Patent Document ID: 7856123
Application ID: 11628321
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of recognizing faces in digital images, by statistical processing, in which there is provided ( 11 ) a learning base (BA) containing images of faces, this learning base being hierarchized as a plurality of classes each comprising different pictures of one and the same person, characterized in that said images are represented by matrices whose coefficients are values of pixels; and in that the method comprises: a preprocessing of the learning base, in which: a matrix system representative of a variance between different classes ( 15 ) and of the inverse of a variance in each of the classes ( 14 ) is formed from said matrices, and a vector base ( 17 ) comprising discriminating components of said learning base is determined from said matrix system, aiming jointly at a minimization of the variance in each of the classes and a maximization of the variance between different classes; and further comprises: a subsequent classification processing of an image of a face to be recognized, comprising the following steps: an identification matrix is constructed ( 18 ) comprising vectors obtained by projecting the image of the face to be recognized onto said vector base, a reference matrix is constructed comprising vectors obtained by projecting a reference image onto said vector base, the identification matrix is compared ( 19 ) with the reference matrix, according to a chosen distance criterion.