FACE CENTERLINE DETECTING DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a face centerline detecting device capable of detecting a more accurate centerline. SOLUTION: The face centerline detecting device 1 includes a face image extraction part 11 which receives input of a gray level image and extracts a face image containing a face from the gray level image; a concentration gradient image generation part 12 which substitutes the pixel value of each pixel of the face image extracted by the extraction part 11 by a numerical value according to the direction of concentration gradient (density gradient direction) in the position of the pixel to generate a concentration gradient image; and a centerline detection part 13 which detects the centerline of the face image using the concentration gradient image generated by the generation part 12. By using the concentration gradient direction larger in information quantity than edge, a further accurate centerline can be obtained, compared with the case using the edge. COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT