JP4159159B2 - Advertising media evaluation device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Technical field to which the invention belongs]
The present invention relates to a technique for making an advertising effect of an advertising medium centering on visual stimulation objective.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The value of advertising media centered on visual stimuli is determined by whether more people have watched and watched more time. Based on the above assumptions, in explaining the present invention, the present applicant searches for patent applications and utility model registration applications in advance by using the prior art search (patrices) of the Japan Patent Information Organization (JAPIO) to determine the value of advertising. The following techniques were extracted as a technique for knowing and extracting human faces from images.
[0003]
(Technology to know advertising value)
JP-A-7-95625, extracted as a technique for knowing the value of advertisements, relates to “viewing measurement system and method”. The technology then provides an apparatus and method for accurately identifying the viewer without the viewer having to be actively involved in the identification process.
[0004]
Further, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-120987 is “an image recognition system for identifying a plurality of predetermined individuals from viewers in a monitoring area, each of which is assigned to a plurality of predetermined individuals”. Means for storing a plurality of corresponding pattern image features, means for detecting a plurality of individuals in a monitoring area, means for capturing an image of each detected individual in a monitoring area, the captured image and the stored The present invention relates to an “image recognition system comprising means for identifying predetermined individuals by comparing pattern image characteristics”.
[0005]
(Image processing technology)
On the other hand, techniques for extracting a human face from an image are disclosed in JP-A-5-225344 and JP-A-7-128031. The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-225344 describes that “feature points that are candidates for positioning reference points are extracted by extracting feature points from an input pattern, and each pattern is aligned according to the combination of the reference point candidates. The image is sequentially cut out to obtain a plurality of collation pattern candidates, which are collated with the contents of the template dictionary storing templates for a plurality of positioning conditions, thereby normalizing the position and size. Is output as one of the matching patterns obtained as a result. "
[0006]
Further, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-128031 states that “two-dimensional image data is aligned by the alignment unit according to the result of the face position detection unit, and then the contour portion is extracted by the contour extraction unit. The image data is edge-detected by the edge detection unit, converted to a line drawing area, converted to a point area where the attribute is obtained by the conversion unit to the attribute, and the coordinate of the maximum value of the attribute is converted by the maximum value detection unit. The average value is obtained only for the attribute belonging to the inside of the radius from the coordinate of the maximum value in the conversion part from the attribute to the edge area, and the standard face of the point area is obtained, and by returning to the previous area, This is a technique of “obtaining the feature quantity inside the standard face in the line area”. Without being affected by the background, the amount of calculation is reduced, the apparatus is made compact, and the recognition rate is improved.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
(Method of judging media value)
As mentioned above, in addition to the method of audience rating survey on TV, the method of objectively expressing how many people have seen advertising media and how long it has been traditionally There was hardly any. For example, in advertising media such as posters affixed to stations and subway premises, how many numbers were removed (stolen) and how often they attracted attention. Is a very unusual measurement method.
[0008]
(Objectification of the same type of media)
For the same media, for example, posters, it can be estimated that posters placed in places with high traffic are more valuable than posters placed in places with low traffic. However, even if relative evaluation is possible, it is hard to say that it is a truly objective value judgment.
[0009]
(Objectification of different media)
Advertising media will be developed as technology advances. The value of such new media needs to be compared with existing media. However, since there is no standard for performing a common advertising media evaluation regardless of the type of media, the current situation is that new media value judgment must be subjective.
(Issues and Objectives)
The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a technique for objectively evaluating the value of advertising media regardless of the type. That is, it is to provide a technique that can objectively evaluate an advertising medium centered on visual stimulation from the viewpoint of whether more people have watched more time for more time.
[0010]
Here, an object of the invention described in claims 1 to 3 is to provide an advertisement media evaluation apparatus for objectively evaluating how many people view an advertisement medium.
[0011]
In addition, the technique which solves said subject was not discovered by the above-mentioned prior art search.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention is intended to achieve the above-described object, and objectively evaluates how many people watched the advertising medium, how much they watched it, and how long they watched it. It is something that can be done.
(Claim 1)
The invention according to claim 1 is a camera attached to an advertising media side and capable of photographing the front of the advertising media, a photographing control device that obtains a photographed image by causing the camera to photograph the front of the advertising media, The present invention relates to an advertising media evaluation device comprising: an image storage memory that stores a photographed image as a digital image; and an arithmetic device that calculates an evaluation value indicating the degree to which the advertising media has been viewed.
The computing device extracts a human face capable of extracting both eyes from the digital image as an evaluation target, and connects the center of both eyes at the position where the person is photographed and both lateral ends of the advertising media. A media angle that is an angle formed by two straight lines is calculated, and a total value obtained by aggregating the media angles calculated for a plurality of faces to be evaluated is calculated as the evaluation value.
