JP2007148691A - Image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processor capable of easily generating face recognition data of a target person by reading image data resulting from previously photographing the person. <P>SOLUTION: The image processor comprises a controller, a face detector, a face image generator or face recognition data generator, and a recorder. The controller has at least one of an embedded memory, a connecting section to a recording medium, and an external communication means, and acquires photographed image data previously generated by an electronic camera from one of the embedded memory, the recording medium, and a computer connected through the external communication means. The face detector detects a face area in a footage based on the photographed image data. The face image generator clips an image of the face area to generate face image data. The face recognition data generator extracts a feature point of the photographed person's face from a face area portion of the photographed image data, and generates face recognition data based on the feature point. The recorder records the face image data or the face recognition data. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus having a human face recognition function.

Conventionally, a technique has been disclosed in which feature points of a person's face are extracted from a photographed image of the person's face, and face recognition is performed based on the degree of coincidence between face recognition data related to the person to be recognized and the above feature points. (See Patent Document 1). Such face recognition technology requires that face recognition data be registered in advance in an electronic camera or the like. In particular, in order to improve the accuracy of face recognition, more face recognition data is required, so it is necessary to generate face recognition data from a plurality of frames of captured images.
JP-A-6-259534

  By the way, when registering face recognition data, it is desired to be able to generate face recognition data from more photographed image data. For example, if face recognition data can be generated from image data taken with another electronic camera or image data taken in the past, user convenience is greatly improved. Further, in face registration work, there is a demand for means that can more easily perform face registration without performing complicated work.

  The present invention is to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that can easily generate face recognition data of a target person by reading image data obtained by photographing a person in advance. Is to provide.

  An image processing apparatus according to a first aspect includes a control unit, a face detection unit, a face image generation unit or a face recognition data generation unit, and a recording unit. The control unit includes at least one of a built-in memory, a connection unit with a recording medium, and an external communication unit, and is connected to photographed image data generated in advance by the electronic camera via the built-in memory, the recording medium, and the external communication unit Get from one of the computers. The face detection unit detects a face area in the shooting screen based on the shot image data. The face image generation unit generates face image data by cutting out an image of the face area. The face recognition data generation unit extracts a feature point of the photographed person's face from the face area portion of the photographed image data, and generates face recognition data based on the feature point. The recording unit records face image data or face recognition data.

According to a second invention, in the first invention, the image processing unit further includes an image processing unit that synthesizes a display for identifying a face area on a reproduced image of captured image data, and a display unit that displays an output image of the image processing unit.
According to a third aspect, in the second aspect, the information processing apparatus further includes an input unit that receives a user input. The face detection unit changes a threshold value that defines the detection accuracy of the face area based on the input from the input unit.

4th invention is further equipped with the input part which receives a user's input in 2nd invention. The face image generation unit or the face recognition data generation unit generates face image data or face recognition data for the face region selected by the input from the input unit when a plurality of face regions are detected from the captured image data.
In a fifth aspect based on any one of the first to fourth aspects, the control unit groups and records a plurality of face image data or face recognition data generated from the same photographed person in the recording unit.

In a sixth aspect based on any one of the first to fifth aspects, the control unit generates index image data by cutting out the face area portion of the captured image data into a predetermined size, and the index image data The image is recorded in the recording unit in association with the face image data or face recognition data.
In a seventh aspect based on any one of the first to sixth aspects, the photographed image data has an attached data area in which photographing conditions at the time of photographing are recorded. The control unit generates shooting condition data based on the shooting conditions in the attached data area, and records the shooting condition data in the recording unit in association with the face image data or the face recognition data.

