Image processing method using sensed eye position

• US 8,902,333 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US12/941,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 348/239, 348/222.1, 348/333.01, 348/208.7, 348/207.2
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0005 Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/70 cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/16585 for paper-width or non-reciprocating print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17513 Inner structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/17596 Ink pumps, ink valves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/445 Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/121 by printing code marks applying code marks to labels B65C9/46; marking or coding completed packages B65B61/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06037 multi-dimensional coding
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/14 using light without selection of wavelength, e.g. sensing reflected white light G06K7/10831 - G06K7/1097 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/44 Morphing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/18 Image warping, e.g. rearranging pixels individually
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 : using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 : Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 : Preprocessing; Feature extraction
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 : using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 : for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 : using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 : the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32133 : on the same paper sheet, e.g. a facsimile page header
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 : Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2628 : Alteration of picture size, shape, position or orientation, e.g. zooming, rotation, rolling, perspective, translation

Abstract

A method for processing an image previously captured by a camera and stored in a memory of the camera, includes the steps of sensing the position of an eye in the captured image; generating eye position information; and processing said captured image using the eye position information. The step of processing involves detecting a face within the capture image, and applying a morph to the detected face to modify the captured image. The step of processing further involves a step of applying a graphical object at a location within the image and relative to the detected face.

Claims

1. A method for processing an image previously captured by a camera and stored in a memory of the camera, the method comprising the steps of:

sensing a position of an eye in the captured image;

generating eye position information based on the sensed position of the eye; and

processing said captured image using the eye position information, wherein the step of processing involves detecting a face within the captured image, applying a morph to the detected face to modify the captured image, and applying a graphical object at a location within the image and relative to the detected face.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said graphical object is a speech bubble.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing involves any one of modifying or transforming the captured image using the sensed eye position.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing involves applying focusing effects to a region of the captured image.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of processing involves applying artistic rendering of the captured image.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the artistic rendering comprises a paint brushing technique.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the artistic rendering is performed in a region specific manner in accordance with the eye position information.

8. A non-transitory processor readable storage medium located at a camera and configured with processor executable instructions for performing the steps of:

sensing the position of an eye in an image captured by a camera and stored in the memory of the camera;

generating eye position information; and

processing said captured image using the eye position information, wherein

the step of processing involves detecting a face within the captured image, and applying a morph to the detected face to modify the captured image, and

the step of processing further involves a step of applying a graphical object at a location within the image and relative to the detected face.

9. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein said graphical object is a speech bubble.

10. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the step of processing involves any one of modifying or transforming the captured image using the sensed eye position.

11. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the step of processing involves applying focusing effects to a region of the captured image.

12. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the step of processing involves applying artistic rendering of the captured image.

13. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the artistic rendering comprises a paint brushing technique.

14. The non-transitory processor readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the artistic rendering is performed in a region specific manner in accordance with the eye position information.

15. A hand held camera device comprising:

an eye position sensor;

a memory; and

a processor;

wherein the eye position sensor is configured to sense a position of an eye in an image captured by the hand held camera and to generate eye position information based on the sensed position of the eye;

wherein the memory is configured to store the image captured by the hand held camera device and to store the eye position information; and

wherein the processor is configured to detect a face within the captured image, apply a morph to the detected face to modify the captured image, and apply a graphical object at a location within the image relative to the detected face.

16. A hand held camera device as claimed in claim 15, wherein said graphical object is a speech bubble.

17. A hand held camera device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to modify or transform the captured image using the sensed eye position.

18. A hand held camera device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to apply focusing effects to a region of the captured image.

19. A hand held camera device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to perform artistic rendering of the captured image.

20. A hand held camera device as claimed in claim 19, wherein the artistic rendering is performed in a region specific manner in accordance with the eye position information.