KR20150072002A - Electronic device and control method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a control method thereof. The present invention provides an electronic device and a control method thereof to detect a face from an image when only a part of the face is shown on the image taken by a camera. The electronic device comprises: a camera to take an image of the outside; and a control part which mirrors the border area of the image to the outside of the image to obtain an extended area made of the mirrored image around the border area and detects a face from the image and the extended area.

Description

ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus, and more particularly, to an electronic apparatus for performing face detection on an image and a control method thereof.

A terminal such as a personal computer, a notebook computer, and a mobile phone has a variety of functions, and a multimedia device (multimedia player) having a complex function such as photographing, video shooting, playing music or video file, .

A terminal can be divided into a mobile terminal and a stationary terminal depending on whether the terminal is movable or not. The portable terminal can be divided into a handheld terminal and a vehicle mount terminal according to whether the user can directly carry the portable terminal.

For functional support and enhancement of the terminal, it may be considered to improve the structural and / or software part of the terminal. 2. Description of the Related Art [0002] In recent years, various terminals including a mobile terminal have been complicated and user interface has become complicated due to various functions. Such a user interface is evolving so that the user can easily access various functions of the terminals and further meet the user's sensibility.

Particularly, as the structure of the terminal is diversified, it is required to develop a user interface suitable for the usage state of the terminal in consideration of the usage state of the terminal having a specific structure and / or function.

On the other hand, there are cases where face detection is required in an image obtained through a camera of a terminal. However, due to the limited angle of view of the camera provided in the terminal, there has been a problem that the face can not be detected properly when the user's face partially appears in the image.

Also, in such a case, a method of using a partial feature detector of a face like a face detector has been proposed. However, there has been a problem that a high detection error rate and a high processing time and power consumption are required due to execution of two detection algorithms. Therefore, it is required to provide a face detecting method for solving such inconvenience.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a control method of an electronic device capable of detecting a face in the image even if the image obtained through the camera has only a part of the face.

The technical objects to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the technical matters mentioned above, and other technical subjects which are not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. There will be.

An electronic device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a camera for obtaining an external image and a mirror image of the obtained image by mirroring the edge area of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image to form a mirror image around the edge area And a control unit for detecting a face in the obtained image and the extended area.

The control unit may include performing at least one time resizing to reduce the acquired image to a predetermined ratio, acquiring the extended area for each of the resized images, and performing the face detection have.

The control unit may include adjusting the size of the extended area according to a size of the face detection window for detecting the face.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method of an electronic device, comprising: acquiring an external image; mirroring the edge area of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image, And detecting a face in the obtained image and the extended area.

The obtaining of the extended region may include performing at least one time of resizing to reduce the obtained image at a predetermined ratio, and obtaining the extended region for each of the resized images.

According to the present invention, even when only a part of a face is included in an image obtained through a camera, the face can be detected from the image.

Further, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to use a separate partial feature detector for detecting a partial face by detecting a face by mirroring the edge region of the obtained image.

In addition, according to the present invention, since one face detector is used after applying the mirroring technique to detect a partial face, detection time and power consumption can be reduced.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect an entire facial feature even for a partial face by using a mirroring technique, thereby reducing the false positives.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a front perspective view of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2B is a rear perspective view of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart of a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining detection of a partial face using the extended area using the mirroring technique according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 8 are diagrams for explaining detection of a partial face using resizing of an image according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram for explaining detection of a partial face according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram for explaining the adjustment of the size of the extended area according to the size of the face detection window according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and similarities. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail. In addition, numerals (e.g., first, second, etc.) used in the description of the present invention are merely an identifier for distinguishing one component from another.

Hereinafter, electronic devices related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

The electronic devices described herein may include a mobile phone, a smart phone, a laptop computer, a digital broadcasting terminal, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), a PMP (Portable Multimedia Player), and navigation. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the configuration according to the embodiments described herein may be applied to a fixed terminal such as a digital TV, a desktop computer, and the like, unless the configuration is applicable only to a mobile terminal.