In an eighth aspect based on any one of the first to seventh aspects, the photographed image data has an attached data area in which the photographing date and time are recorded. The control unit generates the acquisition time data of the face image data or the face recognition data based on the shooting date and time of the attached data area, and records the acquisition time data in the recording unit in association with the face image data or the face recognition data. .
Here, a representation of the configuration related to the present invention converted into a method, a recording medium, a computer program, etc. is also effective as a specific aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to easily generate face recognition data of a target person by reading image data obtained by photographing a person in advance.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic camera which is an embodiment of an image processing apparatus of the present invention.
The electronic camera includes a photographing optical system 11, a first lens driving unit 12, a swing sensor unit 13, an image blur correction lens 14, a second lens driving unit 15, an image sensor 16, and an analog signal processing unit 17. The A / D converter 18, the built-in memory 19, the image processor 20, the card I / F 21, the input / output I / F 22, the operation member 23 and the liquid crystal monitor 24, the flash light emitter 25, and the CPU 26. And a face registration memory 27 and a data bus 28. The internal memory 19, the image processing unit 20, the card I / F 21, the input / output I / F 22, and the CPU 26 are connected via a data bus 28.

The photographing optical system 11 includes a plurality of lens groups including a zoom lens 11a and a focusing lens 11b for adjusting a focus position. Each lens constituting the photographing optical system 11 is driven and adjusted in the optical axis direction by the first lens driving unit 12.
The swing sensor unit 13 includes a vertical angular velocity sensor that detects the pitch of the electronic camera and a horizontal angular velocity sensor that detects the roll of the electronic camera. The swing sensor unit 13 outputs camera swing data indicating the swing of the electronic camera to the CPU 26. This camera swing data is used to calculate the amount of movement of the image blur correction lens 14.

  The image blur correction lens 14 is configured to be swingable in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The second lens driving unit 15 includes a vertical swing unit that swings the image blur correction lens 14 in the vertical direction and a horizontal swing unit that swings the image blur correction lens 14 in the horizontal direction. The second lens driving unit 15 swings the image blur correction lens 14 based on the movement amount of the image blur correction lens 14 calculated by the CPU 26 and executes blur correction.

  The image sensor 16 photoelectrically converts the light beam that has passed through the photographing optical system 11 to generate an analog image signal of the subject image. The image sensor 16 also exposes the subject at predetermined intervals even when the shutter is not released (during shooting standby), and outputs an analog image signal (through image signal) by thinning readout. The through image signal is used for AF calculation, AE calculation, face detection operation, and finder image generation, which will be described later.

  The analog signal processing unit 17 includes a CDS circuit that performs correlated double sampling, a gain circuit that amplifies the output of the analog image signal, a clamp circuit that clamps the waveform of the input signal to a certain voltage level, and the like. The A / D converter 18 converts the analog image signal of the image sensor 16 into a digital image signal. The built-in memory 19 temporarily stores data in the pre-process and post-process of image processing in the image processing unit 20. The built-in memory 19 can be provided with a recording area in which captured image data described later can be recorded.

  The image processing unit 20 performs predetermined image processing on the digital image signal. The image processing unit 20 generates captured image data based on the image signal at the time of release. Further, the image processing unit 20 sequentially generates through image data based on the through image signal. The resolution of the through image data is set lower than the resolution of the captured image data. The through image data is used for face recognition processing by the CPU 26 and also used as a display image (preview image) on the liquid crystal monitor 24. Furthermore, the image processing unit 20 also performs a process of compressing captured image data. Furthermore, the image processing unit 20 can also perform an electronic zoom process that cuts out a part of the captured image and converts the resolution.

In addition, the image processing unit 20 generates video data for various displays (such as a frame display during face recognition) according to instructions from the CPU 26, superimposes the video data on the through image data, and outputs the video data to the liquid crystal monitor 24. As a result, the various displays described above are combined with the preview image.
The card I / F 21 is formed with a connector for connecting the recording medium 29. The recording medium 29 is composed of a known semiconductor memory or the like. The card I / F 21 controls writing / reading of photographed image data with respect to the recording medium 29.

  An operation member 23 and a liquid crystal monitor 24 are connected to the input / output I / F 22. The operation member 23 includes an input button, a release button, and the like. The input button of the operation member 23 accepts, for example, a switching input of a photographing mode (normal photographing mode, reproduction mode, face registration mode, face recognition photographing mode, etc.) of the electronic camera. The release button of the operation member 23 accepts an AF operation instruction input by half pressing and a release input by full pressing.

