Face image acquisition method and face image acquisition system

• US 7,539,556 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2005
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Oohashi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Dalena
• Application Number:
  US11/028,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20050151842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/246, 348/402.1, 382/118, 382/236, 382/294, 382/115, 382/107
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59

Abstract

A face image acquisition system which has a robot and a motion controller, the robot includes a camera and a arm, the motion controller has a visitor detector, a directive generator, and a face image registration unit, in the motion controller, a directive which controls the motion of the robot is generated by the directive generator and is transmitted to the robot when the visitor is detected by the visitor detector, and the robot offers a handshake to the visitor in compliance with the directive, and the robot acquires the face image of the visitor during the handshake with the visitor, and the acquired face image is stored in the face image registration unit.

Claims

1. A face image acquisition method using a robot assist unit and a robot having a camera and an arm, the method comprising:

a) detecting a target person whose face image is acquired from an image obtained by the camera;

b) generating a directive controlling a motion of the robot at the robot assist unit;

c) transmitting the directive from the robot assist unit to the robot when the target person is detected;

d) moving the arm toward the target person in compliance with the directive;

e) performing an image pickup of the face image of the target person during a handshake with the target person; and

f) storing the obtained face image in a recording medium.

2. A face image acquisition system comprising:

a robot having a camera and an arm; and

a motion controller, which includes

a visitor detector detecting a presence of a visitor,

a directive generator generating a directive which controls the motion of the robot, and

a face image registration unit holding a face image of the visitor, wherein

the motion controller transmits the directive generated in the directive generator to the robot when the visitor is detected by the visitor detector, and

the robot moves the arm toward the visitor for offering a handshake with the visitor in compliance with the directive, and performs an image pickup of a face image of the visitor using the camera during the handshake with the visitor, and

the motion controller stores the face image acquired by the robot in the face image registration unit.

3. A face image acquisition system according to claim 2 wherein,

the robot acquires a predetermined numbers of face images of the visitor when the image pickup of the face image of the visitor is performed, and computes the similarity of the last face image against the class image, which is generated from all face images excepting the last face image, and repeats the image pickup of the face image till the computed similarity exceeds a threshold value.

4. A face image acquisition system according to claim 3 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

5. A face image acquisition system according to claim 2 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

6. A face image acquisition system comprising:

a robot having a camera and an arm; and

a motion controller, which includes

a personal information database storing a personal information, which is used for an identification of a person, and a face image of the person associated with the personal information,

a visitor detector detecting a presence of a visitor and acquiring a face image of the visitor,

an information manager generating essential information to be used for generating a directive which controls the motion of the robot, and

a directive generator generating a directive based on essential information, wherein

the motion controller refers to the personal information database based on the face image acquired by the visitor detector in order to identify the visitor when the visitor is detected by the visitor detector,

if the appropriate personal information is not found in the personal information database, the information manager generates an ID information by which the visitor is identifiable, and generates the essential information, from which the directive generator generates the directive which commands the robot to acquire the face image of the visitor,

the robot moves the arm toward the visitor for offering a handshake with the visitor in compliance with the directive, and performs an image pickup of a face image of the visitor using the camera during the handshake with the visitor, and

the motion controller regards the ID information as the personal information, and stores the face image acquired by the robot in the personal information database together with the personal information.

7. A face image acquisition system according to claim 6 wherein,

the robot requests the visitor to input the visitor information, which is information on the visitor, and

the motion controller stores the visitor information on the personal information database together with the personal information.

8. A face image acquisition system according to claim 7 wherein,

the robot acquires a predetermined numbers of face images of the visitor when the image pickup of the face image of the visitor is performed, and computes the similarity of the last face image against the class image, which is generated from all face images excepting the last face image, and repeats the image pickup of the face image till the computed similarity exceeds a threshold value.

9. A face image acquisition system according to claim 8 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

10. A face image acquisition system according to claim 9 wherein,

the motion controller searches the personal information which has an empty content in predetermined information items, and delete such personal information at a fixed cycle together with the face image.

11. A face image acquisition system according to claim 6 wherein,

the robot acquires a predetermined numbers of face images of the visitor when the image pickup of the face image of the visitor is performed, and computes the similarity of the last face image against the class image, which is generated from all face images excepting the last face image, and repeats the image pickup of the face image till the computed similarity exceeds a threshold value.

12. A face image acquisition system according to claim 11 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

13. A face image acquisition system according to claim 12 wherein,

the motion controller searches the personal information which has an empty content in predetermined information items, and delete such personal information at a fixed cycle together with the face image.

14. A face image acquisition system according to claim 6 wherein,

the motion controller refers to the personal information database based on the face image acquired by the visitor detector in order to identify the visitor when the visitor is detected by the visitor detector, if the appropriate personal information is found in the personal information database, the information manager generates the essential information, from which the directive generator generates the directive which commands the robot to compute the similarity of the face image of the visitor,

the robot moves the arm toward the visitor for offering a handshake with the visitor in compliance with the directive, and performs an image pickup of a face image of the visitor using the camera during the handshake with the visitor, and the robot computes the similarity of the face image obtained by the image pickup against the class image, which is generated from face images stored in the personal information database, and repeats the image pickup of the face image of the visitor till the computed similarity exceeds a threshold value, and

the motion controller stores all face images acquired by the robot in the personal information database.

15. A face image acquisition system according to claim 14 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

16. A face image acquisition system according to claim 15 wherein,

the motion controller searches the personal information which has an empty content in predetermined information items, and delete such personal information at a fixed cycle together with the face image.

17. A face image acquisition system according to claim 6 wherein,

the robot further includes a handshake sensor which checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm, wherein

the robot checks whether or not the visitor has accepted the arm when the arm of the robot was moved toward the visitor, and the robot performs the image pickup of face image of the visitor by camera when it is judged that the visitor has accepted the handshake.

18. A face image acquisition system according to claim 17 wherein,

the motion controller searches the personal information which has an empty content in predetermined information items, and delete such personal information at a fixed cycle together with the face image.

19. A face image acquisition system according to claim 6 wherein,

the motion controller searches the personal information which has an empty content in predetermined information items, and delete such personal information at a fixed cycle together with the face image.