Facial recognition and the open mouth problem

• US 20080292147A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Benelux B. V.
• Original Assignee: TECHNION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, LTD.
• Inventors: Bronstein, Michael, Bronstein, Alexander, Kimmel, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,155,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/653 by matching three-dimensional models, e.g. conformal mapping of Riemann surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

A method of cropping a representation of a face for electronic processing, said method comprising: selecting a first geodesic contour about an invariant reference point on said face, setting a region within said first geodesic contour as a first mask, selecting a second geodesic contour about a boundary of said identified first region, setting a region within said second geodesic contour as a second mask, and forming a final mask from a union of said first mask and said second mask.

Claims

1. A method of cropping a representation of a face for electronic processing, said method comprising:

selecting a first geodesic contour about an invariant reference point on said face,

setting a region within said first geodesic contour as a first mask,

selecting a second geodesic contour about a boundary of said identified first region,

setting a region within said second geodesic contour as a second mask, and

forming a final mask from a union of said first mask and said second mask.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises texture processing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising cropping said face by:

forming a final mask from a union of said first mask and said second mask.

4. Apparatus for cropping a representation of a face for electronic processing, said face having differential mouth opening states including an open mouth state, a closed mouth state and at least one intermediate state therebetween, the apparatus comprising:

a first masking unit for selecting a first geodesic contour about an invariant reference point on said face, and setting a region within said first geodesic contour as a first mask,

a second masking unit for selecting a second geodesic contour about a boundary of said identified mouth region, and setting a region within said second geodesic contour as a second mask, and

a third masking unit for forming a final mask from a union of said first mask and said second mask, thereby to provide cropping of said face such as to obtain a fill facial region and negligible background within said cropping for any of said mouth opening states.