IP Library Granted Patent US 9,479,692
Granted Patent B2
US 9,479,692 · App. 14/752,412 · Granted Oct 25, 2016

Image capturing apparatus and method for controlling the same

Inventor: Yasunobu Kodama (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
H04N5/23219G06K9/00228G06T7/0026G06T7/204G06T2207/10004G06T2207/10016G06T2207/20004G06T2207/30201
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 9,479,692
App. No.
14/752,412
Granted
Oct 25, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image capturing apparatus is provided that is capable of performing both object detection using image recognition and object detection using movement detection on successively captured images. In the image capturing apparatus, the reliability of the result of the object detection using image recognition is evaluated based on the previous detection results. If it is determined that the reliability is high, execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. If it is determined that the reliability is low, non-execution of the object detection using movement detection is determined. With this configuration, the object region can be tracked appropriately.

Claims (91)

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces;

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images; and

wherein the instructions further cause the processor not to detect the region until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value,

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to start detecting the region in a case where the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among the predetermined plural number of images is not less than a first threshold value and, (i) a movement amount of the main face is less than a second threshold value and/or (ii) a variation amount in size of the main face is less than a third threshold value.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to start detecting the region in a case where (i) the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among the predetermined plural number of images is not less than a first threshold value, (ii) a movement amount of the main face is less than a second threshold value, and (iii) a variation amount in size of the main face is less than a third threshold value.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the third threshold value is increased when the second threshold value is increased.

4. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces;

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images; and

wherein the instructions further cause the processor not to detect the region until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value,

wherein, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, the instructions further cause the processor to acquire face information of the plurality of faces and determine the main face based on the face information, the face information including at least one of: reliability information of each detected face, size information of each detected face, or position information of each detected face.

5. An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces;

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images; and

wherein the instructions further cause the processor not to detect the region until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value,

wherein a region having a high correlation with the main face is detected as the region including at least a part of the main face.

6. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with the image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces;

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images; and

wherein the instructions further causes the processor not to detect the region including at least a part of the main face until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value,

wherein the instructions further cause the processor to start detecting the region in a case where the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among the predetermined plural number of images is not less than a first threshold value and, (i) a movement amount of the main face is less than a second threshold value and/or (ii) a variation amount in size of the main face is less than a third threshold value.

7. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising:

acquiring images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

performing a face detection process on the acquired images;

determining, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces; and

detecting a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images,

wherein the detecting is not performed until the number of images, in which the main face is detected in the first detection step, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value,

wherein the detecting starts to detect the region in a case where the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among the predetermined plural number of images is not less than a first threshold value and, (i) a movement amount of the main face is less than a second threshold value and/or (ii) a variation amount in size of the main face is less than a third threshold value.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that causes, when executed by a computer, the computer to perform a method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising:

acquiring images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

performing a face detection process on the acquired images;

determining, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces; and

detecting a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images,

wherein the detecting is not performed the region until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value, and

wherein the detecting starts to detect the region in a case where the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among the predetermined plural number of images is not less than a first threshold value and, (i) a movement amount of the main face is less than a second threshold value and/or (ii) a variation amount in size of the main face is less than a third threshold value.

9. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with the image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces; and

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images,

wherein the instructions further causes the processor not to detect the region including at least a part of the main face until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value, and

wherein, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, the instructions further cause the processor to acquire face information of the plurality of faces and determine the main face based on the face information, the face information including at least one of: reliability information of each detected face, size information of each detected face, or position information of each detected face.

10. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising:

acquiring images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

performing a face detection process on the acquired images;

determining, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces; and

detecting a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images,

wherein the detecting is not performed until the number of images, in which the main face is detected in the first detection step, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value, and

wherein, the determining comprises:

acquiring face information of the plurality of faces; and

determine the main face based on the face information, the face information including at least one of: reliability information of each detected face, size information of each detected face, or position information of each detected face.

11. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor;

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

acquire images that are successively captured with the image sensor;

perform a face detection process on the acquired images;

determine, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces;

detect a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images; and

wherein the instructions further causes the processor not to detect the region including at least a part of the main face until the number of images, in which the main face is detected, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value, and

wherein a region having a high correlation with the main face is detected as the region including at least a part of the main face.

12. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus comprising:

acquiring images that are successively captured with an image sensor;

performing a face detection process on the acquired images;

determining, in a case where a plurality of faces are detected in an image, a main face from the plurality of faces; and

detecting a region including at least a part of the main face in the acquired images,

wherein the detecting is not performed until the number of images, in which the main face is detected in the first detection step, among a predetermined plural number of images is not less than a threshold value, and

wherein a region having a high correlation with the main face is detected as the region including at least a part of the main face.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-217323 · Aug 26, 2008 · national
Continuity (3)
Continuation 13490843 · Jun 7, 2012
Continuation 12544715 · Aug 20, 2009
Related Publication 20150296133A1 · Oct 15, 2015