IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,430,705
Granted Patent B2
US 9,430,705 · App. 13/470,625 · Granted Aug 30, 2016

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, information processing system, and program

Inventors: Takayuki Ochi (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuhiro Nakagomi (Tokyo, JP); Yorimitsu Naito (Saitama, JP); Takamasa Sato (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
G06K9/00677G06K2009/00328
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,430,705
App. No.
13/470,625
Granted
Aug 30, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including a face image acquisition section which acquires face images extracted from images which are classified into an identical time cluster by performing time clustering, and a person information generation section which classifies the face images for each time cluster, and generates person information in which persons regarded as an identical person are identified based on the face images which are classified.

Claims (37)

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU) operable to:

classify a plurality of captured images into a plurality of identical time clusters, wherein an identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters comprises a group of images which are clustered on the basis of date and/or time at which each of the images are captured;

extract face regions from the group of images that belong to the identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters;

classify the extracted face regions into a plurality of face clusters, wherein a face cluster of the plurality of face clusters comprises face regions of an identical person;

generate person information in which persons regarded as the identical person are identified based on the face regions of the identical person which are classified in the face cluster; and

integrate a first face cluster of the plurality of face clusters with a second face cluster of the plurality of face clusters, which are not included in an identical image, based on average face feature quantities of the first face cluster and the second face cluster.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further operable to identify the persons regarded as the identical person based on a degree of similarity between the extracted face regions and face feature quantities indicating predetermined attribute values of the extracted face regions.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the CPU is further operable to

compare the average face feature quantities of the plurality of face clusters with each other, the plurality of face clusters being obtained by performing clustering on the extracted face regions based on the degree of similarity, and

integrate a set of face clusters of the plurality of face clusters which is not included in the identical image, among the face clusters in which a difference between the average face feature quantities is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the face feature quantities include age attribute values based on the extracted face regions, and

wherein the CPU is further operable to:

estimate birth years of respective persons based on the age attribute values and capturing dates/times of the extracted face regions; and

integrate the persons regarded as the identical person among the persons further identified for each of the plurality of time clusters by using information of the estimated birth years.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further operable to:

classify the persons for each of the plurality of time clusters based on the group of images which are classified into the plurality of identical time clusters; and

generate a person group for each of the plurality of time clusters.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the CPU is further operable to integrate person groups identified for each of the plurality of time clusters based on person constituents included in the person group.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the CPU is operable to generate personal relationship information between the persons identified based on the person constituents included in the person group.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further operable to generate the person information based on information extracted from a social network service.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the CPU is further operable to determine whether the persons are the identical person based on a degree of similarity between a face region extracted from a social network service and the face regions extracted from the group of images, and a degree of similarity between an attribute value of a person extracted from the social network service and an attribute value of a person obtained by analyzing the face regions extracted from the group of images.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the CPU is further operable to generate person group information based on information extracted from the social network service.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the CPU is further operable to integrate pieces of the person group information by comparing person constituents included in the person group information generated based on the information extracted from the social network service with person constituents included in the person group information generated based on the plurality of captured images, and by identifying an identical person group.

12. An information processing method comprising:

classifying a plurality of captured images into a plurality of identical time clusters, wherein an identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters comprises a group of images which are clustered on the basis of date and/or time at which each of the images are captured;

extracting face regions from the group of images that belong to the identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters;

classifying the extracted face regions into a plurality of face clusters, wherein a face cluster of the plurality of face clusters comprises the face regions of an identical person;

generating person information in which persons regarded as the identical person are identified based on the face regions of the identical person which are classified in the face cluster; and

integrating a first face cluster of the plurality of face clusters with a second face cluster of the plurality of face clusters, which are not included in an identical image, based on average face feature quantities of the first face cluster and the second face cluster.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon, a set of computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

classifying a plurality of captured images into a plurality of identical time clusters, wherein an identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters comprises a group of images which are clustered on the basis of date and/or time at which each of the images are captured;

extracting face regions from the group of images that belong to the identical time cluster of the plurality of identical time clusters;

classifying the extracted face regions extracted from the identical time cluster into a plurality of face clusters, wherein a face cluster of the plurality of face clusters comprises the face regions of an identical person;

generating person information in which persons regarded as the identical person are identified based on the face regions of the identical person which are classified in the face cluster; and

integrating a first face cluster of the plurality of face clusters with a second face cluster of the plurality of face clusters, which are not included in an identical image, based on average face feature quantities of the first face cluster and the second face cluster.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 14, 2012
From: OCHI, TAKAYUKI; NAKAGOMI, KAZUHIRO; NAITO, YORIMITSU; SATO, TAKAMASA
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028203/0220 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2011-130963 · Jun 13, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120314915A1 · Dec 13, 2012