Image processing

• US 20040247177A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowe, Simon Michel, Taylor, Richard Ian
• Granted Patent: US 7,362,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/178 estimating age from face image; using age information for improving recognition

Abstract

In an image processing apparatus, a face recogniser is trained using images of one or more faces to generate representation data for the face recogniser characterising the face(s). Face recognition processing is then performed using the representation data. The training and face recognition processing is performed taking into account a person'"'"'s age.

Claims

1. A method of training a face recognition apparatus, the method comprising:

training the face recognition apparatus using images of a face of a subject person on an age-by-age basis; and

storing representation data characterising the face.

2. A method of training a face recognition apparatus, the method comprising:

training the face recognition apparatus using image data defining a plurality of images of a face of a person at different respective ages; and

storing representation data characterising the face on an age-by-age basis.

3. A method of processing image data using face recognition apparatus and representation data characterising the face of at least one subject person, the method comprising:

reading at least some of the representation data; and

performing age-dependent processing to process image data defining an image using the representation data to determine if the image contains a subject person'"'"'s face.

4. Face recognition apparatus, comprising:

a face recogniser trainable using image data defining a plurality of images of a face of a subject person to generate a trained face recogniser storing representation data characterising the face and operable to process image data defining an image using the representation data to determine if the image contains the subject person'"'"'s face;

a data store to store date data for the representation data;

an age difference calculator operable to calculate an age difference for the subject person in dependence upon the stored date data for the representation data;

a confidence measure calculator operable to calculate a confidence measure in dependence upon the calculated age difference indicative of the reliability of the result of face recognition processing by the trained face recogniser using the representation data; and

an output generator operable to generate an output in dependence upon the calculated confidence measure for alerting a user if the confidence measure indicates that the reliability of the result of face recognition processing may not be sufficiently high.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the age difference calculator is operable to calculate the age difference in dependence upon the date on which the apparatus is operating and the date for the representation data.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the age difference calculator is operable to calculate the age difference in dependence upon the date on which at least one image to be processed by the trained face recogniser was recorded and the date for the representation data.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the apparatus is operable to store as the date data for the representation data data identifying at least one age of the subject person characterised by the representation data.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the confidence measure calculator is operable to calculate the confidence measure in dependence upon both the calculated age difference for the subject person and an age of the subject person characterised by the representation data.

9. A method of controlling a face recognition apparatus having a trained face recogniser and stored representation data therefor characterising the face of a subject person, the method comprising:

calculating an age difference for the subject person in dependence upon stored date data associated with the representation data;

calculating a confidence measure in dependence upon the calculated age difference indicative of the reliability of the result of face recognition processing by the trained face recogniser using the representation data; and

generating an output in dependence upon the calculated confidence measure for alerting a user if the confidence measure indicates that the reliability of the result of face recognition processing may not be sufficiently high.

10. Face recognition apparatus, comprising:

a face recogniser trainable using image data defining a plurality of images of a face of a subject person at different respective ages to generate a trained face recogniser storing a plurality of sets of representation data, each set comprising representation data characterising the face of the subject person at a different respective age, the trained face recogniser being operable to process image data defining an image using the representation data to determine if the image contains the subject person'"'"'s face; and

a representation data selector operable to select a set of the stored representation data for use by the trained face recogniser to process an input image, the selection being carried out in dependence upon date information identifying the recording date of the input image.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the face recogniser is operable to store respective date information for each set of representation data identifying at least one date representative of the date(s) on which the images used to train the face recogniser to generate the representation data in the set were recorded; and

the representation data selector is operable to determine the difference between the recording date of the input image and the date associated with each representation data set and to select a representation data set in dependence upon the calculated differences.

12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein:

the face recogniser is operable to store respective information for each set of representation data identifying at least one age of the subject person in the representation data of the set;

the apparatus includes a data store configured to store data defining the date of birth of the subject person; and

the representation data selector is operable to calculate the age of the subject person in the input image to be processed in dependence upon the recording date of the input image and the date of birth of the subject person, compare the determined age with the age(s) associated with each respective set of representation data, and select a representation data set in dependence upon the result of the comparisons.

13. A method of processing image data using face recognition apparatus and representation data characterising the faces of a plurality of subject people, the method comprising:

receiving image data defining an image of a face;

reading date information identifying the recording date of the image;

selecting a plurality of sets of representation data for use in face recognition processing of the image data from amongst a plurality of stored sets of representation data; and

processing the image data using the selected representation data sets to perform face recognition processing;

wherein;

the stored sets of representation data comprise a plurality of sets of representation data for each respective subject person, each set characterising the face of the subject person at a different respective age;

a respective set of representation data is selected for each subject person; and

each set is selected in dependence upon the date information identifying the recording date of the image.

14. A computer program comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable to:

train a face recognition apparatus using images of a face of a subject person on an age-by-age basis; and

store representation data characterising the face.

15. A computer program comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable to:

train a face recognition apparatus using image data defining a plurality of images of a face of a person at different respective ages; and

store representation data characterising the face on an age-by-age basis.

16. A computer program comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable to:

read representation data characterising the face of at least one subject person; and

perform age-dependent processing to process image data defining an image using the representation data to determine if the image contains a subject person'"'"'s face.

17. A computer program comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable to:

generate a face recognition apparatus having a trained face recogniser and stored representation data therefor characterising the face of a subject person;

calculate an age difference for the subject person in dependence upon stored date data associated with the representation data;

calculate a confidence measure in dependence upon the calculated age difference indicative of the reliability of the result of face recognition processing by the trained face recogniser using the representation data; and

generate an output in dependence upon the calculated confidence measure for alerting a user if the confidence measure indicates that the reliability of the result of face recognition processing may not be sufficiently high.

18. A computer program comprising instructions to program a programmable processing apparatus to become operable to:

generate a face recognition apparatus and representation data characterising the faces of a plurality of subject people;

receive image data defining an image of a face;

read date information identifying the recording date of the image;

select a plurality of sets of representation data for use in face recognition processing of the image data from amongst a plurality of stored sets of representation data; and

process the image data using the selected representation data sets to perform face recognition processing;

wherein;

the stored sets of representation data comprise a plurality of sets of representation data for each respective subject person, each set characterising the face of the subject person at a different respective age; and

the apparatus is programmed by the instructions to select a respective set of representation data for each subject person in dependence upon the date information identifying the recording date of the image.