IP Library Granted Patent US 8,345,114
Granted Patent B2
US 8,345,114 · App. 12/512,796 · Granted Jan 1, 2013

Automatic face and skin beautification using face detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,345,114
App. No.
12/512,796
Granted
Jan 1, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

Sub-regions within a face image are identified to be enhanced by applying a localized smoothing kernel to luminance data corresponding to the sub-regions of the face image. An enhanced face image is generated including an enhanced version of the face that includes certain original pixels in combination with pixels corresponding to the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the face.

Claims (49)

1. A method of enhancing an appearance of a face within a digital image, comprising using a processor in:

acquiring a digital image of a scene including a face, including capturing the image using a lens and an image sensor, or receiving said image following capture by a device that includes a lens and an image sensor, or a combination thereof;

identifying the face within the digital image;

segmenting skin tone portions of the face from face features including one or two eyes or a mouth or combinations thereof;

within the skin tone portions of the face, identifying one or more blemish regions that vary in luminance at least a threshold amount from non-blemished skin tone portions;

smoothing luminance data of the one or more blemish regions to generate smoothed luminance data;

generating an enhanced image including an enhanced version of the face that has original luminance data of the one or more blemish regions replaced with the smoothed luminance data and combined with original non-blemished skin tone portions; and

displaying, transmitting, communicating or digitally storing or otherwise outputting the enhanced image or a further processed version, or combinations thereof; and

determining certain non-skin tone pixels within one or more sub-regions that do not comprise a threshold skin tone, and removing, replacing, reducing an intensity of, or modifying a color of said certain non-skin tone pixels, or combinations thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the localized luminance smoothing comprises blurring or averaging luminance data, or a combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying one or more localized color smoothing kernels to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized color smoothing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying noise reduction or enhancement, or both, to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized noise reduction or enhancement, or both.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein enhanced pixels of the one or more enhanced sub-regions comprise enhanced intensities which comprise one or more functions of a relationship between original pixel intensities and local average intensities within the one or more original or enhanced sub-regions, or combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting one or more: mouth or eye regions, or combinations thereof, within the face, and identifying and enhancing a natural color of one or more sub-regions within the one or more mouth or eye regions, including one or more teeth, lips, tongues, eye whites, eye brows, iris's, eye lashes, or pupils, or combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising classifying the face according to its age based on comparing one or more default image attribute values with one or more determined values; and adjusting one or more camera acquisition or post-processing parameters, or combinations thereof, based on the classifying of the face according to its age.

8. A digital image acquisition device, comprising

a lens,

an image sensor and

a processor, and

a processor-readable memory having embodied therein processor-readable code for programming the processor to perform a method of enhancing an appearance of a face within a digital image, wherein the method comprises:

acquiring a digital image of a scene including a face, including capturing the image using a lens and an image sensor, or receiving said image following capture by a device that includes a lens and an image sensor, or a combination thereof;

identifying the face within the digital image;

segmenting skin tone portions of the face from face features including one or two eyes or a mouth or combinations thereof;

within the skin tone portions of the face, identifying one or more blemish regions that vary in luminance at least a threshold amount from non-blemished skin tone portions;

smoothing luminance data of the one or more blemish regions to generate smoothed luminance data;

generating an enhanced image including an enhanced version of the face that has original luminance data of the one or more blemish regions replaced with the smoothed luminance data and combined with original non-blemished skin tone portions; and

displaying, transmitting, communicating or digitally storing or otherwise outputting the enhanced image or a further processed version, or combinations thereof, and

wherein the method further comprises determining certain non-skin tone pixels within the one or more sub-regions that do not comprise a threshold skin tone, and removing, replacing, reducing an intensity of, or modifying a color of said certain non-skin tone pixels, or combinations thereof.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the localized luminance smoothing comprises blurring or averaging luminance data, or a combination thereof.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises applying one or more localized color smoothing kernels to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized color smoothing.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises applying noise reduction or enhancement, or both, to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized noise reduction or enhancement, or both.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein enhanced pixels of the one or more enhanced sub-regions comprise enhanced intensities which comprise one or more functions of a relationship between original pixel intensities and local average intensities within the one or more original or enhanced sub-regions, or combinations thereof.

13. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises detecting one or more mouth or eye regions, or combinations thereof, within the face, and identifying and enhancing a natural color of one or more sub-regions within the one or more mouth or eye regions, including one or more teeth, lips, tongues, eye whites, eye brows, iris's, eye lashes, or pupils, or combinations thereof.

14. The device of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises classifying the face according to its age based on comparing one or more default image attribute values with one or more determined values; and adjusting one or more camera acquisition or post-processing parameters, or combinations thereof, based on the classifying of the face according to its age.

15. One or more non-transitory processor-readable media having embodied therein code for programming one or more processors to perform a method of enhancing an appearance of a face within a digital image, wherein the method comprises:

acquiring a digital image of a scene including a face, including capturing the image using a lens and an image sensor, or receiving said image following capture by a device that includes a lens and an image sensor, or a combination thereof;

identifying the face within the digital image;

segmenting skin tone portions of the face from face features including one or two eyes or a mouth or combinations thereof;

within the skin tone portions of the face, identifying one or more blemish regions that vary in luminance at least a threshold amount from non-blemished skin tone portions;

smoothing luminance data of the one or more blemish regions to generate smoothed luminance data;

generating an enhanced image including an enhanced version of the face that has original luminance data of the one or more blemish regions replaced with the smoothed luminance data and combined with original non-blemished skin tone portions; and

displaying, transmitting, communicating or digitally storing or otherwise outputting the enhanced image or a further processed version, or combinations thereof, and

wherein the method further comprises determining certain non-skin tone pixels within the one or more sub-regions that do not comprise a threshold skin tone, and removing, replacing, reducing an intensity of, or modifying a color of said certain non-skin tone pixels, or combinations thereof.

16. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the localized luminance smoothing comprises blurring or averaging-luminance data, or a combination thereof.

17. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises applying one or more localized color smoothing kernels to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized color smoothing.

18. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises applying noise reduction or enhancement, or both, to the one or more sub-regions, and wherein the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the corrected image further comprise pixels modified from original pixels of the face at least by localized noise reduction or enhancement, or both.

19. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein enhanced pixels of the one or more enhanced sub-regions comprise enhanced intensities which comprise one or more functions of a relationship between original pixel intensities and local average intensities within the one or more original or enhanced sub-regions, or combinations thereof.

20. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises detecting one or more mouth or eye regions, or combinations thereof, within the face, and identifying and enhancing a natural color of one or more sub-regions within the one or more mouth or eye regions, including one or more teeth, lips, tongues, eye whites, eye brows, iris's, eye lashes, or pupils, or combinations thereof.

21. The one or more non-transitory processor-readable media of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises classifying the face according to its age based on comparing one or more default image attribute values with one or more determined values; and adjusting one or more camera acquisition or post-processing parameters, or combinations thereof, based on the classifying of the face according to its age.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2025
From: FOTONATION LIMITED
To: ADEIA IMAGING LLC
Reel/Frame 073635/0320 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2023
From: ADEIA GUIDES INC.; ADEIA IMAGING LLC; ADEIA MEDIA HOLDINGS LLC; ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR BONDING TECHNOLOGIES INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR INC.; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS LLC; ADEIA SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGIES LLC; ADEIA SOLUTIONS LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 063529/0272 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 3, 2014
From: DIGITALOPTICS CORPORATION EUROPE LIMITED
To: FOTONATION LIMITED
Reel/Frame 034524/0882 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 31, 2012
From: TESSERA TECHNOLOGIES IRELAND LIMITED
To: DIGITALOPTICS CORPORATION EUROPE LIMITED
Reel/Frame 028298/0590 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2010
From: FOTONATION IRELAND LIMITED
To: TESSERA TECHNOLOGIES IRELAND LIMITED
Reel/Frame 025570/0547 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 28, 2009
From: CIUC, MIHAI; CAPATA, ADRIAN; MOCANU, VALENTIN; POSOSIN, ALEXEI; FLOREA, CORNELIU; CORCORAN, PETER
To: FOTONATION IRELAND LTD
Reel/Frame 023439/0269 →