Image-processing device and image-processing method, image-pickup device, and computer program
An image-processing device configured to process image data including at least one face image includes an image-input unit configured to input the image data, a face-detection unit configured to detect the at least one face image from an image frame of the input image data, an importance-determination unit configured to determine importance of each of the at least one detected face image, and a priority-determination unit configured to determine priority of each of the at least one detected face image based on the determined importance. The importance-determination unit determines the importance considering data on the size and position of the detected face image shown in the image frame, and a priority determined by the last time by the priority-determination unit.
1. An image-processing apparatus comprising:
a subject-detection unit configured to detect at least one subject image from inputted image data;
an importance-determination unit configured to determine an importance of the at least one detected subject image; and
a priority-determination unit configured to determine and output a priority of the at least one detected subject image based on the determined importance,
wherein the importance-determination unit is further configured to determine the importance based on a priority previously determined by the priority-determination unit, the previously determined priority being based on an importance previously determined by the importance-determination unit.
2. The image-processing device according to claim 1 ,
wherein an image-input unit inputs video, as the image data, and
wherein the importance-determination unit determines the importance based further on a speed with which the detected subject image moves in the video.
3. The image-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the importance-determination unit assigns a higher priority to a detected subject image near a center of an image frame.
4. The image-processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the importance-determination unit determines the importance in order of the speed with which the detected subject image moves in the video, a size of the detected subject image shown in an image frame, and a position of the detected subject image shown in the image frame.
5. The image-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the importance-determination unit assigns a higher priority to a detected subject image near a lower end of an image frame.
6. The image-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, when a plurality of subject images are produced in an image frame, the importance-determination unit assigns a higher priority to the detected subject image near a barycenter of each of the subject images.
7. The image-processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a face-recognition unit configured to recognize each of at least one detected face image,
wherein the importance-determination unit assigns a higher priority to the detected face image corresponding to a person recognized by the face-recognition unit.
8. An image-processing method comprising:
detecting at least one subject image from inputted image data;
determining an importance of each of the at least one detected subject image; and
determining and outputting a priority of the at least one detected subject image based on the determined importance,
wherein, at the importance-determining step, further determining the importance based on a priority previously determined, the previously determined priority being based on an importance previously determined, at the importance-determination step.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program that includes instructions which when executed on a computer causes the computer to execute a method comprising:
detecting at least one subject image from inputted image data;
determining an importance of each of the at least one detected subject image; and
determining and outputting a priority of the at least one detected subject image based on the determined importance,
wherein, at the importance-determining step, further determining the importance based on a priority previously determined, the previously determined priority being based on an importance previously determined, at the importance-determination step.