Voting of coordinates of each pixel in a photographic image onto a Hough
space corresponding to annuluses is performed, the Hough space being
defined by a coordinate system having an X coordinate axis for a circle
center point, a Y coordinate axis for a circle center point, and an r
coordinate axis for a radial direction. A vote value of each voting
position having coordinates (X, Y, r) on the Hough space is acquired as a
first integrated vote value from a calculation of a number of votes given
to each voting position. A position represented by (X, Y) coordinate
values of a voting position associated with the largest first integrated
vote value is detected as the position of the center point of the
circular pattern.