  On the other hand, the liquid crystal monitor 24 is mainly disposed on the back surface portion of the electronic camera. The liquid crystal monitor 24 displays a playback image of the captured image data, a setting screen for changing various settings of the electronic camera, and the like. The setting screen includes an editing screen for editing face recognition data described later. In addition, the preview image can be displayed as a moving image on the liquid crystal monitor 24 in the shooting mode. Therefore, the user can perform framing of the subject while confirming the preview image on the liquid crystal monitor 24.

  Furthermore, an external connection terminal is formed in the input / output I / F 22. The input / output I / F 22 controls data transmission / reception with a computer or the like connected via an external connection terminal in accordance with a serial communication standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or IEEE1394. Further, it is possible to connect a communication unit 30 which is an expansion device for performing wireless communication with the outside to the external connection terminal of the input / output I / F 22.

The flash light emitting unit 25 includes a xenon arc tube, a main capacitor for storing light emission energy, a reflector and a lens member for efficiently irradiating the subject with flash light, a light emission control circuit for adjusting light emission timing and light quantity, and the like. .
The CPU 26 controls the operation of each part of the electronic camera according to a sequence program stored in a ROM (not shown). For example, the CPU 26 executes a known contrast AF (autofocus) calculation or a known AE (automatic exposure) calculation based on the through image signal. Further, the CPU 26 calculates the movement amount of the image blur correction lens 14 based on the camera swing data.

  Further, the CPU 26 functions as a face detection unit 31 and a face recognition unit 32. The face detection unit 31 extracts feature points from through image data or captured image data, and detects a face area, a face size, and the like of the subject. For example, the face detection unit 31 extracts a face region by a feature point extraction process described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-16573. Examples of the feature points include eyebrow, eye, nose, and lip end points, face contour points, head vertices, and chin lower end points.

In the “face registration mode”, the face recognition unit 32 generates face recognition data based on the detected feature points of the face. For example, the face recognizing unit 32 generates face recognition data of a registered person from the position of the detected feature point of the face, the size of the face part obtained from the feature point, the relative distance of each feature point, and the like.
Further, in the “face recognition shooting mode”, the face recognition unit 32 performs face recognition processing for determining whether or not a person's face in the shooting screen is a face of a registered person in the face recognition data. Specifically, the face recognition unit 32 first calculates the position of the feature point of the photographed person's face, the size of each face part, the relative distance of each feature point, and the like based on the detected feature points of the face. Next, the face recognition unit 32 compares the above calculation result with the face recognition data, and obtains the similarity between the face of the predetermined registered person and the face of the photographed person. Then, the face recognizing unit 32 determines that the photographed person matches a predetermined registered person when the similarity is greater than the threshold value.

Note that the CPU 26 can execute a change in shooting conditions or image processing settings, a release instruction to the image sensor 16, and the like based on the result of the face recognition process.
In the face registration memory 27, face recognition data generated by the face recognition unit 32 of the CPU 26 is recorded. In the face registration memory 27, a group folder is generated for each registered person. In the group folder, face recognition data of each registered person is recorded. That is, the face recognition data in the face registration memory 27 is grouped for each registered person by the group folder. For example, in the group folder, a plurality of face recognition data with different face orientations, presence / absence of glasses, photographing conditions, and the like can be recorded for the same registered person. Then, by designating the registered person, the CPU 26 can collectively read the face recognition data in the group folder from the face registration memory 27.

The face registration memory 27 stores data of “name of registered person” and “processing setting for face recognition”. The “registered person name” and “processing setting at the time of face recognition” are associated with the group folder of each registered person.
Here, in the “processing setting at the time of face recognition”, settings of various controls of the electronic camera that are applied when a registered person is recognized are recorded. For example, “processing setting for face recognition” includes (1) setting of shooting conditions at the time of shooting, (2) setting of image processing of shot image data, (3) setting of a recording destination of shot image data, (4 And (5) setting for transmission of photographed image data, and the like.