1 is a block diagram of an electronic apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The electronic device 100 includes a wireless communication unit 110, an audio / video input unit 120, a user input unit 130, a sensing unit 140, an output unit 150, a memory unit 160, An interface unit 170, a control unit 180, a power supply unit 190, and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1 are not essential, and an electronic device having more or fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The wireless communication unit 110 may include one or more modules that enable wireless communication between the electronic device 100 and the wireless communication system or between the electronic device 100 and the network in which the electronic device 100 is located. For example, the wireless communication unit 110 may include a broadcast receiving module 111, a mobile communication module 112, a wireless Internet module 113, a short range communication module 114, and a location information module 115 .

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals and / or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management server through a broadcast channel.

The broadcast channel may include a satellite channel and a terrestrial channel. The broadcast management server may refer to a server for generating and transmitting broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information, or a server for receiving broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information generated by the broadcast management server and transmitting the generated broadcast signals and / or broadcast related information. The broadcast signal may include a TV broadcast signal, a radio broadcast signal, a data broadcast signal, and a broadcast signal in which a data broadcast signal is combined with a TV broadcast signal or a radio broadcast signal.

The broadcast-related information may refer to a broadcast channel, a broadcast program, or information related to a broadcast service provider. The broadcast-related information may also be provided through a mobile communication network. In this case, it may be received by the mobile communication module 112.

The broadcast-related information may exist in various forms. For example, an EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) or an ESG (Electronic Service Guide) of DVBH (Digital Video Broadcast Handheld).

The broadcast receiving module 111 receives broadcast signals using various broadcasting systems. In particular, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be a digital multimedia broadcasting broadcasting (DMBT), a digital multimedia broadcasting satellite (DMBS), a media forward link only (MediaFLO), a digital video broadcasting ), And ISDBT (Integrated Services Digital Broadcast Terrestrial). Of course, the broadcast receiving module 111 may be adapted to other broadcasting systems that provide broadcast signals as well as the digital broadcasting system described above.

The broadcast signal and / or broadcast related information received through the broadcast receiving module 111 may be stored in the memory unit 160.

The mobile communication module 112 transmits and receives radio signals to at least one of a base station, an external terminal, and a server on a mobile communication network. The wireless signal may include various types of data depending on a voice call signal, a video call signal or a text / multimedia message transmission / reception.

The wireless Internet module 113 refers to a module for wireless Internet access, and the wireless Internet module 113 can be embedded in the electronic device 100 or externally. WLAN (WiFi), Wibro (Wireless broadband), Wimax (World Interoperability for Microwave Access), HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and the like can be used as wireless Internet technologies.

The short-range communication module 114 refers to a module for short-range communication. Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), ultra wideband (UWB), ZigBee, and the like can be used as the short distance communication technology.

The position information module 115 is a module for confirming or obtaining the position of the electronic device. A typical example of the location information module is a GPS (Global Position System) module. According to the current technology, the GPS module 115 calculates information on a distance (distance) from three or more satellites to one point (entity), information on the time when the distance information is measured, , Three-dimensional position information according to latitude, longitude, and altitude of one point (individual) in one hour can be calculated. Further, a method of calculating position and time information using three satellites and correcting the error of the calculated position and time information using another satellite is also used. The GPS module 115 continues to calculate the current position in real time and uses it to calculate speed information.

Referring to FIG. 1, an A / V (Audio / Video) input unit 120 is for inputting an audio signal or a video signal, and may include a camera 121 and a microphone 122. The camera 121 processes image frames such as still images or moving images obtained by the image sensor in the video communication mode or the photographing mode. The processed image frame can be displayed on the display module 151. [

The image frame processed by the camera 121 may be stored in the memory unit 160 or may be transmitted to the outside through the wireless communication unit 110. [ The camera 121 may be equipped with two or more cameras according to the configuration of the terminal.

