Image pickup device that identifies portions of a face

• US 7,920,187 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Shiraishi, Kenji, Sanno, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US11/745,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20070268370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,428 Days
• Field of Search: 348/169, 348/170, 382/118
• US Class Current: 348/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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 23/632 for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/675 comprising setting of focusing regions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An image pickup device includes an image pickup unit configured to convert an optical image of a subject to image data and to output the image data, a face image recognition unit configured to recognize face image from the image data, and a face portion judgment unit configured to judge each portion in the face image recognized by the face image recognition unit. When every portion in the face image can be judged by the face portion judgment unit, a release button for executing photographing of the subject is automatically pressed, or the photographing operation is executed.

Claims

1. An image pickup device comprising:

an image pickup unit configured to convert an optical image of a subject to image data and to output the image data;

a face image recognition unit configured to recognize a face image from the image data; and

a face portion judgment unit configured to judge each portion in the face image recognized by the face image recognition unit, wherein when every portion in the face image can be judged by the face portion judgment unit, a photographing operation for executing photographing of the subject is automatically executed, the face portion judgment unit including

an edge detection unit configured to detect an edge for each portion in the face image, and to acquire edge detection values for respective portions in the face image; and

a determining unit configured to acquire the edge detection values from the edge detection unit, and to determine whether the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image exceed thresholds for said respective portions respectively,

the face portion judgment unit judges that each portion in the face image is identified when the determining unit determines that the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image exceed the thresholds for said respective portions respectively, and

the edge detection unit continues to acquire the edge detection values until the edge detection values exceed the thresholds, when the determining unit determines that the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image do not exceed the thresholds for said respective portions respectively.

2. The image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein when all of the respective portions in the face image cannot be judged by the face portion judgment unit, the operation of the face portion judgment unit is continued until all of the respective portions in the face image can be judged.

3. The image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the image data is continuously taken in, and only when all of the respective portions in the face image can be judged by the face portion judgment unit, the image data is stored.

4. The image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit configured to display data contents, wherein when photographing conditions are satisfied, this matter is displayed on the display unit.

5. The image pickup device according to claim 4, wherein when the photographing conditions are not satisfied, after a predetermined period of time has passed, this matter is displayed on the display unit.

6. The image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a warning unit configured to generate sound, wherein when the photographing conditions are satisfied, sound is generated by the warning unit.

7. The image pickup device according to claim 6, wherein the warning unit is configured to generate sound when the photographing conditions are not satisfied after a predetermined period of time has passed.

8. The image pickup device according to claim 6, wherein frequency or melody of the sound is changed, between when the photographing conditions are satisfied and when they are not satisfied.

9. The image pickup device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a selection unit configured to select whether a release button is to be pressed, when the face portion judgment unit detects a face image, and when it is selected not to press the release button by the selection unit, the release button is to be pressed manually.

10. An image pickup device comprising:

an image pickup unit configured to convert an optical image of a subject to image data and to output the image data;

a face image recognition unit configured to recognize a face image from the image data; and

a face portion judgment unit configured to judge each portion in the face image recognized by the face image recognition unit, wherein when every portion in the face image can be judged by the face portion judgment unit, a photographing operation for executing photographing of the subject is automatically executed, the face portion judgment unit including

an edge detection unit configured to detect an edge for each portion in the face image, and to acquire edge detection values for respective portions in the face image; and

a determining unit configured to acquire the edge detection values from the edge detection unit, and to determine whether the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image exceed thresholds for said respective portions respectively,

the face portion judgment unit judges that each portion in the face image is identified when the determining unit determines that the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image exceed the thresholds for said respective portions respectively, and

when the determining unit determines that the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image do not exceed the thresholds for said respective portions respectively, the face portion judgment unit determines whether the edge detection values corresponding to respective portions in the face image respectively exceed allowable values for a predetermined period, said allowable values each having a tolerance with respect to the respective thresholds, and if the edge detection values respectively exceed said allowable values for the predetermined period, judges that each portion in the face image is identified.