[0013]
(Glossary)
The “camera” is usually a digital camera, but may be a normal film-type camera as long as image processing for changing to a digital image can be performed later. When moving in, a video camera or digital video camera may be used. The camera and the other device may be installed in a physically different place, for example, a separate aggregation center. In that case, if a digital image is taken, it may be sent to a tally center using a communication means and tallyed.
[0014]
For the “arithmetic unit”, as a method of “ extracting a human face from which a binocular is extracted from a digital image as an evaluation target ”, for example, a face outline is extracted by distinguishing a face color from a background color. Typical image processing techniques, techniques for extracting eyes from the face, and the like.
(Function)
Attach the camera to the advertising media and take a picture of the front of the advertising media. The photographing is controlled by the photographing control device. Captured image is stored in the image storage memory as a digital image. A computing device extracts a human face from which the two eyes are extracted from the digital image as an evaluation target, and the center of both eyes at the position where the human being extracted as the evaluation target is photographed and the advertisement media A media angle that is an angle formed by two straight lines connecting both ends in the horizontal direction is calculated, and the calculated media angles are calculated for each of a plurality of evaluation target faces, and the total value is calculated as the evaluation value.
[0015]
Since the total result is that a human face that can be estimated to be interested in the advertisement medium is extracted, it may be an objective standard for the media value. In addition, since the media value is aggregated regardless of the type of media, an objective comparison of media values can be made between different media.
(Claim 2)
The invention according to claim 2 limits the advertising media evaluation device according to claim 1,
The computing device further includes distance calculating means for calculating a distance from the position where the person extracted as an evaluation target from the digital image is taken to the advertising media, and the distance calculated by the distance calculating means The present invention relates to an advertising media evaluation device that determines a media angle by specifying a position where the person is photographed .
[0016]
(Glossary)
The “distance calculation means” is a method in which a reference point for distance calculation is photographed in a digital image, or the width dimension of the contour is measured from the face contour extracted from the digital image , This is a means for calculating the distance from the position where the person in the digital image is photographed to the camera by a method of calculating using the average width of the face outline and the size of the digital image .
[0017]
The “evaluation value” is a value for objectively evaluating how many people see the advertisement media, and has a positive correlation with the total media angle. Explain the rationale that “the evaluation value has a positive relationship with the total media angle”. In other words, a large media angle measured for a person in a digital image means that the area of advertising media in the field of view of the person is large, and the area of advertising media in the field of view is large. This is because it may be assumed that the user is gazing more than the small case.
[0018]
Here, the “positive relationship” is, for example, a relationship in which the evaluation value is proportional to the square of the media angle or monotonically increases. In addition, when a time factor can be taken into account by using a digital video image or taking an average value by taking continuous photographs, the evaluation value has a positive relationship with time.
(Function)
The arithmetic device extracts a human face from the digital image. Then, the distance calculating means calculates the distance between the face and the camera from the extracted face size. Further, the calculation device calculates a media angle formed by the lateral ends of the advertising media and the extracted face, and calculates a total media angle.
[0019]
(Claim 3)
The invention described in claim 3 limits the advertising media evaluation device described in claim 2.
That is, the arithmetic device includes a face extracting unit that extracts a human face from the digital image, an eye extracting unit that extracts an eye from the human face extracted by the face extracting unit, and the eye extraction. A numerical value indicating the orientation of the extracted face with respect to the advertising media by respectively obtaining the distance between both eyes extracted by the means and the distance formed by each eye and the face outline extracted by the face extracting means And a face direction determining means for calculating the advertisement media evaluation, wherein the arithmetic device calculates an evaluation value obtained by correcting the total value by a numerical value indicating the orientation of the face calculated by the face direction means. Related to the device.
[0020]
There are various conventional techniques for “face extraction means”. For example, a technique for recognizing surrounding colors and human skin color and extracting the boundary line as a face outline is representative. .
(Function)
When a human face is extracted from the digital image , the eye extraction unit extracts the eye from the human face in which both eyes are reflected in the digital image, and obtains an eye interval that is the distance between the extracted eye and the eye. . Further , the face direction determining means obtains the distance between both eyes extracted by the eye extracting means and the distance between each eye and the face outline extracted by the face extracting means, so that the face direction determining means can detect the advertisement media. A numerical value indicating the orientation of the extracted face with respect to is calculated.
[0021]
The media angle is measured only for the face determined to be facing the advertising media by the face direction determining means, and the media angle is not measured for the face determined not facing the advertising media. Alternatively, for a face that is determined not to be suitable for advertising media, even if the media angle is measured, the evaluation value calculation device does not count the face.
[0022]
Since the arithmetic device includes the face extraction means, the eye extraction means, and the face direction determination means, the objectivity of the evaluation value can be improved.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail based on embodiments and drawings. The drawings used here are FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the relationship between hardware configuration and data in an embodiment of the present invention. 2 to 5 are model diagrams for explaining the embodiment of the present invention.