The microphone 122 receives an external sound signal through a microphone in a communication mode, a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, or the like, and processes it as electrical voice data. The processed voice data can be converted into a form that can be transmitted to the mobile communication base station through the mobile communication module 112 when the voice data is in the call mode, and output. Various noise reduction algorithms may be implemented in the microphone 122 to remove noise generated in receiving an external sound signal.

The user input unit 130 generates input data for a user to control the operation of the terminal. The user input unit 130 may include a key pad dome switch, a touch pad (static / static), a jog wheel, a jog switch, and the like.

The sensing unit 140 senses the current state of the electronic device 100, such as the open / close state of the electronic device 100, the position of the electronic device 100, the presence or absence of user contact, the orientation of the electronic device, And generates a sensing signal for controlling the operation of the electronic device 100. For example, when the electronic device 100 is in the form of a slide phone, it is possible to sense whether the slide phone is opened or closed. In addition, it may be responsible for a sensing function related to whether the power supply unit 190 is powered on, whether the interface unit 170 is connected to an external device, and the like. Meanwhile, the sensing unit 140 may include an orientation sensor 141 and / or a proximity sensor 142.

The output unit 150 is for generating output related to visual, auditory or tactile sense and includes a display module 151, an acoustic output module 152, an alarm unit 153, and a haptic module 154 .

The display module 151 displays and outputs information processed in the electronic device 100. For example, when the electronic device is in the call mode, a UI (User Interface) or a GUI (Graphic User Interface) associated with the call is displayed. When the electronic device 100 is in the video communication mode or the photographing mode, the photographed and / or received video or UI and GUI are displayed.

The display module 151 may be a liquid crystal display, a thin film transistor liquid crystal display, an organic light emitting diode, a flexible display, a 3D display And may include at least one.

Some of these displays may be transparent or light transmissive so that they can be seen through. This may be referred to as a transparent display. A typical example of the transparent display is a transparent LCD or the like. The rear structure of the display module 151 may also be of a light transmission type. With this structure, the user can see an object located behind the terminal body through the area occupied by the display module 151 of the terminal body.

There may be two or more display modules 151 according to the embodiment of the electronic device 100. [ For example, in the electronic device 100, a plurality of display modules may be spaced apart or integrally arranged on one surface, and may be disposed on different surfaces, respectively.

In a case where the display module 151 and the sensor for sensing the touch operation (hereinafter, referred to as 'touch sensor') have a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as 'touch screen' It can also be used as an input device. The touch sensor may have the form of, for example, a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in a pressure applied to a specific portion of the display module 151 or a capacitance generated in a specific portion of the display module 151 into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor can be configured to detect not only the position and area to be touched but also the pressure at the time of touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and transmits the corresponding data to the controller 180. Thus, the control unit 180 can know which area of the display module 151 is touched or the like.

Referring to FIG. 1, a proximity sensor 142 may be disposed in an inner area of the electronic device to be wrapped by the touch screen or in the vicinity of the touch screen. The proximity sensor 142 refers to a sensor that detects the presence or absence of an object approaching a predetermined detection surface or a nearby object without mechanical contact using an electromagnetic force or infrared rays. The proximity sensor 142 has a longer life span than the contact-type sensor and its utilization is also high.

Examples of the proximity sensor 142 include a transmission type photoelectric sensor, a direct reflection type photoelectric sensor, a mirror reflection type photoelectric sensor, a high frequency oscillation type proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, a magnetic proximity sensor, and an infrared proximity sensor.

And to detect the proximity of the pointer by the change of the electric field along the proximity of the pointer when the touch screen is electrostatic. In this case, the touch screen (touch sensor) may be classified as a proximity sensor.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the act of recognizing that the pointer is positioned on the touch screen while the pointer is not in contact with the touch screen is referred to as "proximity touch & The act of actually touching the pointer on the screen is called "contact touch. &Quot; The position where the pointer is proximately touched on the touch screen means a position where the pointer is vertically corresponding to the touch screen when the pointer is touched.

