Face detection device, imaging apparatus, and face detection method

• US 10,037,455 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okada, Miyuki, Nakajima, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Chan
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICE, ELISA M
• Application Number:
  US15/288,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20170024606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

A face detection device for detecting the face of a person in an input image includes the a face detection circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a controller. The face detection circuit includes a hardware circuit that is configured to detect a face in an input image. The signal processing circuit is configured to perform signal processing based on an input image signal in accordance with a rewritable program including a face detection program for detecting a face in an input image. The controller is configured to allow the face detection circuit and the signal processing circuit to perform face detection on an image of a frame or on respective images of adjacent frames among consecutive frames, and to control face detection by the signal processing circuit on the basis of a face detection result obtained by the face detection circuit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a hardware circuit configured to;

detect an object in an input image,

output a first detection result based on the detected object;

a signal processing circuit configured to process an input image signal based on an object detection operation that detects the object in the input image; and

a controller configured to;

control the hardware circuit to detect the object in a first frame of the input image, and

control the signal processing circuit to detect the object in a second frame of the input image based on the first detection result,

wherein the object is detected by the signal processing circuit based on the first detection result,

wherein the second frame is delayed by at least one frame from the first frame, and

wherein the first frame and the second frame are from a same camera.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to set a partial area of the input image as an object detection area, the partial area including a first area, and

wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect the object in the object detection area.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect at least one of a position or a size of a second area.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hardware circuit is further configured to avoid omissions in face detection, and

wherein the signal processing circuit is configured to avoid errors in the face detection.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to reset a parameter that controls an operation of the hardware circuit on a second input image, wherein the parameter is reset based on a second detection result obtained by the signal processing circuit.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect a position of a determined part in the object detection area of the input image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect a state of the determined part in the object detection area.

8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to determine an expression based on the determined part in the object detection area.

9. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the hardware circuit is further configured to detect a plurality of objects in the input image, and wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect the object based on the plurality of objects.

10. The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect a specific object based on feature-point information,

wherein the feature-point information is associated with the specific object wherein the controller is further configured to control the signal processing circuit to change the feature-point information.

11. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect the object with a specific feature.

12. The image processing apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein the signal processing circuit is further configured to detect the object based on feature-point information,

wherein the feature-point information is associated with the object with the specific feature

wherein the controller is further configured to control the signal processing circuit to change the feature-point information.

13. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the hardware circuit to start the detection of the object on a next input image while the signal processing circuit detects the object.

14. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to control the hardware circuit to detect the object on a plurality of consecutive input images while the signal processing circuit detects the object in one of the plurality of consecutive input images,

wherein the object is detected in one of the plurality of consecutive input images based on a most-recent detection result obtained by the hardware circuit,

wherein the controller is further configured to:

output the first detection result as a final detection result, and

correct the first detection result based on the most-recent detection result obtained by the signal processing circuit.

15. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to output one of the first detection result or a second detection result obtained by the signal processing circuit as a final detection result,

wherein the controller is further configured to stop the detection of the object by the signal processing circuit based on the output of the first detection result as the final detection result.

17. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection of the object is based on an operation mode set in the imaging processing apparatus.

18. The image processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the operation mode set is one of a still-image recording mode or a moving-image recording mode.

19. The image processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein in the still-image recording mode, the hardware circuit displays a second image, wherein the second image is captured prior to a recording operation.

20. The image processing apparatus according to claim 18, wherein in the moving-image recording mode the object is re-detected at regular time intervals.

16. An image processing method, comprising:

detecting, by a hardware circuit, an object in an input image,

outputting, by the hardware circuit, a detection result based on the detected object;

processing, by a signal processing circuit, an input image signal based on an object detection operation that detects the object in the input image;

controlling the hardware circuit to detect the object in a first frame of the input image; and

controlling the signal processing circuit to detect the object in a second frame of the input image based on the detection result,

wherein the object is detected by the signal processing circuit based on the detection result,

wherein the second frame is delayed by at least one frame from the first frame, and

wherein the first frame and the second frame are from a same camera.