Image processing apparatus and method and program storage medium

• US 7,502,493 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2003
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Yoshihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): DULANEY, KATHLEEN YUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/617,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20040022435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 382/289, 382/296, 345/158, 345/655, 345/165
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body

Abstract

According to the present invention, the face of a subject person can be rapidly detected. An image input unit inputs an image to be processed. A photographing-position input unit inputs photographing-position information attached to the processed image. An angle-range information determination unit determines an angle range, where face detection should be performed to the processed image, on the basis of the information obtained by the photographing-position information input unit. On the basis of information indicating the determined angle range, under the control of a process control unit, a face detection unit performs face detection to the processed image input by the image input unit in predetermined angle increments. A face integration unit integrates all of face data detected by a basic-angle-range face detection unit into face information and then outputs the information.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

image input means for inputting an image that includes a person'"'"'s head;

photographing-position information input means for inputting photographing-position information of a camera that photographs the image, the photographing-position information being attached to the image input by the image input means, the photographing-position information input means being able to input four values, one of which is attached to the input image, the four values being a) a first value indicating that no significant photographing-position information is inputted, b) a second value indicating that an upright posture of the image is to be recognized as an upright position of the image, c) a third value indicating that a horizontally-oriented image with the person'"'"'s head at the right is to be recognized as an upright position of the image and d) a fourth value indicating that a horizontally-oriented image with the person'"'"'s head at the left is to be recognized as an upright position of the image;

face-detection angle-range information determination means for determining a first angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the first value, a second angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the second value, a third angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the third value, and a fourth angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the fourth value,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth angle ranges are different from each other,

wherein the first angle range is broader than the second, third, and fourth angle ranges; and

process control means having a mode to control the execution of the face detecting process on the basis of the determined angle range determined by the face-detection angle-range information determination means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process control means controls the execution of the face detecting process in predetermined angle increments.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image rotation means for rotating the input image,

wherein the process control means allows the image rotation means to rotate the input image in order to form images in predetermined angle increments, and performs the face detecting process to the respective images.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

reference data conversion means for converting face detection reference data used for face detection into reference data for a tilted face,

wherein the process control means allows the reference data conversion means to convert the face detection reference data into reference data for a tilted face in order to form tilted-face, reference data in predetermined angle increments, and executes the face detecting process to the input image using the formed tilted-face reference data.

9. A computer-system executable program which is stored on a computer-readable medium and allows a computer system for executing the program to operate as the image processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. An image processing method comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image;

a photographing-position information input step for inputting photographing-position information of a camera that photographs the image, the photographing-position information being attached to the image input in the image input step, the photographing-position information input step being able to input four values, one of which is attached to the input image, the four values being a) a first value indicating that no significant photographing-position information is inputted, b) a second value indicating that an upright posture of the image is to be recognized as an upright position of the image, c) a third value indicating that a horizontally-oriented image with the person'"'"'s head at the right is to be recognized as an upright position of the image, and d) a fourth value indicating that a horizontally-oriented image with the person'"'"'s head at the left is to be recognized as an upright position of the image;

a face-detection angle-range information determination step of determining a first angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the first value, a second angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the second value, a third angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the third value, and a fourth angle range used in a process of detecting a face from the input image when the value attached to the input image is the fourth value,

wherein the first, second, third, and fourth angle ranges are different from each other,

wherein the first angle range is broader than the second, third, and fourth angle ranges; and

a process control step having a mode to control the execution of the face detecting process on the basis of the determined angle range determined in the face-detection angle-range information determination step.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein in the process control step, the execution of the face detecting process is controlled in predetermined angle increments.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image rotation step of rotating the input image,

wherein in the process control step, images are formed in predetermined angle increments by rotating the input image in the image rotation step, and the face detecting process is performed to the respective formed images.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

a reference data conversion step of converting face detection reference data used for face detection into reference data for a tilted face,

wherein in the process control step, tilted-face reference data is formed in predetermined angle increments by converting the face detection reference data into reference data for a tilted face in the reference data conversion step, and the face detecting process is performed to the input image using the formed tilted-face reference data.

10. A computer-program storage medium in which a computer program is stored, the program realizing the image processing method according to claim 5 and indicating operating procedures of steps included in the method.

11. A computer program which is stored on a computer-readable medium for realizing the image processing method according to claim 5 and indicating operating procedures of steps included in the method.