The proximity sensor detects a proximity touch and a proximity touch pattern (e.g., a proximity touch distance, a proximity touch direction, a proximity touch speed, a proximity touch time, a proximity touch position, a proximity touch movement state, and the like). Information corresponding to the detected proximity touch operation and the proximity touch pattern may be output on the touch screen.

The audio output module 152 may output audio data received from the wireless communication unit 110 or stored in the memory unit 160 in a call signal reception mode, a call mode or a recording mode, a voice recognition mode, a broadcast reception mode, The sound output module 152 outputs sound signals associated with functions (e.g., call signal reception tones, message reception tones, etc.) performed in the electronic device 100. The audio output module 152 may include a receiver, a speaker, a buzzer, and the like.

The alarm unit 153 outputs a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event of the electronic device 100. Examples of events that occur in electronic devices include call signal reception, message reception, key signal input, touch input, and the like. The alarm unit 153 may output a signal for notifying the occurrence of an event in a form other than the video signal or the audio signal, for example, vibration. The video signal or audio signal may also be output through the display module 151 or the audio output module 152.

The haptic module 154 generates various tactile effects that the user can feel. A typical example of the haptic effect generated by the haptic module 154 is vibration. The intensity and pattern of the vibration generated by the hit module 154 can be controlled. For example, different vibrations may be synthesized and output or sequentially output.

In addition to the vibration, the haptic module 154 may be configured to perform various functions such as an effect of stimulation by a pin arrangement vertically moving with respect to a contact skin surface, an effect of stimulation by air spraying force or suction force through a jet opening or a suction opening, A variety of tactile effects such as an effect of stimulation through contact of an electrode, an effect of stimulation by an electrostatic force, and an effect of reproducing a cold sensation using a heat absorbing or exothermic element can be generated.

The haptic module 154 can be implemented not only to transmit the tactile effect through the direct contact but also to feel the tactile effect through the muscles of the user's finger or arm. The haptic module 154 may include two or more haptic modules 154 according to the configuration of the portable terminal 100.

The memory unit 160 may store a program for the operation of the controller 180 and temporarily store input / output data (e.g., a phone book, a message, a still image, a moving picture, etc.). The memory unit 160 may store data related to vibration and sound of various patterns outputted when a touch is input on the touch screen.

The memory unit 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory) At least one of a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read- Lt; / RTI > type of storage medium. The electronic device 100 may operate in association with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory unit 160 on the Internet.

The interface unit 170 serves as a path for communication with all external devices connected to the electronic device 100. The interface unit 170 receives data from an external device or receives power from the external device to transfer the data to the respective components in the electronic device 100 or to transmit data in the electronic device 100 to an external device. For example, a wired / wireless headset port, an external charger port, a wired / wireless data port, a memory card port, a port for connecting a device having an identification module, an audio I / O port, A video input / output (I / O) port, an earphone port, and the like may be included in the interface unit 170.

The identification module is a chip for storing various information for authenticating the usage right of the electronic device 100 and includes a user identification module (UIM), a subscriber identity module (SIM), a general user authentication module A Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and the like. Devices with identification modules (hereinafter referred to as "identification devices") can be manufactured in a smart card format. Accordingly, the identification device can be connected to the terminal 100 through the port.

When the electronic device 100 is connected to an external cradle, the interface unit may be a path through which electric power from the cradle is supplied to the electronic device 100 or various command signals input from the cradle by the user It can be a passage to the device. Various command signals input from the cradle or the power source may be operated as a signal for recognizing that the electronic device is correctly mounted on the cradle.

The control unit 180 typically controls the overall operation of the electronic device. For example, voice communication, data communication, video communication, and the like. The control unit 180 may include a multimedia module 181 for multimedia playback. The multimedia module 181 may be implemented in the control unit 180 or may be implemented separately from the control unit 180. [

The controller 180 may perform a pattern recognition process for recognizing handwriting input or drawing input performed on the touch screen as characters and images, respectively.