The setting of the shooting condition in (1) includes an exposure correction value when shooting each registered person, setting of the depth of field (shallow, standard selection), and the like. It is also possible to set the CPU 26 to automatically take a picture when a registered person is detected. The image processing settings in (2) above include settings for presence / absence of soft focus processing of captured image data, settings for suppressing edge enhancement, and the like.
In the setting of the recording destination in (3) above, the directory path of the recording folder in the recording medium 29 that is the recording destination of the photographed image data can be designated for each registered person. That is, the CPU 26 can record the photographed image data in a different recording folder for each registered person by referring to the data in the face registration memory 27.

In the print designation setting in (4) above, for example, it is possible to designate, for each registered person, whether or not to print shot image data according to a standard such as DPOF (Digital Print Order Format). In the transmission setting in (5) above, it is possible to designate whether or not the captured image data needs to be transmitted when the registered person is photographed, and address information (e-mail address) of the transmission destination.
The face registration memory 27 stores data of “face registration image”, “face recognition data registration time”, and “shooting conditions at the time of face recognition data acquisition”. The above-mentioned “face registration image”, “face recognition data registration time”, and “imaging conditions when acquiring face recognition data” are associated with individual face recognition data in the group folder.

  The above “face registration image” is photographed image data at the time of face recognition data acquisition, and is resized to a predetermined pixel size. Then, the “face registration image” is displayed on the liquid crystal monitor 24 in the above editing screen. That is, the “face registration image” functions as an index image that enhances the identifiability and searchability of the registered person or face recognition data. For example, the “face registration image” allows the user to check on the editing screen which face recognition data has been generated from what kind of image (face front, landscape orientation, etc.).

  “Registration time of face recognition data” is data of photographing date and time of face registration image data that is the basis of the face recognition data. Further, “shooting conditions when acquiring face recognition data” is data of shooting conditions of face registration image data. The above photographing conditions include, for example, focal length data of the photographing optical system 11, white balance and exposure conditions at the time of photographing, presence / absence of flash emission at the time of photographing, and the like. Note that the data of “registration time of face recognition data” and “shooting conditions when acquiring face recognition data” are also used for determination when the CPU 26 narrows down the face recognition data used in the face recognition processing.

Hereinafter, the operation of the electronic camera of the present embodiment will be described by dividing it into “face registration mode” and “face recognition shooting mode”.
(Operation in face registration mode)
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the “face registration mode” of the present embodiment. This “face registration mode” is a kind of reproduction mode, and is a mode for generating face recognition data when the captured image data is reproduced.

  Step 101: First, the user sets the electronic camera to the “playback mode” using the operation member 23. The CPU 26 reads face registration image data (photographed image data used for generating face recognition data) from the recording medium 29 or the built-in memory 19 and reproduces and displays a reproduction image of the face registration image data on the liquid crystal monitor 24. The CPU 26 can also read face registration image data from a computer (not shown) connected via the external connection terminal of the input / output I / F 22 or the communication unit 30.

Step 102: The user sets the electronic camera mode to the “face registration mode” using the operation member 23.
For example, in a state where the electronic camera is set to the “playback mode”, the user performs an operation for calling a mode selection screen. As a result, the CPU 26 displays a mode selection screen (see FIG. 3) on the liquid crystal monitor 24. Then, the user operates the selection frame on the mode selection screen with the operation member 23 and instructs the CPU 26 to activate the “face registration mode”. Thereby, the CPU 26 starts a series of operations in the “face registration mode”.

Step 103: The face detection unit 31 of the CPU 26 performs a known face detection process on the face registration image data (S101) to detect a face area in the shooting screen.
Step 104: The CPU 26 outputs the position of the face area on the shooting screen to the image processing unit 20. Then, the image processing unit 20 synthesizes and displays a rectangular frame at the position of the face area of the reproduced image (see FIGS. 4 to 6). As a result, the user can confirm the face detection state on the liquid crystal monitor 24.

