Method for controlling photographs of people

• US 7,715,596 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Idemia Identity & Security Germany AG (Advent International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Viisage Technology AG (Advent International Corporation)
• Inventors: Werner, Martin, Brauckmann, Michael, Gehlen, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, SATHYANARAYA V
• Application Number:
  US10/532,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153429A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,400 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118
• US Class Current: 382/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/993 Evaluation of the quality of the acquired pattern
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation

Abstract

It is provided a method for verifying digitized images of persons and apparatuses for performing the method. The method is particularly usable for verifying the suitability of an image of a person for identification of the person. The method comprises the steps: segmenting the image of a person in a background area and a head or face area, analyzing the head or face area, to detect at least one characteristic value, comparing the at least one characteristic value with at least one predetermined threshold value.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining the suitability of a digitized image of a person for person identification, with the steps:

segmenting the image of a person into a background area and a head or face area,

analyzing the head or face area to determine at least one geometric feature and at least one reproduction feature,

comparing the at least one geometric feature and the at least one reproduction feature with at least one predetermined threshold value,

making a determination of the suitability of the image based on a result of the comparison,

performing image correction when the determination of the suitability results is an image that does not fulfill one or more quality criteria,

wherein the image correction comprises;

correcting at least one image reproduction feature in the entire image and/or the head or face area and/or the background area, correcting at least one geometric feature of a head or face area displayed in the image of a person,

wherein the at least one geometric feature comprises a size and/or shape and/or position and/or spatial orientation of the head or face area within the image of a person, and

wherein the at least one reproduction feature comprises a contrast and/or a color distribution and/or a sharpness of the image and/or a brightness and/or a grade of staining and/or a measure for the irradiation of the head or face area.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the step of segmenting comprises performing a method for object recognition.

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the head or face area comprises localizing sub-regions of the head or face area.

4. Method according to claim 3 with the additional step:

analyzing the at least one localized sub-region.

5. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

analyzing the image of a person with respect to global criteria that apply to the entire image of a person.

6. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

analyzing the background area of the image of a person.

7. Method according to claim 1 with the step:

determining whether a negatively evaluated image could fulfill the predetermined quality criteria after image correction.

8. A data processor, adapted to execute a method according to claim 1.

9. System for quality determination and correction of digitized images of persons, comprising

storage means for storing digitized image data, and one of first data processing means for executing the steps of segmenting, analyzing, comparing, and making a determination of suitability according to the method of claim 1, and second data processing means for executing the step of performing image correction according to the method of claim 1, and

data processing means for executing the method according to claim 1.

10. A system according to claim 9 comprising

an apparatus for generating digitized image data.

11. A system according to claim 9 comprising

a display device for displaying whether a verified image or a modified image observes predetermined quality standards.