IMAGE EDITING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE EDITING APPARATUS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM STORING IMAGE EDITING PROGRAM

• US 20120249825A1
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Atsushi Maruyama, Masaomi Tomizawa, Osamu Nonaka, Satoshi Miyazaki, Takeshi Suzuki
• Inventors: Maruyama, Atsushi, Miyazaki, Satoshi, Tomizawa, Masaomi, Suzuki, Takeshi, Nonaka, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 8,526,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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 40/175 Static expression
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability

Abstract

An image editing apparatus includes an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject. A face detection circuit detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit. A face expression detection circuit detects at least any one of direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A pupil detection circuit detects images of pupils of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights on the images of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit.

Claims

1. An image editing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject;

a face detection circuit which detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit;

a face expression detection circuit which detects at least any one of direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit;

a pupil detection circuit which detects images of pupils of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit; and

a catch-light composition circuit which composes different catch-lights on the images of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit.

2. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

3. The image editing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pupil detection circuit detects catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and the catch-light composition circuit eliminates the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

4. The image editing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

5. The image editing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

6. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an eye detection circuit which detects a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit,

wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights according to at least any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit, and the direction of the eyes detected by the eye detection circuit.

7. The image editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the catch-lights are different in any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

8. The image editing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pupil detection circuit detects catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and the catch-light composition circuit eliminates the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

9. The image editing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

10. The image editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

11. A method of controlling an apparatus for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, comprising:

detecting an image of a face of the subject from the obtained image;

detecting at least any one of the direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

composing different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face.

12. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the detecting the images of the pupils includes detecting catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and

the composing catch-lights includes eliminating the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the composing catch-lights includes composing the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the composing catch-lights composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

16. A method of controlling an apparatus for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, comprising:

detecting an image of a face of the subject from the obtained image;

detecting at least any one of the direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

detecting a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

composing catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

17. The controlling method according to claim 16, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

18. A computer readable recording medium recording a program for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, the program enabling the computer to perform the following:

a function of detecting an image of a face of the subject from the obtained image;

a function of detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a function of composing different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face.

19. The recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

20. The recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the program enables the computer to perform the following:

a function of detecting a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a function of composing different catch-lights according to at least any one of the detected direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

21. The recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

22. An image editing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject;

a detection circuit which detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit;

detects at least any one of direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

detects images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a catch-light composition unit which composes different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the direction and expression of the detected face.

23. The image editing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the catch-light are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

24. The image editing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising an eye detection unit which detects a direction of the eyes of the subject based on the image of the face detected by the detection unit,

wherein the catch-light composition unit composes different catch-lights according to at least any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection unit, and the direction of the eyes detected by the eye detection unit.

25. The image editing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the catch-light are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.