  Step 105: The CPU 26 displays a display (selection display of “OK” and “Redo”) for confirming the retry of the face detection process with the user on the liquid crystal monitor 24 (see FIG. 4). When there is no frame display on the face of the person to be registered, the user selects and inputs “redo” with the operation member 23. On the other hand, when there is a frame display on the face of the person to be registered, the user selects and inputs “OK” with the operation member 23.

Then, the CPU 26 determines whether or not “redo” (retry of the face detection process) is selected in the confirmation display. When “Redo” is selected (YES side), the process proceeds to S106. On the other hand, if “OK” is selected (NO side), the process proceeds to S107.
Step 106: The face detection unit 31 of the CPU 26 changes the threshold that defines the detection accuracy of the face area based on the user input from the operation member 23.

  For example, when there is no frame display on the face of the person to be selected, the user changes the threshold value to a value lower than the previous value. Thereafter, returning to S103, the face detection unit 31 performs face detection processing on the face registration image data and redetects the face area in the shooting screen. In this case, the accuracy rate for correctly detecting the face area is reduced, but the number of face candidates (face areas displayed in a frame) is increased from the previous time, so that the face area in which face detection is difficult (for example, a side face) Etc.) is more likely to be detected.

  Further, when a large number of persons appear in the face registration image and face candidates are detected more than necessary, the user changes the threshold value to a value higher than the previous value. Thereafter, returning to S103, the face detection unit 31 performs face detection processing on the face registration image data and redetects the face area in the shooting screen. In this case, since the correct answer rate for correctly detecting the face area increases, the number of face candidates is narrowed down and the selection operation (S107) described later becomes easy.

  Step 107: The CPU 26 synthesizes and displays the selection frame in any face area (S103) of the face registration image (see FIG. 5). While the user operates the selection frame with the operation member 23 to select a person who creates face recognition data, the CPU 26 accepts a user's selection input. In S107, the user can also select a plurality of face areas from one reproduced image.

  Step 108: The CPU 26 displays a display (selection display of “new” and “add”) for confirming to the user whether or not the selected person is a new registered person (see FIG. 6). On this screen, the user selects and inputs “new” or “add” to the CPU 26 by operating the selection frame with the input buttons. When registering a new person's face, the user selects and inputs “new”. On the other hand, when further photographing a face of a person who has already been registered, the user selects and inputs “Add”.

Then, the CPU 26 determines whether or not “new” is selected in the above confirmation display. When “new” is selected (YES side), the process proceeds to S109. On the other hand, if “add” is selected (NO side), the process proceeds to S110.
Step 109: When “New” is selected in S108, the CPU 26 generates a group folder of newly registered persons in the face registration memory 27. Then, the CPU 26 displays a “registered person detailed information screen” (see FIG. 8) on the liquid crystal monitor 24 and prompts the user to input information of “registered person name” and “processing setting for face recognition”. Information input on the “registered person detailed information screen” in FIG. 8 is recorded in the face registration memory 27 in a state of being associated with the group folder. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S111.

The user omits the input of “Registered Person Name” and “Process Settings for Face Recognition”, and later launches the “Registered Person Detailed Information Screen” in FIG. 8 to register the information as face registration. It is also possible to input to the memory 27.
Step 110: On the other hand, if “add” is selected in S108, the CPU 26 displays a registered person selection screen (see FIG. 7) that has already been registered on the liquid crystal monitor 24, and selects a registered person to add face recognition data to. Let the user select and input.

Step 111: The face recognition unit 32 of the CPU 26 generates face recognition data of the registered person from the face area (S107) selected from the face registration image data. Further, the image processing unit 20 trims the face area of the face registration image data and resizes the face area to a predetermined size by resolution conversion to generate index image data.
Step 112: The CPU 26 acquires the shooting conditions and shooting date / time data recorded in the attached data area of the face registration image data. For example, when the face registration image data is an image file that conforms to the Exif (Exchangeable image file format for digital still cameras) standard, the CPU 26 reads out the shooting conditions and shooting date / time data recorded in the tag format in the image file. Get. Note that this step is omitted when the data format of the face registration image data does not include the attached data area.