The power supply unit 190 receives external power and internal power under the control of the controller 180 and supplies power necessary for operation of the respective components.

The various embodiments described herein may be embodied in a recording medium readable by a computer or similar device using, for example, software, hardware, or a combination thereof.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein may be implemented as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays May be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing functions. In some cases such embodiments may be implemented using a controller 180 < / RTI >

According to a software implementation, embodiments such as procedures or functions may be implemented with separate software modules that perform at least one function or operation. The software code may be implemented by a software application written in a suitable programming language. Also, the software codes may be stored in the memory unit 160 and executed by the control unit 180. [

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. In the present invention, the display module 151 is assumed to be the touch screen 151 for convenience of explanation. As described above, the touch screen 151 can perform both the information display function and the information input function. However, it should be clearly understood that the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, the touch described below may include both the contact touch and the proximity touch.

2A is a perspective view showing an example of an electronic device or a portable terminal according to the present invention.

The disclosed mobile terminal 100 has a bar-shaped terminal body. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and can be applied to various structures such as a slide type, a folder type, a swing type, and a swivel type in which two or more bodies are relatively movably coupled.

The body includes a case (a casing, a housing, a cover, and the like) which forms an appearance. In this embodiment, the case may be divided into a front case 101 and a rear case 102. [ A variety of electronic components are embedded in the space formed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. At least one intermediate case may be additionally disposed between the front case 101 and the rear case 102. [

The cases may be formed by injection molding a synthetic resin, or may be formed to have a metal material such as stainless steel (STS) or titanium (Ti) or the like.

A display module 151, an audio output module 152, a camera 121, user inputs 130/131 and 132, a microphone 122, an interface 170, and the like may be disposed in the front body 101 have.

The display module 151 occupies most of the main surface of the front case 101. An audio output module 152 and a camera 121 are disposed in an area adjacent to one end of both ends of the display module 151 and a user input part 131 and a microphone 122 are disposed in an area adjacent to the other end. The user input unit 132, the interface 170, and the like are disposed on the side surfaces of the front case 101 and the rear case 102.

The user input unit 130 is operated to receive a command for controlling the operation of the portable terminal 100 and may include a plurality of operation units 131 and 132.

The operation units 131 and 132 may be collectively referred to as a manipulating portion and may be employed in any manner as long as the user operates in a tactile manner.

The contents input by the operation units 131 and 132 can be variously set. For example, the first operation unit 131 receives commands such as start, end, scroll, and the like, and the second operation unit 132 controls the size of the sound outputted from the sound output module 152, To the touch recognition mode of the touch screen.

FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the portable terminal shown in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIG. 2B, a camera 121 'may be further mounted on the rear surface of the terminal body, that is, the rear case 102. The camera 121 'may have a photographing direction substantially opposite to the camera 121 (see FIG. 2A), and may be a camera having different pixels from the camera 121.

For example, the camera 121 may have a low pixel so that the face of the user can be photographed and transmitted to the other party in case of a video call or the like, and the camera 121 ' It is preferable to have a large number of pixels. The cameras 121 and 121 'may be installed in the terminal body such that they can be rotated or popped up.

A flash 123 and a mirror 124 are additionally disposed adjacent to the camera 121 '. The flash 123 illuminates the subject when the subject is photographed by the camera 121 '. The mirror 124 allows the user to illuminate the user's own face or the like when the user intends to shoot himself / herself (self-photographing) using the camera 121 '.

An acoustic output 152 'may be additionally disposed on the rear surface of the terminal body. The sound output unit 152 'may implement the stereo function together with the sound output unit 152 (see FIG. 2A), and may be used for the implementation of the speakerphone mode during a call.

In addition to the antenna for a call or the like, a broadcast signal reception antenna 124 may be additionally disposed on the side of the terminal body. The antenna 124 constituting a part of the broadcast receiving module 111 (see FIG. 1) may be installed to be able to be drawn out from the terminal body.

