IDENTIFICATION DEVICE, IDENTIFICATION METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM

• US 20110311112A1
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Matsuyama, Ichiro, Fukui, Yuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,705,813 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• 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: G06V 40/173 face re-identification, e.g. recognising unknown faces across different face tracks

Abstract

An identification device capable of improving identification accuracy. The identification device performs identification according to a face area contained in image data. Feature data is extracted from a face area in each of frames of image data. The extracted feature data is registered in a person database section. Identification is performed through comparison between the feature data registered in the person database section and the extracted feature data. A tracking section identifies an identical face area in consecutive frames. If a face area is identified in a first frame, but a face area in a second frame following the first frame, which is identified by the tracking section as identical to the identified face area in the first frame, is not identified, the extracted feature data associated with the face area in the second frame is registered as additional feature data in the person database section.

Claims

1. An identification device that performs identification according to a face area contained in image data, comprising:

a feature data extraction unit configured to extract feature data from a face area in each of a plurality of frames of image data, as extracted feature data;

a storage unit configured to register therein feature data for use in the identification;

an identification unit configured to perform identification through comparison between the feature data registered in said storage unit and the extracted feature data;

a tracking unit configured to identify an identical face area in consecutive ones of the frames; and

a registration unit configured to be operable when said identification unit identifies a face area in a first frame as one of the frames, but said identification unit does not identify a face area in a second frame following the first frame, which is identified by said tracking unit as identical to the identified face area in the first frame, to register the extracted feature data associated with the face area in the second frame, as additional feature data, in said storage unit.

2. The identification device according to claim 1, further comprising a face detection unit configured to receive image data having a plurality of frames, detect a face area in each of the frames, and output associated detection data including at least face facing direction information indicative of a face facing direction in the face area, and

a determination unit configured to determine, based on the associated detection data, whether or not the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith, and

wherein when said determination unit determines that the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith, said registration unit registers the extracted feature data as the additional feature data in said storage unit.

3. The identification device according to claim 2, wherein when an angle indicative of the face facing direction is larger than a predetermined angle threshold value, said determination unit determines that the face area is not appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data.

4. The identification device according to claim 3, wherein the associated detection data further contains information indicative of at least one of a reliability degree of a face detection result and a size of a face area, and

wherein at least one of a condition that the reliability degree is lower than a predetermined reliability threshold value and a condition that the face area size is smaller than a predetermined size threshold value is satisfied, said determination unit determines that the face area is not appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith.

5. The identification device according to claim 2, further comprising an organ feature value extraction unit configured to extract at least organ feature information including opening/closing degree information indicative of an eye opening/closing degree in the face area from the extracted feature data, and

wherein when the eye opening/closing degree is lower than a predetermined opening/closing degree threshold value, said determination unit determines that the face area is not appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature.

6. The identification device according to claim 5, wherein the organ feature information includes face facing direction information indicative of an angle of a face facing direction in the face area, and

wherein when the angle of the face facing direction is larger than a predetermined angle threshold value, said determination unit determines that the face area is not appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith.

7. The identification device according to claim 2, wherein when said determination unit determines that the face area is not appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith, said identification unit does not perform the identification processing on the extracted feature data.

8. The identification device according to claim 1, wherein when a difference between the extracted feature data and the feature data registered in said storage unit is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, said identification unit identifies the extracted feature data and the feature data registered in said storage unit as being associated with an identical person or individual.

9. The identification device according to claim 1, wherein said tracking unit determines, based on face central positions and face sizes in face areas in respective different frames, whether or not the face areas are identical to each other.

10. The identification device according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined threshold value comprises a first threshold value and a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, and

wherein in a case where said identification unit determines that the difference is smaller than the second threshold value in the first frame and said tracking unit identifies the face area in the first frame and the face area in the second frame as being identical to each other, if said identification unit determines that the difference is larger than the first threshold value in the second frame, said registration unit registers the extracted feature data from the second frame, as the additional feature data, in said storage unit.

11. The identification device according to claim 10, wherein said identification unit performs the identification using the feature data registered in said storage unit in advance for the identification, and when identification cannot be performed using the feature data registered in said storage unit in advance, said identification unit further executes the identification using the additional feature data.

12. The identification device according to claim 1, wherein before execution of the identification by said identification unit, said registration unit registers a frequency of utilization of the feature data registered in said storage unit, in said storage unit, and

wherein in a case where a number of feature data items that can be registered in said storage unit has reached a predetermined upper limit when the additional feature data is to be registered anew, said registration unit deletes a feature data item having been utilized less frequently and registers the additional feature data.

13. An identification method used by an identification device that performs identification according to a face area contained in image data and is provided with a storage unit in which feature data associated with a face area for use in the identification is registered as registered feature data, comprising:

extracting feature data from a face area in each of a plurality of frames of image data, as extracted feature data;

performing identification through comparison between the feature data registered in the storage unit and the extracted feature data;

identifying an identical face area in consecutive ones of the frames; and

registering, when a face area in a first frame as one of the frames is identified, but a face area in a second frame following the first frame, which is identified as identical to the identified face area in the first frame, is not identified, the extracted feature data associated with the face area in the second frame, as additional feature data, in the storage unit.

14. The identification method according to claim 13, including detecting a face area in each of the frames of the image data having a plurality of frames and outputting associated detection data including at least face facing direction information indicative of a face facing direction in the face area, and

determining, based on the associated detection data, whether or not the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith, and

wherein the registration is performed when it is determined that the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for causing a computer to execute an identification method used by an identification device that performs identification according to a face area contained in image data and is provided with a storage unit in which feature data associated with a face area for use in the identification is registered as registered feature data,

wherein the identification method comprises:

extracting feature data from a face area in each of a plurality of frames of image data, as extracted feature data;

performing identification through comparison between the feature data registered in the storage unit and the extracted feature data;

identifying an identical face area in consecutive ones of the frames; and

registering, when a face area in a first frame as one of the frames is identified but a face area in a second frame following the first frame, which is identified as identical to the identified face area in the first frame, is not identified, the extracted feature data associated with the face area in the second frame, as additional feature data, in the storage unit.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the identification method includes:

detecting a face area in each of the frames of the image data having a plurality of frames and outputting associated detection data including at least face facing direction information indicative of a face facing direction in the face area, and

determining, based on the associated detection data, whether or not the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith, and

wherein the registration is performed when it is determined that the face area is appropriate for additional registration of the extracted feature data associated therewith.