Image processing apparatus, image processing system and recording medium for programs therefor

• US 20060222213A1
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kazunori Takahashi, Masahiro Kiyohara, Masato Kazui
• Original Assignee: Kazunori Takahashi, Masahiro Kiyohara, Masato Kazui
• Inventors: Kiyohara, Masahiro, Takahashi, Kazunori, Kazui, Masato
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, for example, a multi-camera monitoring system is provided for processing images with the intention of protecting the individuals'"'"' privacies in accordance with the type of customers in a store which is equipped with the multi-camera monitoring system, and for deleting or modifying individuals'"'"' privacy information to protect the individuals'"'"' privacies while permitting the identity of a person to be determined among a plurality of cameras. The image processing apparatus processes an image captured by an imager device to output the resulting image. A processor detects a person from an image, and an image database stores feature information on the person. The processor extracts features from the detected person and the database, processes the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information, and generates an output image based on the processed features.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, comprising:

means for detecting a person within an image;

means for storing feature information for use as a database;

means for extracting features from the person detected by said detecting means and from said database;

means for processing a feature amount extracted by said extracting means within the stored feature information; and

means for generating an output image based on the processed features.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said means for detecting a person detects the head of a person.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the feature extracted from a detected person includes one or more of face image, sex, age, age group, hair style, clothing, skin color, hair color, color of closing, shape of the head, whether the person wears glasses, whether the person wears a face mask, whether the person wears accessories, whether the person has a mole, shape of mustache, and mustache color.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the feature extracted from a detected person is represented by a feature element within the database which stores feature information.

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

means having a plurality of databases recorded thereon for storing feature information and switching the databases.

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

means for switching the database for storing feature information such that part or entirety of the database is utilized.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said database for storing feature information is recorded in an exchangeable recording medium.

8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said means for processing a feature amount includes processing for replacing the feature amount with a value calculated from the feature amount using a function.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

said function of calculating a value to be substituted for the feature amount receives a time or an operating time of said apparatus as an input parameter, and a value calculated with the same feature amount inputted to said means varies depending on the time or the operating time of said apparatus.

10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

said function of calculating a value to be substituted for the feature amount can be manually changed to change the value calculated with the same feature amount inputted to said means.

11. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program comprising:

a function of detecting a person from an image;

a function of storing feature information for use as a database;

a function of extracting features from a person detected by said detecting function and from said database;

a function of processing the feature amount extracted by said extracting function in the stored feature information; and

a function of generating an output image based on the processed features.

12. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program comprising:

a function of detecting a person from an image;

a function of storing feature information for use as a database;

a function of switching a plurality of databases recorded for storing feature information;

a function of extracting features from a person detected by said detecting function and from said database;

a function of processing the feature amount extracted by said extracting function in the stored feature information; and

a function of generating an output image based on the processed features.

13. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program comprising:

a function of detecting a person from an image;

a function of storing feature information for use as a database;

a function of switching the database for storing feature information to utilize part or entirety of the database;

a function of extracting features from a person detected by said detecting function and from said database;

a function of processing the feature amount extracted by said extracting function in the stored feature information; and

a function of generating an output image based on the processed features.

14. A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program comprising:

a function of detecting a person from an image;

a function of storing feature information for use as a database;

a function of extracting features from a person detected by said detecting function and from said database;

a function of switching a transform function for processing a feature amount;

a function of processing the feature amount extracted by said extracting function in the stored feature information using the transform function; and

a function of generating an output image based on the processed features.

15. An image processing system for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, said system being configured to:

detect a person from an image;

extract features from a person detected by said detecting function and from a database for storing feature information;

process the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information; and

generate an output image based on the processed features.

16. An image processing system for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, said system being configured to:

detect a person from an image;

select one or a plurality of databases for utilization from among a plurality of databases for storing feature information;

extract features from a person detected by said detecting function and from the database for storing feature information;

process the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information; and

generate an output image based on the processed features.

17. An image processing system for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, said system being configured to:

detect a person from an image;

select a data range to be utilized in a database for storing feature information;

extract features from a person detected by said detecting function and from the database;

process the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information; and

generate an output image based on the processed features.

18. An image processing system for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, said system being configured to:

detect a person from an image;

extract features from a person detected by said detecting function and from a database for storing features;

switch a transform function for processing a feature amount;

process the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information using the transform function; and

generate an output image based on the processed features.