Method and apparatus for machine vision classification and tracking
First Claim
1. A machine vision system for tracking movement of objects, comprising:
- image acquisition means for acquiring images from three-dimensional space;
processing means connected to receive said images, for processing said images to track an object having a first track point in a first image, said processing means comprising;
means for determining a magnitude of vertical and horizontal edge element intensity components of each pixel of said first image from a first time;
means for determining a magnitude of vertical and horizontal edge element intensity components of each pixel of a second image from a second time;
means for computing a magnitude of total edge element intensity for each said pixel within said first image and for each said pixel within said second image;
means for forecasting a plurality of potential subsequent track points in said second image;
means for determining which one of the plurality of potential subsequent track points corresponds to the movement of the object by assigning a value to each said potential subsequent track point, said value being determined by comparing said magnitudes of total edge element intensity from a first region surrounding said first track point and with corresponding pixels in a second region surrounding each said potential subsequent track point and;
means for selecting one of said plurality of potential subsequent track points as said subsequent track point based on said values assigned.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for classification and tracking objects in three-dimensional space is described. A machine vision system acquires images from roadway scenes and processes the images by analyzing the intensities of edge elements within the image. The system then applies fuzzy set theory to the location and angles of each pixel after the pixel intensities have been characterized by vectors. A neural network interprets the data created by the fuzzy set operators and classifies objects within the roadway scene. The system can also track objects within the roadway scene, such as vehicles, by forecasting potential track regions and then calculating match scores for each potential track region based on how well the edge elements from the target track regions match those from the source region as weighted by the extent the edge elements have moved.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A machine vision system for tracking movement of objects, comprising:
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image acquisition means for acquiring images from three-dimensional space; processing means connected to receive said images, for processing said images to track an object having a first track point in a first image, said processing means comprising; means for determining a magnitude of vertical and horizontal edge element intensity components of each pixel of said first image from a first time; means for determining a magnitude of vertical and horizontal edge element intensity components of each pixel of a second image from a second time; means for computing a magnitude of total edge element intensity for each said pixel within said first image and for each said pixel within said second image; means for forecasting a plurality of potential subsequent track points in said second image; means for determining which one of the plurality of potential subsequent track points corresponds to the movement of the object by assigning a value to each said potential subsequent track point, said value being determined by comparing said magnitudes of total edge element intensity from a first region surrounding said first track point and with corresponding pixels in a second region surrounding each said potential subsequent track point and; means for selecting one of said plurality of potential subsequent track points as said subsequent track point based on said values assigned. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification