Fixed time template matching

The problem of finding a match for an image (`template´) within a larger image is known as template matching. It is key to a variety of computer vision applications. Currently known template matching algorithms run in fixed time, or are guaranteed to find the best match. We present a novel algorithm which in many cases can guarantee that the best match is found. In other cases it finds a good approximation to the best match. This algorithm runs in fixed time (a.k.a. hard real time). It finds an optimal match very quickly when a good match exists.