# US 8,542,941 B2 · Imaging device, image detecting method and focus adjusting method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,941 B2 - Document ID: US8542941B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/219,517 - Filed: 2008-07-23 - Published: 2009-01-29 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2007-07-24 - Assignees: Nikon Corporation - Applicants: Kazuma Hosoi; Hiroyuki Iwasaki - Inventors: Kazuma Hosoi; Hiroyuki Iwasaki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542941B2 ## CPC - H04N 23/45: for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images - H04N 23/675: {comprising setting of focusing regions} - H04N 23/61: based on recognised objects - H04N 23/611: where the recognised objects include parts of the human body - H04N 23/672: {based on the phase difference signals} - G06V 40/161: {Detection; Localisation; Normalisation} - H04N 23/673: {based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method} - H04N 2101/00: Still video cameras - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract An imaging device includes: an image pickup device that captures an image via an imaging optics; a focus detector that detects a focus adjustment state of the imaging optics; a face detection circuit that detects an image corresponding to a face of a person from the image captured by the image pickup device; and a controller that causes the face detection circuit to execute detection of the image corresponding to the face, according to a focus detection result of the focus detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device. a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; and a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein the image processor begins background detection when the focus determination unit does not determine that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, and the image processor begins face detection when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 2 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device; a focus detector configured to detect a focusing condition of the imaging optics; and a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein the image processor begins face detection when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, and the image processor begins an image identifying process when the focus determination unit does not determine that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, the image identifying process being different from the face detection. ### Claim 3 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device configured to capture an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; and a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein the image processor begins a first image analyzing process to detect a face when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, and the image processor begins a second analyzing process other than face detection when the focus determination unit does not determine that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The imaging image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the second analyzing process is scene determination. ### Claim 5 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device configured to capture an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; and a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, the image processor begins a face detection after beginning background detection. ### Claim 6 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device configured to capture an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device; a focus detector configured to detect a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, the image processor begins a face detection after performing an image identifying process, the image identifying process being different from the face detection. ### Claim 7 An image processing device, comprising: an image pickup device configured to capture an image via imaging optics; an image processor configured to perform image processing of the image captured by the image pickup device; a focus detector configured to detect a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, the image processor begins a second analyzing process other than face detection before beginning a first image analyzing process to detect a face. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein the second analyzing process is scene determination. ### Claim 9 An imaging device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; a face detection unit that detects a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the image captured by the image pickup device; a background detection unit that detects a background image corresponding to a background from the image captured by the image pickup device; and a controller that causes the face detection unit to detect the face image in accordance with results of the determination of the focus determination unit, wherein when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, the controller causes the face detection unit to detect the face image after causing the background detection unit to detect the background image. ### Claim 10 An imaging device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; a face detection unit that detects a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the image captured by the image pickup device; a background detection unit that detects a background image corresponding to a background from the image captured by the image pickup device; and a controller that causes the face detection unit to detect the face image in accordance with results of the determination of the focus determination unit, wherein the controller causes the background detection unit to detect the background image until the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, and the controller causes the face detection unit to detect the face image when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 11 An imaging device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; an image processor that executes at least one image processing routine among a plurality of different image processing routines for extracting an image corresponding to a particular image in the image captured by the image pickup device; and a controller that selects the at least one image processing routine to be executed by the image processor, depending on whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein the at least one image processing routine executed by the image processor includes a face detection image processing for detecting a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the image captured by the image pickup device and a background detection image processing for detecting a background image corresponding to a background from the image captured by the image pickup device; and the controller causes the image processor to execute the background detection image processing to detect the background image until the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, and the controller causes the image processor to execute the face detection image processing to detect the face image when the focus determination unit determines that the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 12 An imaging device, comprising: an image pickup device that captures an image via imaging optics; a focus detector that detects a focusing condition of the imaging optics; a focus determination unit that determines whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; an image processor that executes at least one image processing routine among a plurality of different image processing routines for extracting an image corresponding to a particular image in the image captured by the image pickup device; and a controller that selects the at least one image processing routine to be executed by the image processor, depending on whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus, wherein the one or more image processing routine executed by the image processor includes a face detection image processing for detecting a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the image captured by the image pickup device and a background detection image processing for detecting a background image corresponding to a background from the image captured by the image pickup device; and the controller causes the image processor to execute the face detection image processing to detect the face image after causing the image processor to execute the background detection image processing to detect the background image, when the focus determination unit determines that the focus condition is assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 13 An image detecting method, comprising: capturing an image via imaging optics; detecting a focusing condition of the imaging optics; determining whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; and detecting a background image corresponding to a background from the captured image until the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus, and a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the captured image when the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 14 An image detecting method, comprising: capturing an image via imaging optics; detecting a focusing condition of the imaging optics; determining whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; and detecting a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the captured image after detecting a background image corresponding to a background from the captured image, when the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 15 An image detecting method, comprising: capturing an image via imaging optics; detecting a focusing condition of the imaging optics; determining whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; and executing a background detection processing to detect a background image corresponding to a background from the captured image until the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus, and a face detection processing to detect a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the captured image when the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 16 An image detecting method, comprising: capturing an image via imaging optics; detecting a focusing condition of the imaging optics; determining whether the focusing condition is assumed to be achieved in focus; and executing a face detection processing to detect a face image corresponding to a face of a person from the captured image after executing a background detection processing to detect a background image corresponding to a background from the captured image, when the focusing condition is determined to be assumed to be achieved in focus. ### Claim 17 (depends on 3) The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the image pickup device captures the image to be used for exposure computation but not for recording. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The image processing device according to claim 17, further comprising: a recording image pickup device that captures an image for recording, the recording image pickup device being different from the image pickup device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the image processor extracts a background image from the image captured by the image pickup device, by using color information. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a designation unit that designate at least one of a face image and a region other than a background image as a main object region. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller that controls a focus adjustment by using a focus detection result at a focusing area corresponding to at least one of a face image and a region other than a background image.