1. A computer-implemented method for locating regions of a target image that match a template image with respect to color and pattern information, the method comprising: performing a color matching search through the target image in order to find one or more color match candidate regions, wherein the one or more color match candidate regions match the template image with respect to color information; performing a luminance pattern matching search in the one or more color match candidate regions in order to find one or more luminance pattern match candidate regions in the target image, wherein the one or more luminance pattern match candidate regions match the template image with respect to pattern information; wherein at least one of said color matching search and said luminance pattern matching search are performed using a hill-climbing technique; and wherein the one or more luminance pattern match candidate regions are useable in determining regions of the target image that match the template image with respect to color information.