  Step 113: The CPU 26 records the photographing conditions and photographing date / time of the face recognition data, index image data, and face registration image data in the face registration memory 27. Each of the above data is recorded in the group folder of the registered person specified in S109 or S110 in a state of being associated with each other. Among the above data, the index image data corresponds to “face registration image”. The shooting date / time corresponds to “registration time of face recognition data”, and the shooting condition corresponds to “shooting condition when acquiring face recognition data”.

Thus, a series of operations in the “face registration mode” is completed. When a plurality of face areas are designated in S107, the CPU 26 repeats the processes from S108 to S113 according to the number of face areas.
Hereinafter, the effect of the “face registration mode” of the present embodiment will be described. In the face registration mode, face recognition data is generated from captured image data read from the recording medium 29 or the like during reproduction (S101, S111). In other words, since the face recognition data can be generated from the photographed image data photographed in the past or the photographed image data photographed by another electronic camera, the convenience for the user is greatly improved.

In the face registration mode, face recognition data is generated based on the face area automatically detected by the face detection process (S103, S111). At this time, since it is sufficient for the user to specify a target for generating face recognition data from the detected face area, the face recognition data can be easily generated.
(Modification of face registration mode operation)
In the above embodiment, the example in which the face recognition data is generated from the face registration image at the time of shooting has been described. However, instead of generating face recognition data from the face registration image, the CPU generates face image data by cutting out the face area portion from the face registration image, and records this face image data in a memory or a recording medium. Also good. Then, face recognition data can be generated from face image data by post-processing by a computer.

  Here, the face image data is generated by cutting out the face area of the face registration image with a size of about 80 × 80 pixels, for example. It is preferable not to perform a scaling process by resolution conversion on the face image data image. As in the case of face registration image data, the CPU preferably records the face image data in association with the index image data, the shooting conditions of the face registration image data, and the shooting date and time. Further, with respect to the face image data, the CPU preferably records a plurality of face image data generated from the same photographed person in the same folder or the like.

(Operation in face recognition shooting mode)
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the “face recognition photographing mode” of the present embodiment. This “face recognition shooting mode” is a shooting mode in which, when a designated registered person exists on the shooting screen, the electronic camera performs predetermined control to acquire shot image data.
Step 201: First, the user sets the photographing mode of the electronic camera to the “face recognition photographing mode” using the operation member 23.

  For example, in a state where the electronic camera is set to “normal shooting mode” or “portrait shooting mode”, the user performs an operation for calling a mode selection screen. As a result, the CPU 26 displays a mode selection screen (see FIG. 10) on the liquid crystal monitor 24. Then, the user operates the selection frame on the mode selection screen with the operation member 23 and instructs the CPU 26 to activate the “face recognition photographing mode”. Thereby, the CPU 26 starts a series of operations in the “face recognition photographing mode”.

Step 202: The CPU 26 displays a registered person selection screen (see FIG. 7) on the liquid crystal monitor 24. Then, the CPU 26 receives a designation input of a registered person to be face recognized (a registered person who performs face recognition at the time of shooting). It is also possible for the user to designate and input a registered person for face recognition into the CPU 26 in advance before photographing.
Here, in the “registered person selection screen”, the CPU 26 can accept designation of one or more registered persons. For example, the CPU 26 can accept all designations of registered persons in the face registration memory 27. In addition, the group folder may be linked in advance with a predetermined category (for example, family, circle, etc.), and the user may input a batch designation of registered persons linked to the CPU 26 by designating and inputting the category on the selection screen. it can.

Step 203: The CPU 26 drives the image sensor 16 to acquire a through image signal. The image sensor 16 outputs a through image signal by thinning readout at predetermined intervals. The image processing unit 20 generates through image data based on the through image signal. A preview image is displayed as a moving image on the liquid crystal monitor 24 based on the through image data.
Step 204: On the other hand, the face detection unit 31 of the CPU 26 performs a known face detection process on the through image data to detect a face area in the shooting screen.

