IP Library Granted Patent US 9,628,699
Granted Patent B2
US 9,628,699 · App. 14/387,189 · Granted Apr 18, 2017

Controlling a camera with face detection

Inventors: Liang Cheng (Shanghai, CN); Lili Ma (Shanghai, CN); Hemin Han (Shanghai, CN); David Poisner (Carmichael, CA); Duane Quiet (Hillsboro, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H04N5/23219G06F3/011G06K9/00255G06K9/00335G06K9/6202H04N5/23216H04N5/247G06K9/00221
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,628,699
App. No.
14/387,189
Granted
Apr 18, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example of an electronic device with a first camera and a second camera is described. The first camera receives a first image stream, and the second camera receives a second image stream that includes a face of a user of the electronic device. The electronic device also includes a camera control module that identifies gesture based on a change in the second image stream, identifies a camera control feature of the first camera based on the gesture, and activates the camera control feature for the first camera.

Claims (40)

1. An electronic device with a camera that is controlled through face detection, comprising:

a rear-facing camera to receive a rear-facing image stream;

a front-facing camera to receive a front-facing image stream that includes a face of a user of the electronic device;

a camera control module to:

establish a base-line image of the face from the front-facing image stream if the threshold level of movement is not exceeded for a specified period of time;

identify movement of the electronic device away from the face of the user based on a change in the size of the face in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image of the face;

identify a first camera control feature of the rear-facing camera based on the movement, wherein the first camera control feature is a command to zoom; and

activate the first camera control feature for the rear-facing camera.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera control module is to identify a wink based on a change in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image and, in response to the wink, activate an image capture.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera control module is to:

identify movement of the electronic device toward the face of the user based on a change in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image; and

identify a second camera control feature of the rear-facing camera based on the movement, wherein the second camera control feature is a command to zoom in an opposite direction compared to the first camera control feature.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera control module is to identify a tilt of the head and, in response to the tilt, activate a directional camera control feature.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the camera control module is to identify a rotation of the head and in response to the rotation, activate a directional camera control feature.

6. An electronic device with a camera that is controlled through face detection, comprising:

logic to receive a first image stream via a first camera, wherein the first image stream includes a face of a user of the electronic device;

logic to establish a base-line image of the face from the first image stream if the threshold level of movement is not exceeded for a specified period of time;

logic to identify movement of the electronic device away from the face of the user based on a change size of the face in the in the first image stream compared to the baseline image of the face;

logic to identify a first camera control feature of a second camera based on the movement, wherein the first camera control feature is a command to zoom; and

logic to activate the camera control feature for the second camera.

7. The electronic device of claim 6 , wherein the camera control module is to identify a wink based on a change in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image and, in response to the wink, activate an image capture.

8. The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising logic to:

identify movement of the electronic device toward the face of the user based on a change in the first image stream compared to the baseline image; and

identify a second camera control feature of the second camera based on the movement, wherein the second camera control feature is a command to zoom in an opposite direction compared to the first camera control feature.

9. The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising logic to identify a directional gesture and move a focus target in response to the directional gesture.

10. The electronic device of claim 6 , comprising logic to identify a directional gesture and move a focus target in response to the directional gesture.

11. A tangible, non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions to direct a processor to:

receive a rear-facing image stream from a rear-facing camera;

receive a front-facing image stream from a front-facing camera, wherein the front-facing image stream includes a face of a user of the electronic device;

establish a base-line image of the face from the front-facing image stream if the threshold level of movement is not exceeded for a specified period of time;

identify movement of the electronic device away from the face of the user based on a change in the size of the face in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image of the face;

identify a second camera control feature of the rear-facing camera based on the movement, wherein the first camera control feature is a command to zoom; and

activate the camera control feature for the rear-facing camera.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to identify a wink based on a change in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image and, in response to the wink, activate an image capture.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to:

identify movement of the electronic device toward the face of the user based on a change in the front-facing image stream compared to the baseline image; and

identify a second camera control feature of the rear-facing camera based on the movement, wherein the second camera control feature is a command to zoom in an opposite direction compared to the first camera control feature.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to identify a tilt of the head and in response to the tilt activate a directional camera control feature.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to identify a rotation of the head and activate a directional camera control feature in response to the rotation.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions direct the processor to identify a directional gesture and move a focus target in response to the directional gesture.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2022
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: TAHOE RESEARCH, LTD.
Reel/Frame 061175/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2015
From: CHENG, LIANG; MA, LILI; HAN, HEMIN; POISNER, DAVID; QUIET, DUANE
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036626/0252 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20160156838A1 · Jun 2, 2016