Patent ID: 7889892

Claim:
A face detecting method for detecting a face image in an input image, comprising the steps of: cutting out a fraction image at each of different positions on the input image; for each of the cut out fraction images, calculating an index representing the probability that the fraction image is a face image including a face inclined by a predetermined inclination on the basis of a feature value on an image of the fraction image with the predetermined inclination changed to a plurality of inclinations; extracting from the fraction images each fraction image having a calculated index that is not smaller than a first threshold value as a prospective face image including a face inclined by a predetermined inclination when the index is calculated; determining as a highly reliable face image an extracted prospective face image having a calculated index that is not smaller than a second threshold value which is larger than the first threshold value; increasing the calculated index of each extracted prospective face image not determined as the highly reliable face image and having an inclination that is substantially the same as the inclination of the face of the highly reliable face image; and detecting as a face image each prospective face image having an increased index value that is not smaller than a third threshold value which is between the first and second threshold value.