Image correction system and method

• US 7,177,449 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Baggs, Scott Clinton, Russon, Virgil Kay
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancuso; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAFFER, JONATHAN C
• Application Number:
  US10/183,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20040001614A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 382/117
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

An image correction system comprises a detection application accessible by a processor and adapted to identify a viewing direction of at least one eye of a subject within an image. The system also comprises a reconstruction application accessible by the processor and adapted to automatically modify the image to modify the viewing direction of the at least one eye of the subject.

Claims

1. An image correction system, comprising:

a detection application accessible by a processor and adapted to identify a viewing direction of at least one eye of a subject within an image; and

a reconstruction application accessible by the processor and adapted to automatically modify the image to modify the viewing direction of the at least one eye of the subject to a user-specified direction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection application is adapted to acquire data from the image corresponding to the eye of the subject.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the reconstruction application is adapted to modify the eye within the image using the acquired data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection application is adapted to acquire at least one color characteristic associated with the eye of the subject from the image.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the reconstruction application is adapted to modify the eye within the image using the at least one acquired color characteristic.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection application is adapted to acquire at least one facial characteristic associated with the subject from the image.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the reconstruction application is adapted to modify the eye within the image using the at least one facial characteristic.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a locator application accessible by the processor and adapted to automatically locate a face of the subject within the image.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the detection application is adapted to acquire at least one size characteristic associated with the eye from the image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the detection application is adapted to determine the viewing direction of the eye using the at least one size characteristic.

11. A method for image correction, comprising:

receiving an image comprising at least one subject;

determining a viewing direction from the image of at least one eye of the subject; and

automatically modifying the image to change the viewing direction of the at least one eye based on a user-specified direction.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a viewing direction comprises acquiring at least one size characteristic of the eye from the image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a viewing direction comprises determining a pupil location of the eye from the image.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising acquiring at least one color characteristic of the eye from the image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein modifying the image comprises reconstructing the eye of the subject using the at least one color characteristic.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the image comprises modifying a pupil location of the eye.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the image comprises modifying a shape of a pupil of the eye.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein modifying the image comprises modifying a shape of an eyelid of the subject corresponding to the eye.

19. The method of claim 11, determining a viewing direction of the eye comprises:

acquiring at least one shape characteristic of an iris of the eye from the image; and

comparing the at least one shape characteristic to an eye shape characteristic database.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a plurality of control points to define a shape of the reconstructed eye.

21. An image correction system, comprising:

a detection application accessible by a processor and adapted to acquire data from an image to determine a viewing direction of a subject within the image; and

a reconstruction application accessible by the processor and adapted to modify the image using the acquired data to obtain a user-specified viewing direction of the subject.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the detection application is adapted to determine the viewing direction using a shape of an eye of the subject.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the detection application is adapted to determine at least one color characteristic associated with an eye of the subject.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the reconstruction application is adapted to reconstruct an image of the eye corresponding to the desired viewing direction using the color characteristic.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the reconstruction application is adapted to generate a plurality of control points defining a shape of an eye of the subject corresponding to the desired viewing direction.

26. An image correction system, comprising:

means for receiving an image;

means for determining a viewing direction of a subject within the image; and

means for automatically modifying the image to obtain a user-specified viewing direction of the subject.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the determining means is adapted to determine a shape of an eye of the subject.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the modifying means is adapted to generate a plurality of control points defining a shape of an eye of the subject corresponding to the desired viewing direction.

29. The system of claim 26, wherein the determining means is adapted to determine at least one color characteristic associated with an eye of the subject.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the modifying means is adapted to modify an image of the eye corresponding to the desired viewing direction using the color characteristic.

31. The system of claim 26, further comprising storage means comprising information correlating a viewing direction of an eye with a shape of the eye.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the determining means is adapted to determine dimensional characteristics associated with an eye of the subject.

33. The system of claim 26, further comprising locating means adapted to automatically locate an eye of the subject within the image.