Automatic photographing method with face recognition

• US 8,340,431 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2008
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Original Assignee: Altek Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Tzu-Chih, Lo, Huan-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Akhavannik, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US12/271,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20100021019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 382/190, 382/286, 345/348, 399/163
• US Class Current: 382/190
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal

Abstract

An automatic photographing method with face recognition is applied in a camera having a detecting lens and a photographing lens for a user to photograph a target. First, detect a face of the user through the detecting lens, and obtain a plurality of face images of the detected face. Then, capture an image variance of the obtained face images, and photograph the target through a photographing lens when the captured image variance exceeds a photographing starting value. Therefore, during the whole photographing process, photographing can be achieved through determining variations of the face images of the user without pressing the shutter key of the camera, thereby completely preventing handshakes resulted from the pressing action, and thus improving the photographing quality.

Claims

1. An automatic photographing method with face recognition, applied in a camera having a detecting lens and a photographing lens for a user to photograph a target, the method comprising:

detecting a face of the target through the detecting lens;

obtaining a plurality of face images of the detected face;

capturing a first image variance by comparing the obtained face images;

focusing on the target through the photographing lens, which is performed detecting the face of the target, wherein focusing on the target through the photographing lens includes;

detecting the face through the detecting lens to obtain a plurality of other face images of the detected face;

capturing a second image variance by comparing the other face images after obtaining the other face images; and

actuating the photographing lens to focus on the target; and

photographing the target through the photographing lens when the captured first image variance exceeds a photographing starting value.

2. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 1, wherein the step of actuating the photographing lens is performed automatically or by pressing a key of the camera.

3. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 1, wherein the step of actuating the photographing lens to focus on the target is performed when the second image variance exceeds a focusing starting value.

4. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the other face images comprises:

obtaining a plurality of pixel units of the other face images of the detected face.

5. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 4, wherein the second image variance is generated by comparing pixel units of the obtained other face images.

6. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 5, wherein the step of obtaining the face images comprises:

obtaining a plurality of pixel units of the face images; and

the step of capturing the first image variance comprising;

comparing the pixel units of the obtained face images.

7. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 1, wherein the step of focusing on the target is performed after detecting the face to obtain the face images.

8. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 7, wherein the step of focusing on the target comprises:

comparing a first group of the obtained face images to generate a second image variance; and

actuating the photographing lens to focus on the target when the second image variance exceeds a focusing starting value; and

the step of capturing the first image variance comprises;

comparing a second group of the obtained face images to generate the first image variance.

9. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 8, wherein the face images comprise a first face image, a second face image and a third face image, the first image variance is generated by comparing the first and second face images, and the second image variance is generated by comparing the second and third face images.

10. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 8, wherein the face images comprise a first face image, a second face image, a third face image and a fourth face image, the first image variance is generated by comparing the first and second face images, and the second image variance is generated by comparing the third and fourth face images.

11. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 8, wherein each face image comprises a plurality of pixel units, the first image variance is generated by comparing the pixel units of the second group of the face images, and the second image variance is generated by comparing the pixel units of the first group of the face images.

12. The automatic photographing method with face recognition according to claim 8, wherein the step of actuating the photographing lens to focus on the target is performed automatically or by pressing a key of the camera.