Image processing device and method

• US 20050104848A1
• Filed: 09/27/2004
• Published: 05/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yuasa, Mayumi, Yamaguchi, Osamu
• Application Number:
  US10/949,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104848A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/242 by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/164 using holistic features
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders

Abstract

An image processing device and method automatically enable proper screen display orientation when using a portable device. The image processing device includes an image input unit for acquiring an image of an image of a subject, a face area detector for detecting the face area of the subject in the obtained image, a rotation direction judging unit for judging a relative rotation direction and angle of a face with respect to a device depending on the vertical direction of the detected face area, and a screen controller for rotating an image to be displayed according to the rotation direction of the corresponding image and for displaying the image to be displayed.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

an image input unit configured to obtain an image of a subject;

a face direction detector configured to detect a face area of the subject in the obtained image;

a rotation direction judging unit configured to judge a relative rotation of a face area with respect to a display of the device based on a vertical direction of the detected face area; and

a screen controller configured to rotate an image to be displayed according to the judged relative rotation of the face area in the obtained image and to display the image to be displayed.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the screen controller is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 90 degrees.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the screen controller is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 180 degrees.

4. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the judged relative rotation of the face area with respect to a display of the device includes a rotation angle and a rotation direction.

5. An image processing method comprising:

obtaining an image of a subject;

detecting a face area of the subject in the obtained image;

judging a relative rotation of a face area with respect to a display of the device based on a vertical direction of the detected face area; and

rotating an image to be displayed according to the judged relative rotation of the face area in the obtained image and displaying the image to be displayed.

6. The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the rotating is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 90 degrees.

7. The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the rotating is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 180 degrees.

8. The image processing method according to claim 5, wherein the judged relative rotation of the face area with respect to a display of the device includes a rotation angle and a rotation direction.

9. An image processing device comprising:

an image input unit configured to obtain an image of a subject;

a face direction detector configured to detect a face area of the subject in the obtained image;

a rotation direction judging unit configured to judge a relative rotation of a face area with respect to a display of the device based on a vertical direction of the detected face area; and

an image processor configured to create an image to be displayed according to the judged relative rotation of the face area in the obtained image.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the image processor is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 90 degrees and to display the image to be displayed.

11. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the image processor is further configured to rotate the image to be displayed at least 180 degrees and to display the image to be displayed.

12. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein the judged relative rotation of the face area with respect to a display of the device includes a rotation angle and a rotation direction.

13. An image processing method comprising:

obtaining an image of a subject;

detecting a face area of the subject in the obtained image;

judging a relative rotation of a face area with respect to a display of the device based on a vertical direction of the detected face area; and

creating an image to be displayed according to the judged relative rotation of the face area in the obtained image and displaying the image to be displayed.

14. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the creating further comprises rotating the image to be displayed at least 90 degrees and displaying the image to be displayed.

15. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the creating further comprises rotating the image to be displayed at least 180 degrees and displaying the image to be displayed.

16. The image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the judged relative rotation of the face area with respect to a display of the device includes a rotation angle and a rotation direction.