METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CAPTURE IMAGES

• US 20150271390A1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,560,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 an image capturing device to operate in a first illumination mode or a second illumination mode; and a logic circuit to determine whether a head detected in a first frame captured at a first time is oriented such that a facial recognition process on a second frame has greater than a threshold likelihood to succeed; place the image capturing device in the first illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is oriented such that the facial recognition process has greater than the threshold likelihood to succeed; and place the image capturing device in the second illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first is not oriented such that the facial recognition process has greater than the threshold likelihood to succeed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an image capturing device to operate in a first illumination mode in which an illumination source is active while the image capturing device is capturing image data or a second illumination mode in which the illumination source is inactive while the image capturing device is capturing image data; and

a logic circuit to;

determine whether a head detected in a first frame captured at a first time is oriented such that a facial recognition process on a second frame to be captured at a second time subsequent to the first frame has greater than a threshold likelihood to succeed;

place the image capturing device in the first illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is oriented such that the facial recognition process has greater than the threshold likelihood to succeed; and

place the image capturing device in the second illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is not oriented such that the facial recognition process is enabled has greater than the threshold likelihood to succeed.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the image capturing device includes a three-dimensional sensor.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is to synchronize operation of the illumination source with the capturing of the image data according to the first illumination mode or the second illumination mode.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is to, when a third frame captured at a third time does not include a shape corresponding to a head, place the image capturing device in the second illumination mode at a fourth time at which a fourth frame is to be captured, the fourth time being subsequent to the third time.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a binner to bin pixels of the second frame when the second frame is captured with the image capturing device in the second illumination mode.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the illumination source is an infrared light emitting diode.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the illumination source emits light while active and does not emit light while inactive.

8. A method, comprising:

determining, with a processor, whether a head detected in a first frame captured at a first time is oriented such that performing a facial recognition process on a second frame to be captured at a second time subsequent to the first frame will be effective;

operating an image capturing device in a first illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is oriented such that the facial recognition process will be effective, wherein an illumination source is active when the image capturing device is capturing image data while in the first illumination mode; and

operating the image capturing device in a second illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is not oriented such that the facial recognition process will be effective, wherein the illumination source is inactive when the image capturing device is capturing the image data while in the second illumination mode.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, further including synchronizing operation of the illumination source with the capturing of the image data.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, further including, when a third frame captured at a third time does not include a shape corresponding to a head, placing the image capturing device in the second illumination mode at a fourth time at which a fourth frame is to be captured, the fourth time being subsequent to the third time.

11. A method as defined in claim 8, further including binning pixels of the second frame when the second frame is captured with the image capturing device in the second illumination mode.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the illumination source emits light while active and does not emit light while inactive.

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

determine whether a head detected in a first frame captured at a first time is oriented in a desired position;

operate an image capturing device in a first illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is oriented in the desired position, wherein an illumination source is active when the image capturing device is capturing image data while in the first illumination mode;

operate the image capturing device in a second illumination mode at the second time when the head detected in the first frame is not oriented in the desired position, wherein the illumination source is inactive when the image capturing device is capturing the image data while in the second illumination mode; and

perform a facial recognition process on image data captured while in the first illumination mode, but not on image date captured while in the second illumination mode.

14. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to synchronize operation of the illumination source with the capturing of the image data.

15. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to, when a third frame captured at a third time does not include a shape corresponding to a head, place the image capturing device in the second illumination mode at a fourth time at which a fourth frame is to be captured, the fourth time being subsequent to the third time.

16. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to bin pixels of the second frame when the second frame is captured with the image capturing device in the second illumination mode.

17. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the illumination source emits light while active and does not emit light while inactive.

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

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 head relative to the image sensor, use 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 head relative to the image sensor, prevent the illuminator from illuminating the area when capturing the second frame of image data, the first orientation indicating a higher likelihood of successful performance of the facial recognition process than the second orientation.

19. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to bin pixels of the second frame.

20. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to bin the pixels by combining a first pixel with a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel.

21. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, 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.

22. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 18, wherein the image sensor is to capture both the first and second frames of image data.