Digital Image Adjustable Compression and Resolution Using Face Detection Information

• US 20080019565A1
• Filed: 07/05/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FotoNation Vision Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Steinberg, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 7,466,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/41 Bandwidth or redundancy reduction by scanning H04N1/17 ; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/154 Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 the unit being a colour or a chrominance component

Abstract

A method of adjustable spatial and/or temporal compression of an image including a face includes identifying a group of pixels that correspond to a face within a digitally-acquired image. A first compression portion of the image including the group of pixels is determined. A second compression portion of the image other than the group of pixels is also determined. The first compression portion may be automatically compressed with higher-grade compression than the second compression portion to generate a compressed image including the face, or an option to provided the compressed image including the different grade compressions may be provided.

Claims

1. A method of in-camera processing of a still image including one or more faces as part of an acquisition process, comprising:

(a) identifying a group of pixels that correspond to a face within a digitally-acquired still image on a portable camera;

(b) generating in-camera, capturing or otherwise obtaining in-camera a collection of low resolution images including said face;

(c) tracking said face within said collection of low resolution images;

(d) determining a first processing portion of the image including the group of pixels based on the collection of low resolution images;

(e) determining a second processing portion of the image other than the group of pixels; and

(f) automatically in-camera processing the first processing portion with enhanced quality processing compared with the second processing portion to generate a processed image including the face; and

(g) outputting the in-camera processed image including said face to a digital rendering device for viewing.