Methods and apparatus to capture images

• US 9,082,004 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Issued: 07/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): DRENNAN, BARRY T
• Application Number:
  US13/327,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20130156273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/53 Recognition of crowd images, e.g. recognition of crowd congestion
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/172 Classification, e.g. identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to capture images are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a resolution determiner to determine that a first frame of image data is to undergo processing at a first resolution and that a second frame of image data is to undergo processing at a second resolution lower than the first resolution; and a controller to activate an illuminator when an image sensor is to capture the first frame and to deactivate the illuminator when the image sensor is to capture the second frame.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a resolution determiner to process a first frame of image data to determine whether a second frame of image data to be captured subsequent to the first frame is to undergo a facial recognition analysis, the resolution determiner to determine (1) whether a head is present in the first frame and (2) an orientation of the head; and

a controller to;

when the head is present in the first frame and the orientation of the head enables successful performance of the facial recognition analysis, cause an illuminator to emit light when capturing the second frame; and

when the head is present in the first frame and the orientation of the head does not enable successful performance of the facial recognition analysis, prevent the illuminator from emitting light when capturing the second frame.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a binner to, when the second frame is captured with the illuminator prevented from emitting light, bin pixels of the second frame.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the binner is to increase a contrast level.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an image sensor to capture the first frame and the second frame.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the image sensor comprises a three-dimensional sensor.

6. A method, comprising:

in response to determining that a first frame of image data includes a head having a first orientation associated with successful performance of a facial recognition process, activating an illuminator while capturing a second frame subsequent to the first frame;

in response to determining that the head detected in the first frame of image data has a second orientation associated with unsuccessful performance of the facial recognition process, not activating the illuminator while capturing the second frame; and

performing the facial recognition process on the second frame to identify a person in the corresponding image data when the second frame is captured with the illuminator activated.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising, when the second frame is captured with the illuminator not activated, binning pixels of the second frame.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein binning the pixels comprises combining a first pixel with a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.

9. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising designating the second frame for the facial recognition process when the first frame includes the head having the first orientation.

10. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising, in response to detecting that the head has not been in a location for a threshold amount of time, not activating the illuminator while capturing the second frame.

11. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the first frame and the second frame are captured by a same image sensor.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the image sensor comprises a three-dimensional sensor.

13. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the illuminator comprises an infrared light emitting diode.

14. A method, comprising:

in response to determining, before a first frame of image data is captured by an image sensor, that the first frame of image data is to undergo a facial recognition process based on a first orientation of a first head relative to the image sensor, using an illuminator to illuminate an area when capturing the first frame; and

in response to determining, before a second frame of image data different than the first frame of image data is captured by the image sensor, that the second frame is not to undergo the facial recognition process based on a second orientation of the first head relative to the image sensor, preventing the illuminator from illuminating the area when capturing the second frame of image data, wherein the first orientation indicates a higher likelihood of successful performance of the facial recognition process than the second orientation.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising binning pixels of the second frame.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein binning the pixels comprises combining a first pixel with a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.

17. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein the second frame has a first resolution before the binning, and the second frame has a second resolution lower than the first resolution after the binning.

18. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the image sensor is to capture both the first and second frames of image data.

19. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

in response to determining that a first frame of image data includes a head having an orientation associated with successful performance of a facial recognition process, activate an illuminator when capturing a second frame of image data subsequent to the first frame;

in response to determining that the frame of image data does not include a head having an orientation associated with successful performance of the facial recognition process, deactivate the illuminator when capturing the second frame of image data; and

perform the facial recognition process on the second frame to identify a person in the corresponding image data when the second frame is captured with illuminator activated.

20. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to bin pixels of the second frame when the second frame is captured with the illuminator deactivated.

21. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to combine a first pixel of the second frame with a second pixel of the second frame adjacent to the first pixel.

22. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to designate the second frame for facial recognition process when the first frame includes the head having an orientation associated with successful performance of the facial recognition process.

23. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, in response to determining that the head has not been in a same location for a threshold amount of time, deactivate the illuminator when capturing the second frame of image data.

24. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to capture the first frame using an image sensor.

25. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 24, wherein the image sensor comprises a three-dimensional sensor.

26. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the illuminator comprises an infrared light emitting diode.