with a similar feature amount are clustered, and calculates the weight of each node in the tree diagram for each small area image pattern. The recognition processing unit compares image data captured by a camera with the code book, selects the closest small area image pattern, extracts the class related to the node with the smallest weight among the nodes with a weight equal to or greater than a threshold value, and votes the position information of the small area image pattern for the class, thereby recognizing the object.

Abstract: A learning unit 4 generates a function table indicating the relationship between the class number and position information of an object and the probability of appearance of the object for each small area image pattern of a code book, calculates a sharing matrix indicating the commonality of a feature amount between the classes, makes a tree diagram in which the classes with a similar feature amount are clustered, and calculates the weight of each node in the tree diagram for each small area image pattern. The recognition processing unit 7 compares image data captured by a camera 2 with the code book, selects the closest small area image pattern among a plurality of small area image patterns, extracts the class related to the node with the smallest weight among the nodes with a weight equal to or greater than a threshold value for the selected small area image pattern, and votes the position information of the small area image pattern for the class, thereby recognizing the object.