Image editing apparatus, method for controlling image editing apparatus, and recording medium storing image editing program

• US 8,526,683 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Atsushi, Miyazaki, Satoshi, Tomizawa, Masaomi, Suzuki, Takeshi, Nonaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zarka, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, HA N
• Application Number:
  US13/493,025
• Publication Number:
  US 20120249825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/117
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• 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: G06V 40/175 Static expression
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability

Abstract

An image editing apparatus includes an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject. A face detection circuit detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit. A face expression detection circuit detects at least any one of direction and expression of the face of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A pupil detection circuit detects images of pupils of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit. A catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights on the images of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit.

Claims

1. An image editing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject;

a face detection circuit which detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit;

a face expression detection circuit which detects a value indicating an extent of a smiling face of the subject as a face expression of the subject, based, at least in part, on (1) the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit, and (2) a sum of a normalized value of a whites of eyes area in the image of the face and a normalized value of a lips area in the image of the face;

a pupil detection circuit which detects images of pupils of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit; and

a catch-light composition circuit which composes different catch-lights on the images of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit, wherein the face expression detection circuit further determines if both (1) teeth are visible in the image of the face and (2) an end of mouth is shaded in the image of the face, and responsive to a determination that both (1) the teeth are visible and (2) the end of the mouth is shaded, increments the value by a predetermined amount, and otherwise, responsive to a determination that (1) the teeth are not visible or (2) the end of the mouth is not shaded, decrements the value by the predetermined amount.

2. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

3. The image editing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pupil detection circuit detects catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and the catch-light composition circuit eliminates the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

4. The image editing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

5. The image editing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

6. The image editing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an eye detection circuit which detects a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit;

wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights according to at least any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit, and the direction of the eyes detected by the eye detection circuit.

7. The image editing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the catch-lights are different in any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

8. The image editing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pupil detection circuit detects catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and the catch-light composition circuit eliminates the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

9. The image editing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

10. The image editing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

11. A method of controlling an apparatus for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, comprising:

detecting an image of a face of the subject from the obtained image;

detecting a value indicating an extent of a smiling face of the subject as a face expression of the subject, based, at least in part, on (1) the detected image of the face, and (2) a sum cf a normalized value of a whites of eyes area in the image of the face and a normalized value of a lips area in the image of the face;

detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

composing different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face;

determining if both (1) teeth are visible in the image of the face and (2) an end of mouth is shaded in the image of the face; and

responsive to a determination that both (1) the teeth are visible and (2) the end of the mouth is shaded, incrementing the value by a predetermined amount, and otherwise, responsive to a determination that (1) the teeth are not visible or (2) the end of the mouth is not shaded, decrementing the value by the predetermined amount.

12. The controlling method according to claim 11, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

13. The control method according to claim 12, wherein the detecting the images of the pupils includes detecting catch-lights in the images of the pupils, and

the composing catch-lights includes eliminating the catch-lights in the images of the pupils from the images of the pupils.

14. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the composing catch-lights includes composing the catch-lights after reducing the sizes to fit within the pupils.

15. The control method according to claim 14, wherein the composing catch-lights composes the catch-lights in the upper parts of the images of the pupils when the face has wide opened eyes, and composes the catch-lights in the lower parts of the images of the pupils when the face has staring eyes.

16. A method of controlling an apparatus for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, comprising:

detecting an image of a face of the subject from the obtained image;

detecting a value indicating an extent of a smiling face of the subject as a face expression of the subject, based, at least in part, on (1) the detected image of the face, and (2) a sum of a normalized value of a whites of eyes area in the image of the face and a normalized value of a lips area in the image of the face;

detecting a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face;

composing catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes;

determining if both (1) teeth are visible in the image of the face and (2) an end of mouth is shaded in the image of the face; and

responsive to a determination that both (1) the teeth are visible and (2) the end of the mouth is shaded, incrementing the value by a predetermined amount, and otherwise, responsive to a determination that (1) the teeth are not visible or (2) the end of the mouth is not shaded, decrementing the value by the predetermined amount.

17. The controlling method according to claim 16, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

18. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium recording a program for editing an image obtained by taking a picture of a subject, the program enabling the computer to perform the following:

a function of detecting a value indicating an extent of a smiling face of the subject as a face expression face of the subject, based, at least in part, on (1) the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit, and (2) a sum of a normalized value of a whites of eyes area in the image of the face and a normalized value of a lips area in the image of the face;

a function of detecting images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a function of composing different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the detected direction and expression of the face, wherein the function of detecting a value further determines if both (1) teeth are visible in the image of the face and (2) an end of mouth is shaded in the image of the face, and responsive to a determination that both (1) the teeth are visible and (2) the end of the mouth is shaded, increments the value by a predetermined amount, and otherwise, responsive to a determination that (1) the teeth are not visible or (2) the end of the mouth is not shaded, decrements the value by the predetermined amount.

19. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face.

20. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the program enables the computer to perform the following:

a function of detecting a direction of the eyes of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a function of composing different catch-lights according to at least any one of the detected direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

21. The non-transitory computer readable recording medium according to claim 18, wherein the catch-lights are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.

22. An image editing apparatus comprising:

an image input unit including an image pickup circuit which takes a picture of a subject to obtain an image of a subject;

a face expression detection circuit which detects an image of a face of the subject from the image obtained from the image input unit;

detects a value indicating the extent of a smiling face of the subject as a face expression of the subject, based, at least in part, on (1) the image of the face detected by the face detection circuit, and (2) a sum of a normalized value of a whites of eyes area in the image of the face and a normalized value of a lips area in the image of the face; and

detects images of the pupils of the subject, based on the detected image of the face; and

a catch-light composition circuit which composes different catch-lights on the detected images of the pupils, according to any one of the direction and expression of the detected face, wherein the face expression detection circuit further determines if both (1) teeth are visible in the image of the face and (2) an end of mouth is shaded in the image of the face, and responsive to a determination that both (1) the teeth are visible and (2) the end of the mouth is shaded, increments the value by a predetermined amount, and otherwise, responsive to a determination that (1) the teeth are not visible, or (2) the end of the mouth is not shaded, decrements the value by the predetermined amount.

23. The image editing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the catch-light are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any on of the direction and expression of the face.

24. The image editing apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a pupil detection circuit which detects a direction of the pupils of the subject based on the image of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit,

wherein the catch-light composition circuit composes different catch-lights according to at least any one of the direction and expression of the face detected by the face expression detection circuit, and the direction of the pupils detected by the pupil detection circuit.

25. The image editing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the catch-light are different in at least any one of shapes, sizes, colors and composing positions, according to any one of the direction and expression of the face, and the direction of the eyes.