Step 205: The CPU 26 determines whether or not a face is detected from the shooting screen in S204. If a face is detected (YES side), the process proceeds to S206. On the other hand, if the face is not detected (NO side), the process proceeds to S209.
Step 206: The CPU 26 performs AF calculation with reference to the detected position of the face area. If a plurality of face areas are detected, the CPU 26 prioritizes the face area located at the center of the shooting screen or the face area located closest to the shooting screen, and executes the AF calculation.

Step 207: The face recognition unit 32 of the CPU 26 executes face recognition processing on the detected face area (S204). Then, the face recognition unit 32 determines whether or not the recognition target face (S202) is included. If the face to be recognized is included (YES side), the process proceeds to S208. On the other hand, if the face to be recognized is not included (NO side), the process proceeds to S210.
Step 208: The CPU 26 changes the setting of the photographing condition of the electronic camera and the setting of the image processing based on the data of “processing setting at the time of face recognition” corresponding to the detected registered person. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S210.

  Here, when a plurality of faces to be recognized are detected in the shooting screen, the CPU 26 determines the priority order of the registered person using a predetermined algorithm. Then, the CPU 26 changes various settings of the electronic camera based on the “processing setting for face recognition” corresponding to the registered person with the highest priority. Note that if the automatic shooting of the registered person is set in the “processing setting for face recognition”, the CPU 26 proceeds to S211 and automatically images the registered person.

Step 209: On the other hand, in this case, the CPU 26 selects the AF area by the algorithm at the time of normal shooting and executes the AF calculation in response to the half-press operation of the release button by the user.
Step 210: The CPU 26 determines whether or not the release button has been fully pressed. When the release button is fully pressed (YES side), the process proceeds to S211. On the other hand, when there is no input to the release button (NO side), the CPU 26 waits for a full pressing operation of the release button.

Step 211: The CPU 26 drives the image sensor 16 to capture a subject image. Thereafter, the image processing unit 20 generates captured image data based on the image signal at the time of release. Note that when the face to be recognized is photographed, the image processing unit 20 performs the image processing set in S208 on the photographed image data.
Step 212: The CPU 26 records the photographed image data on the recording medium 29. When the face to be recognized is photographed, the CPU 26 can also classify and record the photographed image data in a predetermined recording folder based on the directory path specified in the face registration memory 27. This completes the series of operations in the “face recognition shooting mode”.

  Hereinafter, the effect of the “face recognition photographing mode” of the present embodiment will be described. In the face recognition shooting mode, face recognition of the photographed person is performed based on the face recognition data (S207). When a face to be recognized is detected, various processes at the time of shooting are performed with settings corresponding to the registered person (S208, S211 and S212). Therefore, the process reflecting the user's intention can be automatically performed when the registered person is photographed, and the convenience of the user who operates the electronic camera is remarkably improved.

(Supplementary items of the embodiment)
As mentioned above, although this invention has been demonstrated by said embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, For example, the following forms may be sufficient.
(1) In the above embodiment, the “face registration mode” and the “face detection shooting mode” are directly designated by a mode dial or the like in the same manner as the “normal shooting mode”, “portrait shooting mode”, “playback mode”, etc. May be launched.

(2) The “registration time of face recognition data” data in the face registration memory may be sufficient to indicate when the original face registration image data was captured. Accordingly, the “registration time of the face recognition data” may be terminated by recording at any of the shooting year, shooting month, and shooting date, and recording of detailed time and the like may be omitted.
(3) In the face recognition process (S207) of the “face recognition shooting mode”, the face recognition unit 32 may narrow down the face recognition data used for the determination from the grouped face recognition data under a predetermined condition. . For example, the face recognizing unit 32 may exclude face recognition data that is older than a shooting date and time by a certain period or more based on the “face recognition data registration time”. Similarly, the face recognizing unit 32 may exclude face recognition data generated under shooting conditions that are significantly different from the current shooting conditions based on the “shooting conditions when acquiring face recognition data”.

(4) In the face recognition processing (S207) in the “face recognition shooting mode”, the face recognition unit 32 corrects the face recognition data according to the degree of distortion calculated from the focal length data of the shooting optical system 11. May be.
(5) In the “face registration mode”, the CPU 26 may generate identification information related to the face orientation of the face recognition data based on the user input, and record the identification information in the face registration memory 27.