A power supply unit 190 for supplying power to the portable terminal 100 is mounted on the terminal body. The power supply unit 190 may be built in the terminal body or may be detachable from the outside of the terminal body.

The rear case 102 may further include a touch pad 135 for sensing a touch. The touch pad 135 may also be of a light transmission type like the display module 151. In this case, if the display module 151 is configured to output time information on both sides, the time information can be recognized through the touch pad 135 as well. The information output on both sides may be all controlled by the touch pad 135. [ Alternatively, a display may be additionally mounted on the touch pad 135, and a touch screen may be disposed on the rear case 102.

The touch pad 135 operates in correlation with the display module 151 of the front case 101. [ The touch pad 135 may be disposed parallel to the rear of the display module 151. The touch pad 135 may have a size equal to or smaller than that of the display module 151.

3 is a flowchart of a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining detection of a partial face using the extended area using the mirroring technique according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in the electronic device 100 described with reference to FIG. Hereinafter, a method of controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention and an operation of the electronic device 100 for implementing the same will be described in detail with reference to necessary drawings.

Referring to FIG. 3, the controller 180 may acquire an external image through the cameras 121 and 121 'disposed on the front or back of the electronic device 100 (S100).

The external image may be a still image or a moving image obtained by the image sensor of the cameras 121 and 121 '. According to an example, the control unit 180 may display an image obtained through the cameras 121 and 121 'on the touch screen 151. FIG.

The control unit 180 may mirror the edge region of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image to obtain an extended region including a mirror image around the edge region (S110).

4 is a view for explaining the mirroring of the edge region of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image. 4 (a) shows the image 10 obtained by the cameras 121 and 121 '.

The obtained image 10 may be divided into nine regions as shown in FIG. 4 (b). That is, the center area 19 of the obtained image 10 may be the eight areas around the obtained image 10, which correspond to the edge areas 11 to 18 of the acquired image 10.

The control unit 180 may mirror the edge regions 11 to 18 to the outside of the obtained image. Mirroring may mean that the display element is rotated 180 degrees around one straight line on the display surface to be displayed on the screen.

For example, when the edge regions 11, 12, and 13 are mirrored in the upward direction, the controller 180 controls the edge regions 11, 12, and 13, Can be rotated 180 degrees to obtain the extended area 22. In this case, the border areas 11, 12, and 13 and the extended area 22 are displayed symmetrically with the upper straight line of the obtained image as a boundary. That is, the extended area 22 may be displayed as a mirror image of the border areas 11, 12, and 13.

According to the same principle, the control unit 180 can obtain the extended area 24 by mirroring the border areas 11, 14, and 16 in the left direction. Similarly, the control unit 180 can acquire the extended area 25 by mirroring the border areas 13, 15, and 18 in the right direction. In addition, the controller 180 may acquire the extended area 27 by mirroring the border areas 16, 17, 18 in the downward direction.

The control unit 180 may obtain the extended area 21 by mirroring the edge area 11 located at the corner of the obtained image. In this case, the border area 11 and the extension area 21 are symmetrically displayed with respect to the upper left corner of the obtained image.

According to the same principle, the control unit 180 can obtain the extended area 23 by mirroring the border area 13. Similarly, the control unit 180 can mirror the border area 16 to obtain the extended area 26. [ In addition, the controller 180 may obtain the extended area 28 by mirroring the border area 18.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the controller 180 may detect a face in the obtained image and the extended area (S120).

FIG. 5 (a) shows a case where a part (A) of a face is present in the obtained image 10. FIG. The control unit 180 may apply the mirroring to the edge region of the obtained image 10 to obtain the extended regions 21 to 28 as shown in FIG.

In this case, a partial face B corresponding to the mirror image of the partial face A shown in the obtained image 10 may be displayed in the extended area 25. [

The control unit 180 can perform face detection on the obtained image 10 and the extended regions 21 to 28 around the obtained image 10. [ 5 (c), the controller 180 determines whether face features are displayed in the acquired image 10 and the extended areas 21 to 28 while moving the face detection window 30 of a predetermined size It can be judged.

