Two Stage Detection for Photographic Eye Artifacts

• US 20080232711A1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FotoNation Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FotoNation Vision Limited (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Steinberg, Eran, Prilutsky, Yury, Ciuc, Mihai, Bigioi, Petronel, Corcoran, Peter, Pososin, Alexei
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction

Abstract

The detection of red-eye defects is enhanced in digital images for embedded image acquisition and processing systems. A two-stage redeye filtering system includes a speed optimized filter that performs initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions and optionally applies a speed-optimized set of falsing/verification filters to determine a first set of confirmed redeye regions for correction. Some of the candidate regions which are rejected during the first stage are recorded and re-analyzed during a second stage by an alternative set of analysis-optimized filters to determine a second set of confirmed redeye regions.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a red-eye defect within a digital image

(a) acquiring an image including one or more faces including a red eye defect;

(b) performing in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

(c) correcting the first set of red eye regions for generating a first red eye corrected image;

(d) recording a subset of rejected candidate red eye regions that were rejected for correction in the first stage without full analysis;

(e) re-analyzing the subset of rejected candidate red eye regions in a later second stage to determine a second set of confirmed redeye regions;

(f) correcting the second set of confirmed red eye regions and generating a second red eye corrected image which has the first and second sets of confirmed red eye regions corrected therein; and

(g) electronically storing, transmitting, further processing or editing, or displaying the second red eye corrected image, or combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters in the first stage.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-analyzing the first set of confirmed red eye regions in the second stage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial segmentation is applied upon acquisition of the image and the second later stage occurs in a background or playback mode or both.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in real time the first red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

6. An embedded image acquisition and processing system, comprising.

(a) an image acquisition subsystem;

(b) a speed-optimized filter that performs in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions detected within an acquired image to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

(c) a storage device to record a subset of rejected candidate red eye regions that were rejected for correction in the first stage without full analysis;

(d) an analysis-optimized filter that determines in a later second stage a second set of one or more confirmed red eye regions designated for correction;

(e) a processor for correcting the red eye defect including the first and second sets of confirmed red eye regions within the acquired image and generating a red eye corrected image; and

(f) wherein the red eye corrected image is electronically stored, transmitted, further processed or edited, or displayed, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the speed-optimized filter applies a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the first set of confirmed redeye regions is also passed through the analysis-optimized filter.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the analysis-optimized filter includes an enhanced correction filter for application to the first set of one or more confirmed red eye regions.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the speed-optimized filter is applied upon acquisition of the image and the analysis-optimized filter is applied in a background or playback mode or both.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a “

RE lib”

component for displaying in real time an initial red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

12. A method of detecting eye defects within digital images, comprising:

(a) acquiring an image including one or more faces including red and non-red eye defects;

(b) performing in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

(c) correcting the first set of red eye regions for generating a first red eye corrected image;

(d) performing in a later second stage a segmentation of candidate golden eye or white eye regions, or both, to determine a second set of one or more confirmed non-red eye defect regions also designated for correction;

(e) correcting the second set of non-red eye defect regions within the first red eye corrected image for generating an red and non-red eye defect corrected image;

(f) electronically storing, transmitting, further processing or editing, or displaying the second red eye corrected image, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising applying a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters in the first stage.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising re-analyzing the first set of confirmed red eye regions in the second stage.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the initial segmentation is applied upon acquisition of the image and the second later stage occurs in a background or playback mode or both.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying in real time the first red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

17. An embedded image acquisition and processing system, comprising.

(a) an image acquisition subsystem;

(b) a speed-optimized filter that performs in a first stage an initial segmentation of candidate redeye regions detected within an acquired image to determine a first set of one or more confirmed redeye regions designated for correction;

(c) an analysis-optimized filter that determines in a later second stage a second set of one or more confirmed non-red eye regions designated for correction;

(d) one or more processors for correcting the red and non-red eye defects including the first and second sets of confirmed red and non-red eye regions, respectively, within the acquired image and generating a red and non-red eye corrected image; and

(e) wherein the red and non-red eye corrected image is electronically stored, transmitted, further processed or edited, or displayed, or combinations thereof.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the speed-optimized filter applies a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first set of confirmed redeye regions is also passed through the analysis-optimized filter.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the analysis-optimized filter includes an enhanced correction filter for application to the first set of one or more confirmed red eye regions.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the speed-optimized filter is applied upon acquisition of the image and the analysis-optimized filter is applied in a background or playback mode or both.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a “

RE lib”

component for displaying in real time an initial red eye corrected image on a display screen prior to the later second stage without input from a user.

23. A method of processing a digital image comprising:

(a) obtaining candidate face regions of an acquired digital image;

(b) filtering the candidate face regions with a first speed optimized filter to produce a first set of candidate red-eye regions;

(c) encoding at least a portion of the acquired digital image; and

(d) storing the encoded portion of the acquired digital image in association with said first set of candidate red-eye regions for later image processing of said encoded image.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising applying a speed-optimized set of one or more falsing/verification filters.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising passing the first set of candidate redeye regions through an analysis-optimized filter.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising passing candidate face regions rejected by the filtering through an analysis-optimized filter sometime after the filtering, encoding and storing.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first speed optimized filter is applied upon image acquisition, and the analysis-optimized filter is applied in a background or playback mode or both.

28. A system for processing a digital image comprising:

(a) an image acquisition subsystem;

(b) a face detector for obtaining candidate face regions of an acquired digital image;

(c) a speed optimized filter for filtering the candidate face regions to produce a first set of candidate red-eye regions;

(d) a processor for encoding at least a portion of the acquired digital image; and

(e) storing the encoded portion of the acquired digital image in association with said first set of candidate red-eye regions for later image processing of said encoded image.

29. The system of claim 28, further comprising an analysis-optimized filter for filtering at least initially rejected candidate face regions to produce a second set of candidate red-eye regions.

30. The system of claim 28, further comprising an analysis-optimized filter for confirming one or more of the first set of candidate red eye regions sometime after speed-optimized filtering.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the first speed optimized filter is applied upon image acquisition, and the analysis-optimized filter is applied in a background or playback mode or both.