Photographing device including face recognition, distance calculation, and distance comparison units and method of controlling the same

• US 8,059,164 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2008
• Issued: 11/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Byoung-kwon, Kim, Eun-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan; Usman
• Application Number:
  US12/291,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20090115868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.1, 382/118
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

A photographing device for photographing a subject is provided. The photographing device includes a face recognition unit recognizing a face included in an image of the subject; a distance calculation unit calculating a distance between each of a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces are recognized by the face recognition unit; and a distance comparison unit comparing the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit with a pre-set reference distance. A of controlling the photographing device is also provided.

Claims

1. A photographing device photographing a subject, the photographing device configured to be operable in a specific mode and comprising:

a face recognition unit recognizing a face included in an image of the subject;

a distance calculation unit calculating a distance between each of a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces are recognized by the face recognition unit; and

a distance comparison unit comparing the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit with a pre-set reference distance,

wherein the distance calculation unit comprises a planar distance calculation unit calculating a planar distance between each of the plurality of faces when the specific mode is set as a couple mode.

2. The photographing device of claim 1, wherein the distance comparison unit comprises a planar distance comparison unit comparing the planar distance between each of the plurality of faces with a pre-set reference planar distance and determining propriety of the planar distance calculated by the planar distance calculation unit.

3. The photographing device of claim 1, further comprising an image input unit delivering the image of the subject to the face recognition unit.

4. The photographing device of claim 1, further comprising an output unit receiving a result of the comparison from the distance comparison unit, and informing propriety of the calculated distance to a photographer.

5. The photographing device of claim 4, wherein the output unit informs the propriety of the calculated distance to the photographer by using at least one of a monitor, a speaker, and a light emitting diode.

6. A photographing device photographing a subject, the photographing device configured to be operable in a specific mode and comprising:

a face recognition unit recognizing a face included in an image of the subject;

a distance calculation unit calculating a distance between each of a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces are recognized by the face recognition unit; and

a distance comparison unit comparing the distance calculated by the distance calculation unit with a pre-set reference distance,

wherein the distance calculation unit comprises a front and rear distance calculation unit calculating a front and rear distance between each of the plurality of faces when the specific mode is set as a photo frame mode.

7. The photographing device of claim 6, wherein the distance comparison unit comprises a front and rear distance comparison unit comparing the front and rear distance between each of the plurality of faces with a pre-set reference front and rear distance and determining propriety of the front and rear distance calculated by the front and rear distance calculation unit.

8. The photographing device of claim 6, further comprising an image input unit delivering the image of the subject to the face recognition unit.

9. The photographing device of claim 6, further comprising an output unit receiving a result of the comparison from the distance comparison unit, and informing propriety of the calculated distance to a photographer.

10. The photographing device of claim 9, wherein the output unit informs the propriety of the calculated distance to the photographer by using at least one of a monitor, a speaker, and a light emitting diode.

11. A method of controlling a photographing device photographing a subject, the method comprising:

(a) entering a specific mode;

(b) photographing a target subject and recognizing a face included in an image of the subject;

(c) calculating a distance between each of a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces are recognized from the image; and

(d) comparing the calculated distance with a pre-set reference distance,

wherein the specific mode is one of a couple mode and a photo frame mode, and

wherein (c) comprises calculating a planar distance between each of the plurality of faces when the specific mode is set as the couple mode.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising informing a photographer about a result of the comparing in (d).

13. A method of controlling a photographing device photographing a subject, the method comprising:

(a) entering a specific mode;

(b) photographing a target subject and recognizing a face included in an image of the subject;

(c) calculating a distance between each of a plurality of faces when the plurality of faces are recognized from the image; and

(d) comparing the calculated distance with a pre-set reference distance,

wherein the specific mode is one of a couple mode and a photo frame mode, and

wherein (c) comprises calculating a planar distance between each of the plurality of faces, and a front and rear distance between each of the plurality of faces when the specific mode is set as the photo frame mode.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising informing a photographer about a result of the comparing in (d).