Image recognition device for performing image recognition including object identification on each of input images

Abstract

A digital camera picks up an image of an object for face authentication prior to each of, for example, continuous photographing operations, and operates as follows if performing an actual photographing process only when a face of a designated person can be recognized in the acquired image. If the face of the designated person can be recognized at an arbitrary timing and the actual photographing process is performed, the digital camera changes a plurality of recognition conditions at the arbitrary timing, thereby reducing face recognition accuracy used if the face of the designated person is recognized at a time of second and following face recognitions. By reducing the face recognition accuracy, the second and following face recognitions can be performed at high speed. Besides, since the designated person can be recognized once during the previous face recognition, similar recognition accuracy to the unchanged and unreduced recognition accuracy (without changing the face recognition conditions) can be substantially ensured.