Image processing apparatus and image-taking apparatus

• US 20050275734A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Eiichiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,751,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30216 Redeye defect
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/624 Red-eye correction control of camera based on recognised facial parts H04N23/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography, and a changer for changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color, wherein the changer changes to the second color based on characteristic information indicative of a characteristic of the subject, the characteristic information being generated from the first image.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography; and

a changer for changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color,

wherein said changer changes to the second color based on characteristic information indicative of a characteristic of the subject, the characteristic information being generated from the first image.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first color is a color of redeye that occurs as a result of the photography using illumination light.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic information is information indicative of a facial characteristic of the subject.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the information indicative of the characteristic of the face includes at least one of a distance between eyes, a distance between eyebrows, a profile of the face, a shape of a nose, a shape of a mouth, and a color of a skin.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a storage for storing a second image generated by photography; and

a searcher for searching the second images for the subject having the characteristic information,

wherein said changer sets a color of eyes of the subject searched by said searcher, to the second color.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a storage for storing personal information,

wherein said changer selects personal information corresponding to the characteristic information from among personal information stored in said storage, and sets the second color based on the personal information that has been selected.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the personal information includes, in addition to the characteristic information, skin group information and information of colors of eyes corresponding to the skin group information.

8. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography using first illumination light; and

a changer for changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color,

wherein said changer detects a color of eyes of the subject included in a second image that is generated by photography using second illumination light that has a smaller emission dose than that of the first illumination light or by photography without the first illumination light, and sets to the second color the color that has been detected.

9. An image-taking apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography;

a changer for changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color; and

a characteristic information generator for generating characteristic information indicative of a characteristic of the subject based on the first image,

wherein said changer changes to the second color based on the characteristic information.

10. An image-taking apparatus comprising:

a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography using first illumination light; and

a changer for changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color,

wherein said changer detects a color of eyes of the subject included in a second image that is generated by photography using second illumination light that has a smaller emission dose than that of the first illumination light or by photography without the first illumination light, and to the second color sets the color that has been detected.

11. An image-taking apparatus comprising:

an image generating apparatus for generating a first image by photographing a subject;

a detector for detecting a first color of eyes of a person included in a first image; and

an alarm for giving an alarm when the first color of eyes is detected.

12. An image processing method for an image processing apparatus, said image processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography;

changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color; and

generating characteristic information indicative of a characteristic of the subject based on the first image,

wherein said changing step changes to the second color based on the characteristic information.

14. A program for enabling a computer to execute a method according to claim 12.

15. A recording medium for storing a program according to claim 14 and for enabling a computer to read the program.

13. An image processing method for an image processing apparatus, said image processing method comprising the steps of:

detecting a first color of eyes of a subject included in a first image, based on the first image that is generated by photography using first illumination light; and

changing the first color of eyes into a second color different from the first color,

wherein said changing step detects a color of eyes of the subject included in a second image that is generated by photography using second illumination light that has a smaller emission dose than that of the first illumination light or by photography without the first illumination light, and sets to the second color the color that has been detected.

16. A program for enabling a computer to execute a method according to claim 13.

17. A recording medium for storing a program according to claim 16 and for enabling a computer to read the program.