Fast Landmark Detection Using Regression Methods
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsCha Zhang, Paul Viola, Sang Min Oh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A landmark detection technique that can quickly detect both objects of interest and landmarks within the objects in an image using regression methods. The present fast landmark detection scheme reuses existing feature values used for object detection (e.g., face detection) to find the landmarks in an object (e.g., the eyes and mouth of the face). Hence, the technique provides landmark detection functionality at almost no cost.
Claims20
A computer-implemented process for detecting landmarks and their positions in an object detected in an input image, comprising using a computer to perform the following process actions:
- creating a database comprising a plurality of training feature characterizations, each of which characterizes features of an object in an image;
- for each object in the database computing landmark features that define the object and defining the ground truth locations of these landmark features;
- training a regressor using a regression learning procedure to learn a relationship that defines the location of landmarks in any detected object given said feature characterizations;
- inputting a portion of an input image into an object detector and outputting the location of any object found in the portion of the input image and feature characterizations used to find any object found;
- inputting the feature characterizations and the location of any object found in the portion of the input image to into the trained regressor to output the landmark locations.
A system for locating landmarks in an object detected by an object detector, comprising:
- a general purpose computing device;
- a computer program comprising program modules executable by the general purpose computing device, wherein the computing device is directed by the program modules of the computer program to,
- input an object in an image detected by an object detector that employs features to detect the object, and the features used to detect the object, into a regressor trained to find the locations of landmarks in the object;
- and
- output the locations of the landmarks in the object.
A computer-implemented process for training a regressor to detect landmarks and their positions in a face detected in an input image and using the trained regressor, comprising using a computer to perform the following process actions:
- creating a training database of faces;
- for each face in the training database computing landmarks that define the face and marking the ground truth locations of these landmarks;
- and
- training a regressor using a regression learning procedure and the training database with the defined ground truth locations and features used by the face detector to learn a matrix that defines the landmarks in any detected face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.