Abstract: A method for detecting faces in an image having a plurality of picture elements, each having a plurality of color components in a predetermined color space, includes determining an extended range for color component values, in the color space, in which a skin tone area is likely to be detected, defining intervals for the color component values, in the color space, covering at least part of the extended range, and scanning each of the intervals to detect a skin tone area. If a skin tone area is detected, the method includes selecting the intervals in which a skin tone area is detected, defining candidate limited ranges for color component values, in the color space, from the selected intervals, performing face detection on a skin tone area in at least some of the candidate limited ranges, and selecting a chosen candidate limited range based on the number of faces detected.

Abstract: There is described a method for facial features detection in a picture frame containing a skin tone area, comprising dividing (12) the skin tone area into a number of parts; and for each part of the skin tone area, constructing (14) a luminance map, constructing an edge map by extracting (18) edges from the luminance map, defining (20) an edge magnitude threshold, building (22) a binary map from the edge map by keeping only the edges having a magnitude beyond the defined edge magnitude threshold and eliminating the others; and then extracting (24) facial features from the built binary map. An inter-related facial features detector is further described.

Abstract: A method for detecting faces in an image having a plurality of picture elements, each having a plurality of colour components in a predetermined colour space, includes determining an extended range for colour component values, in the colour space, in which a skin tone area is likely to be detected, defining intervals for the colour component values, in the colour space, covering at least part of the extended range, and scanning each of the intervals to detect a skin tone area. If a skin tone area is detected, the method includes selecting the intervals in which a skin tone area is detected, defining candidate limited ranges for colour component values, in the colour space, from the selected intervals, performing face detection on a skin tone area in at least some of the candidate limited ranges, and selecting a chosen candidate limited range based on the number of faces detected.

Abstract: There is described a method for facial features detection in a picture frame containing a skin tone area, comprising dividing (12) the skin tone area into a number of parts; and for each part of the skin tone area, constructing (14) a luminance map, constructing an edge map by extracting (18) edges from the luminance map, defining (20) an edge magnitude threshold, building (22) a binary map from the edge map by keeping only the edges having a magnitude beyond the defined edge magnitude threshold and eliminating the others; and then extracting (24) facial features from the built binary map. An inter-related facial features detector is further described.