According to an example, the control unit 180 can detect a face from an image by comparing the face feature extracted according to the learning-based face detection technique. The control unit 180 may normalize faces of a plurality of face images in a database (DataBase, DB) including a large number of image samples. The control unit 180 can extract facial features from the normalized facial image and construct facial characteristic data.

Then, the control unit 180 can compare the face detection window with the face detection window to determine whether or not the face feature is displayed. According to one example, the facial feature may be a shape that leads to the eyes, nose, and mouth.

When the face feature is displayed on the face detection window in the image, the control unit 180 can extract the size of the face and the position of the face in the image. The controller 180 can detect the face in the specific image.

However, this is an example of the face detection method, and is not limited to such a method. That is, it is sufficient to follow known face detection algorithm technology capable of face detection in an image, and is not limited to a specific algorithm.

The control unit 180 moves the face detection window 30 with respect to the obtained image 10 and the surrounding extended regions 21 to 28 to determine whether or not the face feature is displayed. For example, the control unit 180 can determine whether there is a face feature in the image in the face detection window 30 by positioning the face detection window 30 in the extended area 21 and moving the face detection window 30 to the right.

When the face detection window 30 is moved to the extended area 23, the controller 180 can determine whether or not a face feature exists by moving the face detection window 30 downward by a predetermined distance and moving it to the left again. Thereafter, the control unit 180 may determine whether or not a face feature exists for the entire image 10 and the surrounding extended regions 21 to 28, while repeating the process.

However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the starting position, the moving direction and the order of moving the face detection window 30 in the acquired image 10 and the surrounding extended regions 21 to 28 may be determined as necessary .

5 (c), when the face detection window 30 moves to the partial face A and the symmetrical partial face B, the control unit 180 controls the position of the person's eyes, nose or mouth It can be determined that the facial feature according to the present invention exists. That is, since the human face has a symmetrical shape, the features formed by the eyes, nose, and mouth are similar to those of the original face by combining the symmetric images, so that the control unit 180 can determine the face.

If it is determined that the face feature exists in the image in the face detection window, the controller 180 can obtain the position and size of the face in the image according to the position and size of the face feature. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and facial features used for detecting faces may be applied to other features according to the face detection algorithm.

Accordingly, even when the user has a partial face in the image obtained through the cameras 121 and 121 ', the user can detect the face in the image by the known face detection method.

6 to 8 are diagrams for explaining detection of a partial face using resizing of an image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 180 may perform resizing to reduce the obtained image 10 at a predetermined ratio at least once.

6 (a) is the acquired image 10, and FIGS. 6 (b) to 6 (e) are images obtained by resizing the acquired image 10. FIG. In FIG. 6, only four images are shown for convenience, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The resizing may mean reducing the resolution in a pyramidal fashion on the image. Reducing the resolution in a pyramidal fashion may mean repeatedly reducing the image at a constant rate.

The control unit 180 can accurately detect faces of various sizes contained in the image by generating an image in which the resolution is reduced by the pyramidal method. Therefore, the number of images with reduced resolution generated by the resizing can be set as needed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and if necessary, the resizing may include enlarging the resolution in a pyramidal manner.

In order to detect faces of various sizes in an image, the resolution is reduced by a pyramid method, and the face detector is applied to the generated pyramid image, respectively, according to the known art, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

Referring to FIG. 7, the control unit 180 may obtain the extended regions 21 to 28 for each of the resized images by the mirroring method described above.

According to one example, the extended areas 21 to 28 of FIGS. 7A to 7D can be obtained with the same width depending on the size of the face detection window regardless of the resized ratio. That is, since the sizes of the resized images 60 to 63 are different from each other, the lengths of the extended regions 22 in the respective images 60 to 63 are different, but the heights of the extended regions 22 may be all the same .

This may be the same for the extended areas 24, 25, 27 of the respective images 60 to 63. [ In addition, the extended areas 21, 23, 26, and 28 of the resized images 60 to 63 may have the same size as each other.

