FACE MASKING DEVICE AND METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a face masking device and method which performs appropriate masking constantly. SOLUTION: An image window extracting portion 103 extracts at least two image windows from an input image; a score calculating portion 104 calculates a score value indicating a likelihood of a face within the extracted image window; a comparator 105 compares the calculated score value with a predetermined score threshold A and sets a face detection region according to the result; and a face group region determining portion 106 compares a distance between the face detection regions set by the comparator 105 with a predetermined distance threshold A and sets a face group region including the face detection region according to the result. Since the comparator 105 and the face group range determining portion 106 determine a scope including one or more regions having the score value equal or more than the score threshold A as a face group region scope, even if a part of a person's face is covered or faces are close, a masking mistake to occur in the prior art technology is prevented, so that masking of the face region is accurately performed. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT