Face detection apparatus, face detection method, and program

• US 10,372,972 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2014
• Issued: 08/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin Corp.)
• Inventors: Kato, Takashi, Ohsuga, Shin, Kojima, Shin-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Entezari, Michelle M
• Application Number:
  US14/509,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20150098633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/7553 based on shape, e.g. active shape models [ASM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/597 Recognising the driver's state or behaviour, e.g. attention or drowsiness
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

A face detection apparatus detecting a face from an image which is captured by an imaging unit and includes the face, includes: a position detection unit that detects a position of a face part of the face from the image; an initial state determination unit that determines a model initial state on the basis of the position of the face part; and a model fitting unit that generates a model of the face on the basis of the image by using the model initial state.

Claims

1. A face detection apparatus detecting a face from an image which is captured by an imaging unit and includes the face, the apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium operable to store program code;

at least one processor operable to read said program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code comprising;

a position detection unit that detects a position of a face part of the face from the image;

an initial state determination unit that determines a model initial state of a face model only on the basis of the left and right eyes and the nose; and

a model fitting unit that generates a model of the face on the basis of the image by using the model initial state, the model being generated by fitting the face model to the image captured by the imaging unit,

wherein the face part includes left and right eyes, a nose, and a mouth;

wherein the initial state determination unit calculates the angle of the face including a pitch angle, a yaw angle, and a roll angle from eye positions of the left and right eyes and a nose position, and determines face positions on the basis of the eye positions and the nose position,

wherein the face positions include a face position in a plane direction and a face position in a depth direction in an image,

wherein the initial state determination unit determines the face position in the plane direction on the basis of the nose position and the face position in the depth direction on the basis of a distance between the left eye and the right eye, and determines the model initial state on the basis of the angle of the face and the face positions,

wherein the initial state determination unit determines a position of the face in a depth direction by calculating a distance between the left and right eyes from the detected eye position and calculating a ratio between the distance between the left and right eyes and an average distance between the eyes in a standard face which is statistically acquired in advance, and determines the model initial state by enlarging or reducing the face model using the position of the face in the depth direction,

the initial state determination unit calculates the pitch angle based on the following Equation (1);

2. The face detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the position detection unit creates a difference image between an image from the imaging unit of a certain frame and an image from the imaging unit of the previous frame, and detects a position of the eye on the basis of the difference image.

3. The face detection apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the position detection unit determines a search region on the basis of a position of the nose detected by the position detection unit, and creates the difference image in the search region.

4. The face detection apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the position detection unit detects a change in the eye due to blinking on the basis of the difference image, and the initial state determination unit determines the model initial state when the change occurs.

5. The face detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the initial state determination unit determines a position of the face in the model initial state on the basis of the positions of the face parts.

6. The face detection apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the initial state determination unit determines the detected position of the nose as a position of the face in a plane direction, and determines the model initial state by moving the face model to the position of the face in the image using the position of the face in the plane direction.

7. A face detection apparatus detecting a face from an image which is captured by an imaging unit and includes the face, the apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium operable to store program code;

at least one processor operable to read said program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code comprising;

a position detection unit that detects a position of a face part of the face from the image;

an initial state determination unit that determines a model initial state of a face model on the basis of the position of the face part; and

a model fitting unit that generates a model of the face on the basis of the image by using the model initial state, the model being generated by fitting the face model to the image captured by the imaging unit,

wherein the face part includes left and right eyes and a nose,

wherein the initial state determination unit calculates the angle of the face including a pitch angle, a yaw angle, and a roll angle from eye positions of the left and right eyes and a nose position, and determines face positions on the basis of the eye positions and the nose position,

wherein the face positions include a face position in a plane direction and a face position in a depth direction in an image,

wherein the initial state determination unit determines the face position in the plane direction on the basis of the nose position and the face position in the depth direction on the basis of a distance between the left eye and the right eye, and determines the model initial state on the basis of the angle of the face and the face positions, and

wherein the initial state determination unit determines a position of the face in a depth direction by calculating a distance between the left and right eyes from the detected eye position and calculating a ratio between the distance between the left and right eyes and an average distance between the eyes in a standard face which is statistically acquired in advance, and determines the model initial state by enlarging or reducing the model using the position of the face in the depth direction,

the initial state determination unit acquires a temporary model and rotates the temporary model by using the face angles and moves the temporary model in the plane direction of the image by using the face position in the plane direction and enlarges or reduces the temporary model by using the face position in the depth direction and determines the face model by modifying the temporary model,

the initial state determination unit calculates the pitch angle based on the following Equation (1);