Selective Face Area Blur in Digital Photography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current digital cameras blur the entire image when using the 'bright mode' function, which reduces the resolution and visibility of the face, making facial features unclear and accessories indistinct.
Innovation Solution
An image processing method and apparatus that detects the face area, converts it into Lab coordinates, and selectively blurs only the skin color area, while maintaining clarity in hair, pupils, and accessories by searching for coordinate areas with similar angles on the Lab color system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If the whole image is blurred to achieve a soft and bright appearance, then the facial skin appears soft and the image looks bright, but the resolution of the whole image is reduced and facial features become unclear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different regions of the image: the face area is blurred to achieve soft skin appearance, while other areas (hair, accessories, background) maintain original clarity. This is accomplished by detecting face boundaries and applying selective blur filtering only to the detected face region, thereby achieving local softening without compromising overall image resolution.
2Shape
If the whole image is blurred to make facial skin appear soft, then the soft appearance is achieved, but the visibility of facial features such as pupils, hair, and accessories is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different regions of the image: the face area is blurred to achieve soft skin appearance, while other areas (hair, accessories, background) maintain original clarity. This is accomplished by detecting face boundaries and applying selective blur filtering only to the detected face region, thereby achieving local softening without compromising overall image resolution.
3Manufacturing precision
If selective blurring is applied only to the face area, then the resolution of the whole image is maintained, but additional complexity is introduced in detecting and processing only the face area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs face area detection and boundary determination as a preliminary step before applying the blur filter. By pre-identifying the face region coordinates and boundaries, the system prepares the processing target in advance, which simplifies the subsequent filtering operation and avoids the need for complex real-time adaptive processing during the actual blur application phase.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing method is provided. The method includes detecting a predetermined face area from an input image; converting the input image into Lab coordinates; determining whether coordinate areas having angles corresponding to an angle of the detected face area exist on a Lab color system and searching the input image for the coordinate areas according to a result of the determining; and blurring the detected face area and the found coordinate areas. An image processing apparatus and digital photographing apparatus using the method and apparatus are also provided. Accordingly, reduction of the resolution of a whole image may be prevented by processing only a face area, instead of the whole image, to result in a soft face area image quality. A deterioration in quality of portions which are not supposed to be blurred may be prevented by blurring only a skin color area of the face area.