INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

• US 20140241594A1
• Filed: 02/12/2014
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Kaori
• Granted Patent: US 9,395,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/28 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. by averaging or distorting; Generating dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/772 Determining representative reference patterns, e.g. averaging or distorting patterns; Generating dictionaries
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification

Abstract

An information processing apparatus which communicates with an external apparatus having a face authentication function, comprises a unit which acquires a type of the authentication function of the external apparatus from the external apparatus; a unit which receives image data held in the external apparatus and a face feature amount used by the external apparatus for the authentication function; and a unit which controls, in accordance with a result of comparing a type of a face authentication function of the information processing apparatus with the type of the authentication function of the external apparatus, whether to use the received face feature amount for the authentication function of the information processing apparatus, or to re-generate, from the received image data, a face feature amount corresponding to the type of the authentication function of the information processing apparatus.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus which communicates with an external apparatus having a face authentication function, comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus from the external apparatus;

a reception unit configured to receive image data held in the external apparatus and a face feature amount used by the external apparatus for the face authentication function; and

a control unit configured to control, in accordance with a result of comparing a type of a face authentication function of the information processing apparatus with the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus, whether to use the face feature amount received by the reception unit for the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus, or to re-generate, from the received image data, a face feature amount corresponding to the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus and the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus are identical, the control unit uses the received face feature amount, and when the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus and the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus are different, re-generates a face feature amount corresponding to the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus from the received image data.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a request unit configured to request another image of the external apparatus when no face has been acquired from the received image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus and the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus are different and the information processing apparatus transmits the face feature amount to the external apparatus, the control unit re-generates a face feature amount held in the information processing apparatus into a face feature amount for the external apparatus, and transmits the face feature amount.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus and the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus are different and the information processing apparatus does not have the face authentication function of the type held in the external apparatus, the control unit acquires, from a server, data corresponding to the face authentication function of the type held in the external apparatus, and installs, in the information processing apparatus, the face authentication function of the type held in the external apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus and the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus are identical and the information processing apparatus transmits the face feature amount to the external apparatus, the control unit transmits a face feature amount held in the information processing apparatus without any change.

7. A control method of an information processing apparatus which communicates with an external apparatus having a face authentication function, the method comprising the steps of:

acquiring a type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus from the external apparatus;

receiving image data held in the external apparatus and a face feature amount used for the face authentication function; and

controlling, in accordance with a result of comparing a type of a face authentication function of the information processing apparatus with the type of the face authentication function of the external apparatus, whether to use the received face feature amount for the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus, or to re-generate, from the received image data, a face feature amount corresponding to the type of the face authentication function of the information processing apparatus.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 7.