Dual Image Capture for User State Recognition
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image capturing techniques fail to recognize the user's facial expression and its changes before and after image capture, limiting the ability to understand the user's state during image capturing.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing apparatus with dual image capturing units, one for the subject and another for the user, that captures images and voice data before and after the shutter operation, analyzing this data to generate classification information which is recorded with the image data, allowing detailed recognition of the user's state.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a single image capturing unit is used to capture the subject, then the device structure is simple, but the user's state during image capturing cannot be recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The image capturing system is segmented into two independent units: a first image capturing unit for capturing the subject and a second image capturing unit for capturing the user. This segmentation allows each unit to perform its specific function independently, enabling comprehensive information collection without excessive complexity in any single component.
Solution Approach 2:
The second image capturing unit serves multiple purposes: capturing the user's facial expression, determining the degree of smile, and generating classification information. This multi-functionality maximizes the utility of the additional hardware component, reducing the relative impact of the increased device complexity.
2Loss of information
If only the user's facial expression at the moment of capture is recorded, then the data storage is efficient, but the change of user's state before and after capture cannot be recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images before the shutter operation (first image before capture, second image before capture) and after the shutter operation (third image after capture, fourth image after capture). This preliminary and post-action data collection enables comprehensive analysis of user state changes without requiring continuous high-resolution video recording, thus balancing information completeness with data volume management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts only the essential classification information (degree of smile and its change) from the captured images, rather than storing all raw image data. This extraction process converts voluminous image data into compact classification labels that can be stored efficiently while preserving the critical information about user state changes.
3Measurement precision
If detailed analysis of user's facial expression is performed, then the recognition precision is high, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the critical feature (degree of smile) from the captured images using the determination unit, rather than performing comprehensive facial analysis. This selective extraction approach maintains high precision in measuring the specific parameter of interest while significantly reducing processing time compared to full facial expression analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The determination unit focuses its analysis on the specific local feature of the user's mouth region to determine the degree of smile, rather than analyzing the entire face. This localized analysis approach achieves high measurement precision for the relevant parameter while minimizing processing time by ignoring irrelevant areas.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an image capturing apparatus. A first image capturing unit captures an image of a subject to generate image data. A second image capturing unit captures an image of a user who captures the image of the subject, for a predetermined period before and after the image of the subject is captured. An obtainment unit obtains first classification information by analyzing, in the image captured by the second image capturing unit, each of a state of the user before the image of the subject is captured and a state of the user after the image of the subject is captured. A recording unit records the first classification information in association with the image data.