IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBJECT DISCRIMINATION METHOD

• US 20110052076A1
• Filed: 09/01/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yashiro, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/25 Fusion techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/751 Comparing pixel values or logical combinations thereof, or feature values having positional relevance, e.g. template matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/80 Fusion, i.e. combining data from various sources at the sensor level, preprocessing level, feature extraction level or classification level multimodal speaker identification or verification G10L17/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes an image input unit configured to input an image, a scanning unit configured to scan a detection window on the input image, a first discrimination unit configured to determine whether a pattern within the detection window is a subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within a first region among a plurality of regions within the detection window, and a second discrimination unit configured to determine, if it is determined that the pattern is not the subject by the first discrimination unit, whether the pattern is the subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from a second region in which a probability that occlusion of the subject occurs is higher than that in the first region among the plurality of regions. Accordingly, a subject can be detected efficiently, and omissions of detection can be reduced.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit configured to input an image;

a scanning unit configured to scan a detection window on the input image;

a first discrimination unit configured to determine whether a pattern within the detection window is a subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within a first region among a plurality of regions within the detection window; and

a second discrimination unit configured to determine, if it is determined that the pattern is not the subject by the first discrimination unit, whether the pattern is the subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from a second region in which a probability that occlusion of the subject occurs is higher than that in the first region among the plurality of regions.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first discrimination unit calculates subject reliability concerning whether the pattern within the detection window is the subject based on the plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within the first region, and determines that the pattern is the subject if the subject reliability is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first region is a region of an upper body of a person, and the second region is a region of an entire body of the person.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an integration unit configured to integrate the detection windows of a plurality of positions with respect to the identical pattern which is determined as the subject by the second discrimination unit based on positions of the respective detection windows and the subject reliability calculated based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within regions within the respective detection windows.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a correction unit configured to correct the subject reliability, if the subject reliability calculated by the first discrimination unit based on the plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within the first region is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

6. A method for subject discrimination performed by an image processing apparatus, the method comprising:

inputting an image;

scanning a detection window on the input image;

determining whether a pattern within the detection window is a subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within a first region among a plurality of regions within the detection window; and

if it is determined that the pattern is not the subject, determining whether the pattern is the subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within a second region in which a probability that occlusion of the subject occurs is higher than the first region among the plurality of regions.

7. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a program for causing a computer to function as,

an image input unit configured to input an image;

a scanning unit configured to scan a detection window on the input image;

a first discrimination unit configured to determine whether a pattern within the detection window is a subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from within a first region among a plurality of regions within the detection window; and

a second discrimination unit configured to determine, if it is determined that the pattern is not the subject by the first discrimination unit, whether the pattern is the subject based on a plurality of characteristic amounts obtained from a second region in which a probability that occlusion of the subject occurs is higher than that in the first region among the plurality of regions.