Face image display, face image display method, and face image display program

1. A facial image display apparatus, comprising:

facial detecting means for detecting areas containing faces in a target image displaying a plurality of faces, wherein the target image is a still image;

path creating means for automatically creating, using the areas containing faces detected by the facial detecting means, a path across the still image connecting the detected areas containing faces;

moving image output means for creating a moving image in which a camera scrolls across the target image according to the path created by the path creating means, wherein the moving image contains the areas containing faces from the target image; and

detection time estimating means for estimating the time needed for the facial area detecting means to detect facial areas in one or a plurality of other target images in cases in which the moving image output means outputs the moving images on the basis of a plurality of target images;

wherein the moving image output means outputs the moving image over a time duration determined on the basis of the detection time estimated by the detection time estimating means; and

wherein the facial detecting means detects areas containing faces contained in said one or a plurality of other target images during the period in which the moving image is outputted by the moving image output means,

wherein the path creating means comprises:

feature area determining means for determining at least two feature areas including one or more areas containing faces in the still image;

extraction sequence determining means for determining the sequence of the areas containing faces in the path on the basis of specific conditions regarding attributes of the feature areas; and

path determining means for creating the path on the basis of the feature areas and the extraction sequence.

2. The facial image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the extraction sequence determining means determines the extraction sequence using extraction criteria, wherein the extraction criteria includes the number of faces displayed in each feature area, the relative sizes of the feature areas, and the position of the feature areas in the target image.

3. The facial image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the extraction sequence determining means determines the path based on the positions of the feature areas in the target image.

4. The facial image display apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the extraction sequence determining means determines the extraction sequence using the relative positions of the feature areas in the target image.

5. A facial image display method executed on a computer comprising:

a step for detecting at least two feature areas, including one or more areas containing faces in a target image displaying a plurality of faces, wherein the target image is a still image;

a step for automatically creating, using the detected feature areas, a path across the still image connecting the detected feature areas; and

a step for creating a moving image in which a camera scrolls across the target image according to the path,

wherein the moving image contains the detected areas containing faces from the target image, and

wherein the path is determined on the basis of the feature areas and specific conditions regarding attributes of the feature areas,

wherein when a distance between two areas containing faces is less than a predetermined value, the two areas containing faces are considered a single feature area when the path is being determined.

6. A non-transitory information recording medium that can be read by a computer and that stores a program that causes a computer to function as:

facial detecting means for detecting areas containing faces in a target image displaying a plurality of faces, wherein the target image is a still image;

path creating means for automatically creating, using the areas containing faces detected by the facial detecting means, a path across the still image connecting the detected areas containing faces; and

moving image output means for creating a moving image in which a camera scrolls across the target image according to the path created by the path creating, wherein the moving image contains the areas containing faces from the target image

wherein the path creating means comprises:

feature area determining means for determining at least two feature areas including one or more areas containing faces in the still image;

extraction sequence determining means for determining the sequence of the areas containing faces in the on the basis of specific conditions regarding attributes of the feature areas; and

path determining means for creating the path on the basis of the feature areas and the extraction sequence,

wherein when a distance between two areas containing faces is less than a predetermined value, the two areas containing faces are considered a single feature area when the path is being determined.

7. A facial image display apparatus, comprising:

facial detecting means for detecting areas containing faces in a target image displaying a plurality of faces, wherein the target image is a still image;

path creating means for automatically creating, using the areas containing faces detected by the facial detecting means, a path across the still image connecting the detected areas containing faces; and

moving image output means for creating a moving image in which a camera scrolls across the target image according to the path created by the path creating means, wherein the moving image contains the areas containing faces from the target image,

wherein the path creating means comprises:

feature area determining means for determining at least two feature areas including one or more areas containing faces in the still image;

extraction sequence determining means for determining the sequence of the areas containing faces in the path on the basis of specific conditions regarding attributes of the feature areas; and

path determining means for creating the path on the basis of the feature areas and the extraction sequence, wherein

the extraction sequence determining means automatically selects the path from among specific moving image pattern options using at least one of the number of detected facial areas, the size of the detected facial areas, and the position of the facial areas in the target image; and

the extraction sequence determining means then creates the path based on the selected pattern; and

the moving image output means outputs the moving image based on the selected pattern.

8. A facial image display apparatus, comprising:

facial detecting means for detecting areas containing faces in a target image displaying a plurality of faces, wherein the target image is a still image;

path creating means for automatically creating, using the areas containing faces detected by the facial detecting means, a path across the still image connecting the detected areas containing faces; and

moving image output means for creating a moving image in which a camera scrolls across the target image according to the path created by the path creating means, wherein the moving image contains the areas containing faces from the target image,

wherein the path creating means comprises:

feature area determining means for determining at least two feature areas including one or more areas containing faces in the still image;

extraction sequence determining means for determining the sequence of the areas containing faces in the path on the basis of specific conditions regarding attributes of the feature areas; and

path determining means for creating the path on the basis of the feature areas and the extraction sequence,

wherein when a distance between two areas containing faces is less than a predetermined value, the two areas containing faces are considered a single feature area when the path is being determined.