Patent ID: 6952498

Claim:
A face portion detecting apparatus comprising: at least one illumination means for illuminating a face portion of a human being from different directions from each other; photographing means for photographing the face portion which is illuminated by said illumination means; illumination lighting control means for controlling turn-ON operation of said illumination means; photographing control means for controlling said photographing means in synchronism with the turn-ON operation of said illumination means; and face portion detecting means for removing a reflection image of an article having a luster reflection surface by employing at least one image which is acquired by said photographing means in synchronism with the turn-ON operation of said illumination means, whereby only a determined face portion is extracted; wherein: said illumination lighting control means turns ON a plurality of illumination means in a continuous manner; and while said face portion detecting means employs a plurality of images which are acquired by said photographing means in synchronism with the turn-ON operation of said illumination means, said face portion detecting means removes a reflection image whose reflection position is moved among said plurality of images as the reflection image of the article having the luster reflection surface.