Method for controlling photographs of people

• US 20060153429A1
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Martin Werner, Michael Brauckmann, Stefan Gehlen
• Original Assignee: Martin Werner, Michael Brauckmann, Stefan Gehlen
• Inventors: Gehlen, Stefan, Werner, Martin, Brauckmann, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

It is provided a method for verifying digitized images of persons and apparatuses for performing the method. The method is particularly usable for verifying the suitability of an image of a person for identification of the person. The method comprises the steps: segmenting the image of a person in a background area and a head or face area, analyzing the head or face area, to detect at least one characteristic value, comparing the at least one characteristic value with at least one predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. Method for verifying digitized images of persons, in particular, for verifying the suitability of an image of a person for person identification, with the steps:

segmenting the image of a person into a background area and a head or face area,

analyzing the head or face area to determine at least one characteristic value,

comparing the at least one characteristic value with at least one predetermined threshold value.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of segmenting comprises performing a method for object recognition.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises detecting at least one geometric feature of the head or face area.

4. Method according to claim 3, wherein detecting at least one geometric feature of the head or face area comprises a size and/or shape and/or position and/or spatial orientation of the head or face area within the image of a person.

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises detecting at least one reproduction feature of the head or face area.

6. Method according to claim 5, wherein the at least one reproduction feature that is to be detected comprises a contrast and/or a color distribution and/or a sharpness of the image and/or a brightness and/or a grade of staining and/or a measure for the irradiation of the head or face area.

7. Method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises localizing sub-regions of the head or face area.

8. Method according to claim 7 with the additional step:

analyzing the at least one localized sub-region.

9. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

analyzing the image of a person with respect to global criteria that apply to the entire image of a person.

10. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

analyzing the background area of the image of a person.

11. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

determining whether a negatively evaluated image could fulfill the predetermined quality criteria after image correction.

12. A correction method for digitized images of persons and, in particular, for an image of a person, which does not fulfill one or more quality criteria during a verification method according to claim 1, comprising

correcting at least one image reproduction feature in the entire image and/or the head or face area and/or the background area, and/or

correcting at least one geometric feature of a head or face area displayed in the image of a person.

13. A data processing means for executing a method according to claim 1.

14. A data processing means for executing a method according to claim 12.

15. A data processing means for executing a verification method according to claim 1 and for executing a correction method for digitized images of persons and, in particular, for an image of a person, which does not fulfill one or more quality criteria during the verification method, comprising

correcting at least one image reproduction feature in the entire image and/or the head or face area and/or the background area, and/or

correcting at least one geometric feature of a head or face area displayed in the image of a person.

16. System for quality verification and correction of digitized images of persons comprising

a storage means for storing digitized image data, and one of

a first data processing means for executing a method according to claim 1 and a second data processing means for executing a correction method for digitized images of persons and, in particular, for an image of a person, which does not fulfill one or more quality criteria during a verification method according to claim 1, comprising

correcting at least one image reproduction feature in the entire image and/or the head or face area and/or the background area, and/or

correcting at least one geometric feature of a head or face area displayed in the image of a person, and

a data processing means for executing a verification method according to claim 1 and for executing a correction method for digitized images of persons and, in particular, for an image of a person, which does not fulfill one or more quality criteria during the verification method, comprising

correcting at least one image reproduction feature in the entire image and/or the head or face area and/or the background area, and/or

correcting at least one geometric feature of a head or face area displayed in the image of a person.

17. A system according to claim 16 comprising

an apparatus for generating digitized image data.

18. A system according to claim 16 comprising

a display device for displaying whether a verified image or a modified image observes predetermined quality standards.

19. Method according to claim 2, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises detecting at least one geometric feature of the head or face area.

20. Method according to claim 2, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises detecting at least one reproduction feature of the head or face area.