Stereoscopic imaging apparatus, face detection apparatus and methods of controlling operation of same

A stereoscopic imaging apparatus comprising:

• a left-eye image capture device for capturing a left-eye image constituting a stereoscopic image;
• a right-eye image capture device for capturing a right-eye image constituting the stereoscopic image;
• a face image detection device for detecting face images in respective ones of the left-eye image captured in said left-eye image capture device and right-eye image captured in said right-eye image capture device;
• an object image detection device for detecting, in accordance with detection of a face image from only one image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in said face image detection device, object images contained in respective ones of said left-eye image and said right-eye image;
• a first distance calculation device for calculating distance from the stereoscopic imaging apparatus to the face represented by the face image detected by said face image detection device;
• a first face image candidate region decision device for deciding that, from among the object images, which were detected by said object image detection device, contained in said other image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in which a face image was not detected by said face image detection device, an object image representing an object having the distance calculated by said first distance calculation device is a first face image candidate region in said other image;
• a distance calculation device for calculating, in said one image, distances from one object image among the object images detected by said object image detection device to at least two points that specify the face image;
• a second face image candidate region decision device for deciding that, in said other image, an object represented by an object image at the distances, calculated by said distance calculation device, from another object image, which corresponds to said one object image from among the object images detected by said object image detection device, to the at least two points is a second face image candidate region in said other image based upon coincidence with an object represented by an object image at the distances from said one object image to the at least two points;
• and
• a face image decision device for deciding that a region common to both the first face image candidate region decided by said first face image candidate region decision device and the second face image candidate region decided by said second face image candidate region decision device is a region of a face image in said other image.

A face detection apparatus comprising:

• a face image detection device for detecting face images in respective ones of a left-eye image and a right-eye image constituting a stereoscopic image;
• an object image detection device for detecting, in accordance with detection of a face image from only one image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in said face image detection device, object images contained in respective ones of said left-eye image and said right-eye image;
• a distance calculation device for calculating, in said one image, distances from one object image among the object images detected by said object image detection device to at least two points that specify the face image;
• and
• a face image decision device for deciding that, in said other image, an object represented by an object image at the distances, calculated by said distance calculation device, from another object image, which corresponds to said one object image from among the object images detected by said object image detection device, to the at least two points is a face image in said other image based upon coincidence with an object represented by an object image at the distances from said one object image to the at least two points.

A method of controlling operation of a stereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a left-eye image capture device capturing a left-eye image constituting a stereoscopic image;
• a right-eye image capture device capturing a right-eye image constituting the stereoscopic image;
• a face image detection device detecting face images in respective ones of the left-eye image captured in said left-eye image capture device and right-eye image captured in said right-eye image capture device;
• an object image detection device detecting, in accordance with detection of a face image from only one image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in said face image detection device, object images contained in the other image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in which a face image was not detected by said face image detection device;
• a distance calculation device calculating distance from the stereoscopic imaging apparatus to the face represented by the face image detected by said face image detection device;
• and
• a face image decision device deciding that, from among the object images detected by said object image detection device, an object image representing an object having the distance calculated by said first distance calculation device is a face image in said other image.

A method of controlling operation of a stereoscopic imaging apparatus, comprising:

• a left-eye image capture device capturing a left-eye image constituting a stereoscopic image;
• a right-eye image capture device capturing a right-eye image constituting the stereoscopic image;
• a face image detection device detecting face images in respective ones of the left-eye image captured in said left-eye image capture device and right-eye image captured in said right-eye image capture device;
• an object image detection device detecting, in accordance with detection of a face image from only one image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in said face image detection device, object images contained in respective ones of said left-eye image and said right-eye image;
• a first distance calculation device calculating distance from the stereoscopic imaging apparatus to the face represented by the face image detected by said face image detection device;
• a first face image candidate region decision device deciding that, from among the object images, which were detected by said object image detection device, contained in said other image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in which a face image was not detected by said face image detection device, an object image representing an object having the distance calculated by said first distance calculation device is a first face image candidate region in said other image;
• a second distance calculation device calculating, in said one image, distances from one object image among the object images detected by said object image detection device to at least two points that specify the face image;
• a second face image candidate region decision device deciding that, in said other image, an object represented by an object image at the distances, calculated by said distance calculation device, from another object image, which corresponds to said one object image from among the object images detected by said object image detection device, to the at least two points is a second face image candidate region in said other image based upon coincidence with an object represented by an object image at the distances from said one object image to the at least two points;
• and
• a face image decision device deciding that a region common to both the first face image candidate region decided by said first face image candidate region decision device and the second face image candidate region decided by said second face image candidate region decision device is a region of a face image in said other image.

A method of controlling operation of a face detection apparatus, comprising:

• a face image detection device detecting face images in respective ones of a left-eye image and a right-eye image constituting a stereoscopic image;
• an object image detection device detecting, in accordance with detection of a face image from only one image of said left-eye image and said right-eye image in said face image detection device, object images contained in respective ones of said left-eye image and said right-eye image;
• a distance calculation device calculating, in said one image, distances from one object image among the object images detected by said object image detection device to at least two points that specify the face image;
• and
• a face image decision device deciding that, in said other image, an object represented by an object image at the distances, calculated by said distance calculation device, from another object image, which corresponds to said one object image from among the object images detected by said object image detection device, to the at least two points is a face image in said other image based upon coincidence with an object represented by an object image at the distances from said one object image to the at least two points.