Classification system for consumer digital images using workflow and user interface modules, and face detection and recognition

One or more processor-readable digital data storage media having programming instructions embedded therein for programming a processor to classify images including face regions that are acquired with an image acquisition device, the programming instructions comprising:

• a workflow module providing for the automatic or semiautomatic processing of identified face regions within digital images from which normalized face classifier parameter values are extracted and collectively referred to as a faceprint, the processing comprising:
• comparing said extracted faceprint to a database of archived faceprints previously determined to correspond to one or more known identities,
• determining based on the comparing whether a new faceprint corresponds to any of the one or more known identities, and
• associating the new faceprint and a normalized face region from which said faceprint is derived with a new or known identity within a database comprising other data corresponding to the archived faceprints and associated parent images for performing further comparisons with further faceprints, to permit data corresponding to the new faceprint and its associated parent image to be archived according to the associating by the workflow module within one or more digital data storage media;
• and
• a set of user interface modules for obtaining user input in the classifying of faceprints and their associated normalized face regions and parent images;
• and
• wherein one or more archived faceprints have been previously determined to correspond to the one or more known identities, and the comparing by the workflow module comprises determining proximities of the values of the face classifier parameters of the new face print image with values corresponding to the one or more archived faceprints, and
• wherein the determining by the workflow module comprises a further confirmation to determine whether the new faceprint corresponds to a known identity when comparisons of the face classifier parameter values of a first faceprint with multiple archived faceprints corresponding to a same known identity result in at least one determination of an identity match and at least one determination that the identities do not match.

A method for classifying and archiving images including face regions that are acquired with an image acquisition device, comprising, using a processor to perform the steps of:

• (a) generating a normalized face region from an identified face region within digital image data acquired by the acquisition device;
• (b) automatically extracting a set of face classifier parameter values, collectively referred to as a faceprint, from the normalized face region;
• (c) automatically comparing said extracted faceprint to a database of archived faceprints previously determined to correspond to one or more known identities;
• (d) determining based on the comparing whether a new faceprint corresponds to any of the one or more known identities;
• (e) associating the new faceprint with a new or known identity within a database comprising other data corresponding to the archived faceprints and associated parent images for performing further comparisons with further faceprints, to permit data corresponding to the new faceprint and its associated parent image to be archived according to the associating by the workflow module within one or more digital data storage media;
• and
• (f) obtaining user input in the classifying of faceprints and their associated normalized face regions and parent images;
• and
• wherein one or more archived faceprints have been previously determined to correspond to the one or more known identities, and the comparing comprises determining proximities of the values of the face classifier parameters of the new face print image with values corresponding to the one or more archived faceprints, and
• wherein the determining comprises a further confirmation to determine whether the new faceprint corresponds to a known identity when comparisons of the face classifier parameter values of a first faceprint with multiple archived faceprints corresponding to a same known identity result in at least one determination of all identity match and at least one determination that the identities do not match.