[0024]
(Hardware configuration)
The hardware configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. The advertising media evaluation device of the present embodiment is a device that evaluates the advertising effect of a poster affixed to the wall of an underground passage, and is attached to the poster side and is capable of photographing the front of the poster, and a digital camera A shooting control device that controls shooting, an image storage memory that temporarily stores the shot image as a digital image, and a human face extracted from the digital image, and a face that can be evaluated facing the poster from the extracted face An arithmetic device that extracts evaluation values and totals the evaluation values and an output device that outputs the total results are configured.
[0025]
In addition, the arithmetic device includes a face extracting unit that extracts a human face from the digital image, and a distance calculating unit that calculates a distance from the position where the face is photographed to the camera based on the extracted face size. Then, a “poster angle” that is a media angle formed by the both ends of the advertising media in the horizontal direction and the extracted face is calculated . Here, the “face extraction means” uses an image processing technique that extracts the face contour by distinguishing the face color and the background color in the digital image .
[0026]
The face extraction means includes an eye extraction means for extracting eyes from a human face in which both eyes are reflected in a digital image, and an eye interval measurement means for measuring an eye interval that is the distance between the extracted eyes. And face direction determining means for determining whether or not the face is facing the advertising media using the human face extracted by the face extracting means and the eye interval measured by the eye interval measuring means. Yes. The “eye extraction means” also uses an image processing technique for extracting eyes by distinguishing between the colors of the eyes and the surrounding colors. If the size of the extracted eye is greater than or equal to a certain value, the center portion is also obtained.
The evaluation value calculation device calculates the total media angle, that is, the poster angle, and outputs the total to the output device using the total, but it evaluates the face determined to be facing the advertising media by the face direction determination means. It is an object to be calculated by a value calculation device. This will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.
[0027]
(From face extraction to media angle calculation)
FIG. 2 is a conceptual plan view when two people are in front of the camera at the moment of shooting. FIG. 3 is a digital image taken at the moment of FIG.
[0028]
Using the image of FIG. 3, the face extraction means extracts a human face from the digital image. If both eyes can be extracted, both eyes are extracted. It is determined that the face for which both eyes cannot be extracted, specifically, the person on the left side of FIG. 3 is not facing the poster, and is excluded from the later calculation target. The face of both eyes can be extracted, by comparing the magnitude of the average face size and Japanese extracted face, distance calculating means for calculating a distance (L1) between the face and the camera It is. It should be noted that the horizontal dimension of the poster (m), the average human eye-to-eye distance (e), the horizontal dimension of the digital image (n), and the distance between the eyes of the subject in the digital image The distance (ep), the camera angle (φ), the binocular angle (α), the poster angle (θ; θ1 in FIG. 2), and the distance from the subject to the camera (L; L1 in FIG. 2).
[0029]
Further, the angle measuring means measures the poster angle (θ1) formed by the lateral ends of the advertising media and the extracted face. Specifically, from FIG.
m / 2 = L × tan (θ1 / 2)
Therefore, it is calculated as follows.
θ1 = 2 × tan ⁻¹ (m / 2L)
The above formula sums up all faces (i; i is a natural number) that can be extracted by both eyes. That is, if the total poster angle (θn),
θn = Σθi
A poster having a large value of θn can be determined to have a high media value.
[0030]
Next, a description will be given in comparison with FIG. FIG. 3 shows a case where the distance between the face from which both eyes have been extracted and the camera is L2 shorter than L1 in FIG. As is apparent from the above formula for calculating θ, θ2 is larger than θ1. This is because the person with the face extracted in FIG. 3 is closer to the poster than the person with the face extracted with both eyes in FIG. This is because it can be estimated that the message will be received more strongly.
[0031]
(Explanation of accuracy improvement method)
By the way, the face indicated by the thin line in FIG. 4 is slightly inclined with respect to the poster while keeping the same distance from the poster. Then, the value of the poster angle described above becomes the same as that when facing the front. However, when the angle of the face with respect to the poster is not the front, it can be estimated that the interest in the poster is lower than that in the front or the message from the poster will be received weakly. Therefore, a technique for determining a correction count for the poster angle (θi) will be described.
[0032]
When the accuracy of the analysis of the digital image is high, it is possible to devise to increase the objectivity of the poster angle by numerically determining whether it is facing the front or oblique. This will be described with reference to FIG. F1 is a model diagram of a face facing slightly diagonally, and F2 is a model diagram of a face almost facing front. For these, when the face outline is extracted by distinguishing the face color from the background color, the eye is extracted by distinguishing the eye color from the surrounding colors, and the extracted eye size is above a certain level The center part is also obtained. Then, for F1 and F2, the extracted lateral dimensions of the face (f1, f2), the distance from the left end of the contour to the center of the left eye (a1, a2), the distance between the centers of both eyes (b1, b2), and the contour The distance (c1, c2) from the right end to the center of the right eye is calculated. Then, a relational expression of these variables is created. Then, from the relational expression of the variables, by formulating conditions such as which range is facing the front and which range is k (0 <k <1) when the front is 1, the poster angle ( Multiply θi) by k to increase objectivity.
