Image processing apparatus and method and program storage medium

• US 20040022435A1
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,493 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• 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

According to the present invention, the face of a subject person can be rapidly detected. An image input unit inputs an image to be processed. A photographing-position input unit inputs photographing-position information attached to the processed image. An angle-range information determination unit determines an angle range, where face detection should be performed to the processed image, on the basis of the information obtained by the photographing-position information input unit. On the basis of information indicating the determined angle range, under the control of a process control unit, a face detection unit performs face detection to the processed image input by the image input unit in predetermined angle increments. A face integration unit integrates all of face data detected by a basic-angle-range face detection unit into face information and then outputs the information.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

image input means for inputting an image;

image attached information input means for inputting information attached to the image input by the image input means;

face detection means for detecting a face from the image input by the image input means;

face-detection angle-range information determination means for determining an angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image on the basis of the image attached information input by the image attached information input means; and

process control means having a mode to control the execution of the face detecting process on the basis of information indicating the angle range determined by the face-detection angle-range information determination means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process control means controls the execution of the face detecting process in predetermined angle increments.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

image rotation means for rotating an image,

wherein the process control means allows the image rotation means to rotate the input image in order to form images in predetermined angle increments, and performs the face detecting process to the respective images.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising:

reference data conversion means for converting face detection reference data used for face detection into reference data for a tilted face,

wherein the process control means allows the reference data conversion means to convert the face detection reference data into reference data for a tilted face in order to form tilted-face reference data in predetermined angle increments, and executes the face detecting process to the input image using the formed tilted-face reference data.

9. A computer-system executable program which allows a computer system for executing the program to operate as the image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

5. An image processing method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image;

an image attached information input step of inputting information attached to the image input in the image input step;

a face detection step of detecting a face from the image input in the image input step;

a face-detection angle-range information determination step of determining an angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image on the basis of the image attached information input in the image attached information input step; and

a process control step having a mode to control the execution of the face detecting process on the basis of information indicating the angle range determined in the face-detection angle-range information determination step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the process control step, the execution of the face detecting process is controlled in predetermined angle increments.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

an image rotation step of rotating an image,

wherein in the process control step, images are formed in predetermined angle increments by rotating the input image in the image rotation step, and the face detecting process is performed to the respective formed images.

8. The method according to claim 5 or 6, further comprising:

a reference data conversion step of converting face detection reference data used for face detection into reference data for a tilted face,

wherein in the process control step, tilted-face reference data is formed in predetermined angle increments by converting the face detection reference data into reference data for a tilted face in the reference data conversion step, and the face detecting process is performed to the input image using the formed tilted-face reference data.

10. A computer-program storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the program realizing the image processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 8 and indicating operating procedures of steps included in the method.

11. A computer program realizing the image processing method according to any one of claims 5 to 8 and indicating operating procedures of steps included in the method.