This may be because the control unit 180 applies a face detection window of the same size to each of the resized images 60 to 63. [ That is, one mirroring algorithm is applied and one algorithm may be applied for face detection. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of algorithms may be applied to each of the mirroring and the face detection, if necessary.

Referring to FIG. 8, the controller 180 may perform the face detection on the resized image and the extended area. The control unit 180 can determine whether or not a facial feature exists by using the face detection window 30 for each of the resized image and the surrounding extended area.

If a face in the resized image of a specific size is not included in the face detection window 30 and the face is not detected, the face can be detected in the reduced image.

Through this, the user can detect partial faces of various sizes in the image obtained through the camera.

9 is a diagram for explaining detection of a partial face according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 (a) shows a case where about a quarter of the entire face appears in the acquired image 70. FIG. Referring to FIG. 9 (b), the controller 180 can obtain the right symmetrical partial face D of the partial face C through mirroring.

Similarly, the control unit 180 can acquire the lower symmetrical partial face E of the partial face C through mirroring. In addition, the control unit 180 can obtain the diagonal symmetric face F of the partial face C through mirroring.

9 (c), the control unit 180 sequentially applies the face detection window to the acquired image 70 and the surrounding extended regions 21 to 28 to detect the face can do. According to an example, the control unit 180 may extract facial features 80 consisting of eyes, nose, and eyes from a combination of partial faces C to F. FIG.

As described above, according to one example, face features composed of eyes, nose, and mouth can be used for face detection. The facial feature 80 shown in FIG. 9 (c) can be judged as composed of eyes, nose, and mouth. Accordingly, the control unit 180 can extract the face feature 80 and detect it as a face.

In this way, the user can detect the face even if only a part of the face appears in the image.

10 is a diagram for explaining the adjustment of the size of the extended area according to the size of the face detection window according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The control unit 180 may adjust the sizes of the extension regions 21 to 28 and 41 to 48 according to the sizes of the face detection windows 30 and 50 for detecting the face. When the size of the face detection window is determined, the control unit 180 can determine a border area to which the mirroring is applied in the image 10 acquired.

The sizes of the face detection windows 30 and 50 can be predetermined according to need. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the controller 180 may determine the size of the extended area as needed, regardless of the size of the face detection window.

Accordingly, the user can obtain extended areas of various sizes according to the size of the face detection window applied to face detection.

The above-described method of controlling an electronic device according to the present invention can be provided by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium as a program for execution on a computer.

The control method of the electronic device according to the present invention can be executed through software. When executed in software, the constituent means of the present invention are code segments that perform the necessary tasks. The program or code segments may be stored in a processor readable medium or transmitted by a computer data signal coupled with a carrier wave in a transmission medium or a communication network.

A computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of recording apparatuses in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. Examples of the computer-readable recording device include a ROM, a RAM, a CD-ROM, a DVD 占 ROM, a DVD-RAM, a magnetic tape, a floppy disk, a hard disk, The computer-readable recording medium may also be distributed to networked computer devices so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. The present invention is not limited to the drawings. In addition, the embodiments described in this document may not be limitedly applied, but all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made.

100: Electronic device 151: Display module (touch screen)

Claims (5)

A camera for acquiring an external image; And
Mirroring an edge region of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image to obtain an extended region of a mirror image around the edge region, A control unit for detecting a face;
. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit
Performing resizing to reduce the obtained image at a predetermined ratio at least once, acquiring the extended area for each of the resized images, and performing the face detection. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit
And adjusting the size of the extended area according to the size of the face detection window for detecting the face. Acquiring an external image;
Acquiring an extended area of the mirror image around the edge area by mirroring the edge area of the obtained image to the outside of the obtained image; And
Detecting a face in the acquired image and the extended region;
And controlling the electronic device. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining the extended region comprises:
Performing resizing to reduce the obtained image at a predetermined ratio at least once, and acquiring the extended area for each of the resized images.

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