[0033]
[0034]
(Evaluation method based only on eye spacing)
In order to lower the hardware performance or shorten the processing time, an evaluation method using “eye distance” as an evaluation value instead of the above-mentioned “media angle” is also effective in some cases. That is, the position becomes longer if the position of the person is closer to the advertising medium, and shorter if the position is far from the advertising medium. It can be presumed that a person near the advertising medium is more interested in the advertising medium than a person far away. Therefore, when the evaluation of the advertising media is an objective number, it is reasonable to have a positive relationship with the value of “eye distance”.
[0035]
Also, even if the distance from the person's position to the advertising media is the same, the person who is facing the front of the advertising medium (more precisely, the camera) is more inclined than the person who is facing diagonally. Also, it can be estimated that interest in the advertising media is high. Therefore, the value of “eye distance” for a person facing the front is larger than the value of “eye distance” for a person facing diagonally. Having a positive relationship with the value of “eye distance” ensures rationality.
[0036]
(Comparison of different media) In the comparison of media (for example, a television) having a time element in the medium itself and media (for example, a poster) having no time element, the unit of the evaluation value may be adjusted to either. For example, for media that do not have a time component, multiplying the media angle (unit; eg, “radian”) by the time factor (unit: eg, “second”), the evaluation value for both media is “radians. Second ", and a comparative study is possible. In other words, even for media that do not have a time element, if you measure an evaluation value that includes the time element such as how much time a person was watching, you can compare it with a medium that has a time element. .
[0037]
An example will be given of the case where the target media is a TV commercial. First, the hardware configuration will be described. A digital video camera is built into the control panel of a television set in a sample home. The digital video camera can control shooting through a communication line and transmit the shot video to a totaling center. For images captured from a digital video camera, the media angle (θn) is calculated by the above-described method for several still images, and an average value is obtained. The media angle (θn) Multiply the broadcast time (for example, 15 seconds).
[0038]
For a poster to be compared, several digital images are taken continuously for a certain time, and the average value of media angle (θn) per second is obtained and multiplied by 15 seconds. To estimate the media value at the national level based on the above sample data, the number of TV viewers per household (for example, 1.5 people), the number of TV viewers is 40 million, and the average audience rating Considering data such as 1%. In this way, it is possible to compare the media value of a plurality of types of TV commercials with relative and objective numbers, and to compare with different media such as posters.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, it is possible to provide an advertising media evaluation device for objectively evaluating how many people are watching the advertising media.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing a relationship between hardware configuration and data in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a model diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a model diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a model diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a model diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
F1, F2 Extracted facial contours f1, f2 Extracted facial lateral dimensions a1, a2 Distances from the left end of the contour to the center of the left eye b1, b2 Distances between the centers of both eyes c1, c2 From the right end of the contour to the right Distance to eye center

Claims (3)

A camera attached to the advertising media and capable of shooting the front of the advertising media,
A photographing control device for obtaining a photographed image by causing the camera to photograph the front of the advertising media ;
An image storage memory for storing the photographed image as a digital image;
An arithmetic device for calculating an evaluation value indicating a degree of the advertisement media being viewed , and an advertising media evaluation device comprising:
The computing device extracts a human face capable of extracting both eyes from the digital image as an evaluation target, and connects the center of both eyes at the position where the person is photographed and both lateral ends of the advertising media. While calculating the media angle, which is the angle formed by the two straight lines,
An advertising media evaluation device that calculates a total value obtained by totaling the media angles calculated for a plurality of evaluation target faces as the evaluation value . The arithmetic device includes a distance calculation means for calculating a distance from a position where a person extracted as an evaluation target from the digital image is taken to the advertising media,
The advertising media evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein the media angle is calculated by specifying a position where the person is photographed based on a distance obtained by the distance calculation means . The arithmetic device comprises a face extracting means for extracting a human face from the digital image ;
And the eye extracting means for extracting the eye from the human face extracted by the face extraction means,
The orientation of the face extracted with respect to the advertising media by determining the distance between both eyes extracted by the eye extraction means and the distance between each eye and the face outline extracted by the face extraction means And face direction determination means for calculating a numerical value indicating
The advertising media evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein the arithmetic device calculates an evaluation value obtained by correcting the total value based on a numerical value indicating the face direction calculated by the face direction determination unit .

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