Patent ID: 7370970

Claim:
A method of determining whether a human subject is wearing eyeglasses based on a digital image of the subject, comprising the steps of: defining at least one digital image search window centered on an eye of the subject and a set of search regions corresponding to different eyeglass frame components, including a first search window corresponding to a first lens and frame hoop a second search window corresponding to a second lens and frame hoop, a third search window corresponding to a nose bridge, a fourth search window corresponding to a first arm, and a fifth search window corresponding to a second arm; identifying edge boundaries of digital data within said search regions, and generating linear representations of said edge boundaries; detecting if said eyeglass frame components are present within respective search regions based on the generated linear representations, where presence of lenses and frame hoops are determined by calculating at least one angle formed by intersections of said linear representations; and comparing said at least one angle with a prescribed range of angles; determining that said subject is wearing eyeglasses when said first lens and frame hoop and said second lens and frame hoop are detected; and determining that a head pose of said subject is forward-facing when it is determined that said subject is wearing eyeglasses, but neither said first arm nor said second arm is detected.