Image processing apparatus, image processing system and recording medium for programs therefor

• US 7,668,345 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kazunori, Kazui, Masato, Kiyohara, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner; Brian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rice; Elisa M
• Application Number:
  US11/392,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20060222213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,426 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/115
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/171 Local features and components; Facial parts eye characteristics G06V40/18; Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00 Individual registration on entry or exit
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19671 Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19686 Interfaces masking personal details for privacy, e.g. blurring faces, vehicle license plates

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, for example, a multi-camera monitoring system is provided for processing images with the intention of protecting the individuals'"'"' privacies in accordance with the type of customers in a store which is equipped with the multi-camera monitoring system, and for deleting or modifying individuals'"'"' privacy information to protect the individuals'"'"' privacies while permitting the identity of a person to be determined among a plurality of cameras. The image processing apparatus processes an image captured by an imager device to output the resulting image. A processor detects a person from an image, and an image database stores feature information on the person. The processor extracts features from the detected person and the database, processes the extracted feature amount in the stored feature information, and generates an output image based on the processed features.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for processing an image captured by an imager device to output the processed image, comprising:

a first imaging means for capturing a first image;

a second imaging means for capturing a second image;

a person detecting means for detecting a person within the first image and the second image;

a storage means for storing feature information for use as a database;

a feature extracting means for extracting a feature from the person detected by the person detecting means, and for extracting stored feature information on the feature from the database;

a feature amount processing means for processing the feature, using a feature amount extracted by the extracting means from within the stored feature information on the feature; and

an output image generation means for generating an output image based on the processed feature;

wherein the processing means for processing the feature, using a feature amount includes processing for replacing the feature amount with a value calculated from the feature amount using a function; and

wherein the function of calculating a value to be substituted for the feature amount receives a time or an operating time of the apparatus as an input parameter, and a value calculated with the same feature amount inputted to the processing means varies depending on the time or the operating time of the apparatus.

2. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the person detecting means detects the head of a person.

3. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the feature extracted from a detected person is from a group of features including face image, sex, age, age group, hair style, clothing, skin color, hair color, color of closing, shape of the head, whether the person wears glasses, whether the person wears a face mask, whether the person wears accessories, whether the person has a mole, shape of mustache, and mustache color.

4. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the feature extracted from a detected person is represented by a feature element within the database which stores feature information.

5. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

means having a plurality of databases recorded thereon for storing feature information and switching the databases.

6. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:

means for switching the database for storing feature information such that part or entirety of the database is utilized.

7. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the database for storing feature information is recorded in an exchangeable recording medium.

8. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the function of calculating a value to be substituted for the feature amount can be manually changed to change the value calculated with the same feature amount inputted to the processing means.

9. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the person detecting means includes at least one mathematical computation from the group including a Sobel filter, a Laplace filter, a Hough transform, and a first-order differentiation.

10. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

any differences between the feature of the detected person and the feature of the extracted stored feature information on the feature from the database are represented in a feature vector.

11. An image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

a feature amount processing means removes the feature of the detected person, before the output image generation means generates an output image.