Image sharing system and method
An image capture device, includes a body; an image sensor in the body; a lens configured to focus a scene onto the image sensor; a communications interface in the body; an image processor coupled to receive an image from or to send an image to the communications interface; executable program code embodied in a computer readable medium and configured to cause the image processor to: process image data associated with a first facial area in a first image to determine a first data set of parameters associated with the first facial area; scan one or more subsequent images stored in memory accessible by the image processor; identify facial areas in the subsequent images and process image data associated with identified facial areas in the subsequent images to determine subsequent data sets of parameters associated with identified facial areas; and compare the first and subsequent data sets to determine whether the one or more subsequent images includes a same face as the face highlighted in the first image.
1. A digital camera, comprising:
a body;
an image sensor in the body;
a communications interface in the body, the communications interface configured to establish a communication link with another digital camera;
an image processor configured to receive, from the communications interface, a first data set of parameters associated with a face highlighted in a first facial area in a first image and to provide an image to the communications interface;
wherein the first data set of parameters is generated by a predetermined facial recognition process; and
executable program code embodied in a computer readable medium and configured to cause the image processor to:
receive the first data set of parameters associated with the first facial area from the other digital camera via the communications interface;
scan one or more subsequent images stored in memory accessible by the image processor;
identify facial areas in the subsequent images and, using the predetermined facial recognition process, process image data associated with identified facial areas in the subsequent images to determine subsequent data sets of parameters associated with identified facial areas;
compare the first and subsequent data sets to determine whether the one or more subsequent images includes a same face as the face highlighted in the first image;
accumulate a set of the subsequent images that include the same face as the face highlighted in the first image; and
provide images from the set of the subsequent images that include the same face to the communications interface for transmission to the other digital camera.
2. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the executable program code, further comprises second code configured to cause the image processor determine the image data associated with a first facial area in a first image, the second code comprising code that, when executed by the image processor, further causes the image processor to: scan a first image; identify one or more faces in the scanned first image; display the first image to a user with one or more facial areas associated with the identified one or more faces highlighted; and to accept from the user a selection of a facial area.
3. The camera of claim 1 , wherein executable program code is further configured to receive a predetermined data set of parameters associated with a facial area from another electronic device and the comparison comprises comparing the predetermined and subsequent data sets to determine whether the onc or more subsequent images includes a same face as a face in an external image from which the predetermined data set was obtained.
4. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface comprises an ultra wideband, WiFi, Bluetooth, 802.xx or other wireless communication interface.
5. The digital camera of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store image data associated with a predetermined facial area.
6. The digital camera 1 , wherein the first facial area is selected by a user.
7. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the image processor to receive the first image with the first data set of parameters.
8. The digital camera of claim 1 , wherein the executable program code is further configured to cause the image processor to receive the first facial area with the first data set of parameters.
9. A digital camera, comprising:
a body;
an image sensor in the body;
a communications interface in the body, the communications interface configured to establish a communication link with another digital camera;
an image processor configured to generate a first data set of data parameters associated with a face highlighted in a first facial area in a first image and to provide the first data set of data parameters to the other digital camera;
wherein the first data set of parameters is generated by a predetermined facial recognition process; and
executable program code embodied in a computer readable medium and configured to cause the image processor to:
receive a second image from the other digital camera;
wherein the second image is selected by the other digital camera by performing the predetermined facial recognition process on the second image and comparing a resultant data set to the first data set of data parameters provided to the other digital camera.
10. The digital camera 9 , wherein the digital camera is configured to store the first data in memory for future image transfer operations.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the image processor is further configured to provide the first image to the other digital camera with the first data set of parameters.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the image processor is further configured to provide the first facial area to the other digital camera with the first data set of parameters.
13. A method performed by a digital camera, comprising:
receiving a first data set of parameters from another digital camera, wherein the first data set of parameters is generated by a predetermined facial recognition process and associated with a face highlighted in a first facial area in a first image;
scanning one or more subsequent images stored in memory in the digital camera;
identifying facial areas in the subsequent images and, using the predetermined facial recognition process, processing image data associated with identified facial areas in the subsequent images to determine subsequent data sets of parameters associated with identified facial areas;
comparing the first and subsequent data sets to determine whether the one or more subsequent images includes a same face as the face highlighted in the first image;
accumulating a set of the subsequent images that include the same face as the face highlighted in the first image; and
providing images from the set of the subsequent images that include the same face for transmission to the other digital camera.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first facial area is selected by a user.
15. The method of claim 13 , further receiving the first image with the first data set of parameters.
16. The method of claim 13 , further receiving the first facial area with the first data set of parameters.
17. A method performed by a digital camera, comprising:
generating a first data set of data parameters associated with a face highlighted in a first facial area in a first image;
providing the first data set of data parameters to another digital camera;
wherein the first data set of parameters is generated by a predetermined facial recognition process; and
receiving a second image from the other digital camera;
wherein the second image is selected by the other digital camera by performing the predetermined facial recognition process on the second image and comparing a resultant data set to the first data set of data parameters provided to the other digital camera.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first facial area is selected by a user.
19. The method of claim 17 , further providing the first image to the other digital camera with the first data set of parameters.
20. The method of claim 17 , further providing the first facial area to the other digital camera with the first data set of parameters.