  (6) The electronic camera of the present invention does not necessarily match the configuration of the electronic camera of the embodiment. For example, the built-in memory 19 and the face registration memory 27 may be configured by a common memory. The face registration memory 27 may be connected to the CPU 26 via the data bus 28. Further, the optical blur correction mechanism including the swing sensor unit 13, the image blur correction lens 14, and the second lens driving unit 15 may be omitted. Furthermore, the communication unit 30 may be built in the electronic camera.

(7) The CPU 26 may record the data in the face registration memory 27 on the recording medium 29 so that the face registration memory 27 can be backed up. Further, the CPU 26 may acquire face recognition data or the like generated in advance by another electronic camera from the recording medium 29 so that the data in the face registration memory 27 can be shared between the electronic cameras.
(8) The image processing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the electronic camera of the above embodiment. For example, the image processing apparatus of the present invention includes a personal computer including means for reading image data from the outside, a recording unit that records face recognition data, and a control unit that executes the program of the “face registration mode”. Or the like (not shown).

The block diagram which shows the structure of the electronic camera of this embodiment Flow chart showing the operation in the “face registration mode” of the present embodiment The figure which shows an example of the mode selection screen which can specify face registration mode The figure which shows an example of the display which confirms the retry of a face detection process The figure which shows the selection state of the face area by a selection frame The figure which shows an example of the selection display of "new" and "addition" The figure which shows an example of the selection screen of a registered person The figure which shows an example of the detailed information screen of a registered person Flow chart showing the operation of the “face recognition shooting mode” of the present embodiment The figure which shows an example of the mode selection screen which can designate face recognition photography mode

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 19 ... Built-in memory, 20 ... Image processing part, 21 ... Card I / F, 22 ... Input-output I / F, 23 ... Operation member, 24 ... Liquid crystal monitor, 26 ... CPU, 27 ... Face registration memory, 29 ... Recording medium 30 ... Communication unit, 31 ... Face detection unit, 32 ... Face recognition unit

Claims (8)

In addition to having at least one of a built-in memory, a connection unit with a recording medium, and an external communication unit, captured image data generated in advance by an electronic camera is connected through the built-in memory, the recording medium, and the external communication unit. A control unit obtained from any of the computers;
A face detection unit for detecting a face area in the shooting screen based on the shot image data;
A face image generation unit that cuts out an image of the face area and generates face image data or extracts a feature point of the face of the photographed person from the face area portion of the photographed image data, and detects face recognition data based on the feature point A face recognition data generation unit for generating;
A recording unit for recording the face image data or the face recognition data;
An image processing apparatus comprising: An image processing unit that synthesizes a display for identifying the face area on the reproduced image of the captured image data;
A display unit for displaying an output image of the image processing unit;
The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: It further includes an input unit that accepts user input,
The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the face detection unit changes a threshold value that defines detection accuracy of the face region based on an input from the input unit. It further includes an input unit that accepts user input,
The face image generation unit or the face recognition data generation unit, when a plurality of face regions are detected from the captured image data, the face image data or the face recognition for the face region selected by the input from the input unit. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein data is generated.   5. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit groups a plurality of the face image data or the face recognition data generated from the same photographed person and records the grouped data in the recording unit. An image processing apparatus according to 1.   The control unit generates index image data by cutting out a part of a face area of the photographed image data to a predetermined size, and associates the index image data with the face image data or the face recognition data. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus records the information in the image processing apparatus. The photographed image data has an attached data area in which photographing conditions at the time of photographing are recorded,
The control unit generates shooting condition data based on a shooting condition of the attached data area, and records the shooting condition data in the recording unit in association with the face image data or the face recognition data. The image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The photographed image data has an attached data area in which the photographing date and time are recorded,
The control unit generates acquisition time data of the face image data or the face recognition data based on the shooting date and time of the attached data area, and associates the acquisition time data with the face image data or the face recognition data The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus records the information in the recording unit.

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