Facial image processing
First Claim
1. An image processing method comprising the steps of receiving a subject facial image signal, generating a feature extraction tracking signal, and processing said tracking signal to provide a processed output signal, wherein:
- said processing step comprises the sub-steps of;
generating an image signal representing a substitute face; and
modifying said substitute face image signal in real time according to the tracking signal to generate an output signal representing the substitute face with facial features of the subject face by converting the tracking signal to a facial characteristic signal representing positional characteristics of facial features, the facial characteristic signal being a vector signal wherein pixel change data in an update image memory is selected by comparison of current and previous characteristics signals.
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Abstract
A camera (10) captures a subject facial image. A unit (30) generates a tracking signal containing feature extraction data. In conjunction with a memory store (40), the unit (30) generates an output signal representing a substitute face having the features of the subject face. To generate the tracking signal, the facial area is detected (3103, 3107-8) initially and used in location of the mouth (3102, 3110-3114) and eyes (3104-6, 3115-3118). Only the H and S components are used for detecting the facial area; and only the S and V components for the mouth within the facial area. A face vector may be generated (50) using the tracking signals.
276 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An image processing method comprising the steps of receiving a subject facial image signal, generating a feature extraction tracking signal, and processing said tracking signal to provide a processed output signal, wherein:
said processing step comprises the sub-steps of; generating an image signal representing a substitute face; and modifying said substitute face image signal in real time according to the tracking signal to generate an output signal representing the substitute face with facial features of the subject face by converting the tracking signal to a facial characteristic signal representing positional characteristics of facial features, the facial characteristic signal being a vector signal wherein pixel change data in an update image memory is selected by comparison of current and previous characteristics signals. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- 2. A method as claimed in 1 wherein the output signal is transmitted from an output image memory which is modified by overwriting pixel values transferred from an update image memory in response to the tracking signal, the update image memory storing pixel changes between frames the update transfers being controlled by reference to a lookup table having pointers to addresses in the update image memory.
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15. An image processing method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a subject facial image signal; extracting features in the signal to generate a tracking signal; transforming the tracking signal to a facial characteristic signal representing positional characteristics of features of the subject face; writing a primeval substitute image to an output image memory; and modifying the output image memory by overwriting pixel values transferred from an update image memory, the facial characteristic signal being a vector signal wherein pixel change data in said output image memory is selected by comparison of current and previous characteristics signals, said transfers being controlled in response to the facial characteristic signal.
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16. An image processing apparatus comprising means for receiving a subject facial image signal, means for generating a feature extraction tracking signal, and means for processing said tracking signal to provide a processed output signal, said processing means comprising means for:
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generating an image signal representing a substitute face; and modifying said substitute face image signal in real time according to the tracking signal to generate an output signal representing the substitute face with facial features of the subject face by converting the tracking signal to a facial characteristic signal representing positional characteristics of facial features, the facial characteristic signal being a vector signal wherein pixel change data in an update image memory is selected by comparison of current and previous characteristic signals. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving a subject facial image signal; means for extracting features in the signal to generate a tracking signal; and processing means comprising; means for transforming the tracking signal to a facial characteristic signal representing positional characteristics of features of the subject face; an output image memory; means for writing a primeval substitute image to the output image memory; an update image memory; and means for modifying the output image memory by transferring pixel values from the update image memory to the output image memory in response to the facial characteristic signal.
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23. An image processing method comprising the steps of receiving an input image signal and generating a feature extraction tracking signal, characterised in that:
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the input image signal is in H,S,V format; a facial area location signal is generated by passing at least part of the input image signal through a band pass filter and analyzing the output of the filter; a mouth location signal is generated by passing at least part of the input image signal through a band pass filter and analyzing the output of the filter within the facial pixel area according to the facial area location signal; eye location signals are generated by processing at least part of the input image signal within the facial pixel area according to the facial area location signal; and the facial area location, mouth location and eye location signals are outputted as output tracking signals. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An image processing apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving an input image signal in H,S,V format; a facial area band pass filter; means for passing at least part of the input image signal through the facial area band pass filter and analyzing the output of the filter to generate a facial area location signal; a mouth location band pass filter; means for passing at least part of the input image signal through the mouth location band pass filter and for analyzing the output of the filter within the face pixel area according to the facial area location signal; processing means for processing at least part of the input image signal within the facial pixel area according to the facial area location signal to generate eye location signals; and means for outputting said facial area location, mouth location, and eye location signals as output tracking signals. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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Specification