Decomposed Eigenface Method along with Image Correction for Robust Face Recognition

We have proposed a decomposition of the eigenface into two orthogonal eigenspaces and have shown that the decomposition is effective for realizing robust face recognition under various lighting conditions [lo]. The present paper refines the decomposed eigenface method by introducing a projection-based image correction. The image correction technique is principally authorized when the object shape is fixed and a sufficient number of images are taken beforehand. However, the proposed technique can also be applied to a canonical eigenspace, which is constructed from several faces taken under various lighting conditions. Reflective noises, shadows and occlusions are detected and corrected by the projection of a facial image onto the canonical eigenface. Based on the newly proposed image correction, we develop herein a refined decomposed eigenface method. The experimental results indicate that the refinement works well for face recognition under various lighting conditions, as compared to the original decomposed eigenface method.