APPARATUS AND METHOD OF OBJECT TRACKING
First Claim
1. A method of tracking objects on a plane within one or more video images of the objects on the plane captured by a video camera, the method comprising:
- processing the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object,detecting each of the objects from a relative position of the objects on the plane as viewed from the captured video images by comparing the one or more extracted image features associated with each object with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the captured video images may contain;
generating object identification data for each object, from the comparing, which identifies the respective object on the plane;
generating a three dimensional model of the plane, andlogging, for each detected object, the object identification data together with object path data, the object path data providing a position of the object on the three dimensional model of the plane from the video images with respect to time;
in which the logging includes;
detecting an occlusion event in dependence upon whether a first image feature associated with a first of the objects obscures a whole or part of at least a second image feature associated with at least a second of the objects; and
, if an occlusion event is detected, associating the object identification data for the first object and the object identification data for the second object with the object path data for both the first object and the second object respectively and logging the associations;
identifying at least one of the objects involved in the occlusion event in dependence upon a comparison between the one or more image features associated with that object and the sample image features from the predetermined set of possible example objects; and
updating the logged path data after the identification of at least one of the objects so that the respective path data is associated with the respective identified object.
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Abstract
A method of tracking objects on a plane within video images of the objects captured by a video camera. The method includes processing the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, detecting each of the objects from a relative position of the objects on the plane as viewed from the captured video images by comparing the one or more extracted image features associated with each object with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the captured video images may contain; and generating object identification data for each object, from the comparing, which identifies the respective object on the plane. The method further includes generating a three dimensional model of the plane and logging, for each detected object, the object identification data for each object which identifies the respective object on the plane together with object path data. The object path provides a position of the object on the three dimensional model of the plane from the video images with respect to time and relates to the path that each object has taken within the video images. The logging includes detecting an occlusion event in dependence upon whether a first image feature associated with a first of the objects obscures a whole or part of at least a second image feature associated with at least a second of the objects; and, if an occlusion event is detected, associating the object identification data for the first object and the object identification data for the second object with the object path data for both the first object and the second object respectively and logging the associations. The logging further includes identifying at least one of the objects involved in the occlusion event in dependence upon a comparison between the one or more image features associated with that object and the sample image features from the predetermined set of possible example objects, and updating the logged path data after the identification of at least one of the objects so that the respective path data is associated with the respective identified object.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of tracking objects on a plane within one or more video images of the objects on the plane captured by a video camera, the method comprising:
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processing the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, detecting each of the objects from a relative position of the objects on the plane as viewed from the captured video images by comparing the one or more extracted image features associated with each object with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the captured video images may contain; generating object identification data for each object, from the comparing, which identifies the respective object on the plane; generating a three dimensional model of the plane, and logging, for each detected object, the object identification data together with object path data, the object path data providing a position of the object on the three dimensional model of the plane from the video images with respect to time; in which the logging includes; detecting an occlusion event in dependence upon whether a first image feature associated with a first of the objects obscures a whole or part of at least a second image feature associated with at least a second of the objects; and
, if an occlusion event is detected, associating the object identification data for the first object and the object identification data for the second object with the object path data for both the first object and the second object respectively and logging the associations;identifying at least one of the objects involved in the occlusion event in dependence upon a comparison between the one or more image features associated with that object and the sample image features from the predetermined set of possible example objects; and updating the logged path data after the identification of at least one of the objects so that the respective path data is associated with the respective identified object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)
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8. An image processing apparatus for tracking objects on a plane within one or more video images of the objects on the plane captured by a video camera, the apparatus comprising:
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processing means operable to process the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, object detecting means operable to detect each of the objects from a relative position of the objects on the plane as viewed from within the captured video images, by comparing the one or more image features with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects, which the captured video images may contain, and to generate object identification data for each object which identifies the respective object from the comparison; generating means operable to generate a three dimensional model of the plane, and logging means operable to log, for each detected object, the object identification data together with object path data, the object path data providing a position of the object on the three dimensional model of the plane from the video images with respect to time; in which the logging means comprises; occlusion detecting means operable to detect an occlusion event in dependence upon whether a first image feature associated with a first of the objects obscures a whole or part of at least a second image feature associated with at least a second of the objects; and
, if an occlusion event is detected, to associate the object identification data for the first object and the object identification data for the second object with the object path data for both the first object and the second object respectively and to log the associations;identifying means operable to identify at least one of the objects involved in the occlusion event in dependence upon a comparison between the one or more image features associated with that object and the predetermined sample image features from the predetermined set of possible example objects; and updating means operable to update the logged path data after the identification of at least one of the objects identified by the identifying means so that the respective path data is associated with the respective identified object.
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10. An apparatus for tracking objects on a plane within one or more video images of the objects on the plane captured by a video camera, the apparatus comprising:
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means for processing the captured video images so as to extract one or more image features from each object, means for detecting each of the objects from a relative position of the objects on the plane as viewed from the captured video images by comparing the one or more extracted image features associated with each object with sample image features from a predetermined set of possible example objects which the captured video images may contain; means for generating object identification data for each object, from the comparing, which identifies the respective object on the plane; means for generating a three dimensional model of the plane, and means for logging, for each detected object, the object identification data together with object path data, the object path data providing a position of the object on the three dimensional model of the plane from the video images with respect to time; in which the means for logging includes; means for detecting an occlusion event in dependence upon whether a first image feature associated with a first of the objects obscures a whole or part of at least a second image feature associated with at least a second of the objects; and
, if an occlusion event is detected, means for associating the object identification data for the first object and the object identification data for the second object with the object path data for both the first object and the second object respectively and logging the associations;means for identifying at least one of the objects involved in the occlusion event in dependence upon a comparison between the one or more image features associated with that object and the sample image features from the predetermined set of possible example objects; and means for updating the logged path data after the identification of at least one of the objects so that the respective path data is associated with the respective identified object.
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Specification