Tracking apparatus for tracking image in local region
First Claim
1. A local region image tracking apparatus, comprising:
- an image data bus coupled to an image pickup unit and transferring therefrom input image data representing an input image; and
a plurality of correlation tracking processors, coupled in parallel to said image data bus, each correlation tracking processor capable of independently tracking a respective local region of the input image each correlation tracking processor including;
at least three image memories;
a selector that selects, from the at least three image memories, an input image memory that stores received input image data included in the input image data, a search image memory that stores search image data representing a search image included in the input image, and a reference image memory that stores reference image data, the search image including a local region to be tracked and the reference image data being related to the local region;
an address generator that generates a search image address to identify the search image memory and a reference image address to identify the reference image memory;
a correlation computing unit that computes a correlation value indicating a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data; and
a peak position detector that detects a peak position within the input image, the peak position having a correlation value indicating a highest correlation.
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Abstract
A local region image tracking apparatus continuously tracks an arbitrary local region within a search image that is described by search image data by comparing the search image data to be subjected to a tracking process out of input image data picked up by image pickup means with reference image data related to the arbitrary local region. The local region image tracking apparatus includes an image data bus transferring the input image data from the image pickup means, and a plurality of correlation tracking processors coupled in parallel to the image data bus and respectively capable of independently carrying out the tracking process with respect to at least one search image, where the tracking process with respect to one or a plurality of search images is distributively carried out by the correlation tracking processors.
48 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A local region image tracking apparatus, comprising:
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an image data bus coupled to an image pickup unit and transferring therefrom input image data representing an input image; and a plurality of correlation tracking processors, coupled in parallel to said image data bus, each correlation tracking processor capable of independently tracking a respective local region of the input image each correlation tracking processor including; at least three image memories; a selector that selects, from the at least three image memories, an input image memory that stores received input image data included in the input image data, a search image memory that stores search image data representing a search image included in the input image, and a reference image memory that stores reference image data, the search image including a local region to be tracked and the reference image data being related to the local region; an address generator that generates a search image address to identify the search image memory and a reference image address to identify the reference image memory; a correlation computing unit that computes a correlation value indicating a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data; and a peak position detector that detects a peak position within the input image, the peak position having a correlation value indicating a highest correlation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 13, 14)
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9. A local region image tracking apparatus, comprising:
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an image data bus coupled to an image pickup unit and transferring therefrom input image data representing an input image; and a plurality of correlation tracking processors coupled in parallel to said image data bus and distributively tracking the local region by comparing, for each local region, search image data representing a search image including the local region with reference image data related to the local region, each correlation tracking processor including; at least three image memories; a selector that selects from the image memories, for each of a successive series of iterations, an input memory that stores received input image data included in the input image data, a search image memory that stores search image data representing a search image included in the input image, and a reference image memory that stores reference image data, the search image including a local region to be tracked and the reference image data being elated to the local region; a first-in-first-out memory that temporarily and successively stores a plurality of successive reference image data read from the image memories and a plurality of successive search image data read from the image memories; and a correlation computing unit that computes a correlation value indicating a correlation between a successive reference image data read from the first-in-first-out memory and a corresponding successive search image data read from the first-in-first-out-memory.
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10. A local region image tracking apparatus for distributive local region image tracking, comprising:
- an image data bus coupled to an image pickup unit and transferring therefrom input image data representing an input image;
a plurality of correlation tracking processors coupled in parallel to said image data bus, each correlation tracking processor including a plurality of image memories, a selected image memory thereof storing reference image data relating to a local region included in the input image and to be tracked; a control computer bus having said plurality of correlation tracking processors coupled thereto in parallel; and a control computer coupled to said control computer bus and communicating therethrough with each of the correlation tracking processors to control updating of the reference image data and selection and switching of the image memories in the correlation tracking processor. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
- an image data bus coupled to an image pickup unit and transferring therefrom input image data representing an input image;
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21. A local region image tracking apparatus which continuously tracks an arbitrary local region within a search image that is described by search image data by comparing the search image data to be subjected to a tracking process out of input image data picked up by image pickup means with reference image data related to the arbitrary local region, said local region image tracking apparatus comprising:
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at least three image memories; selector means for selectively switching said image memories to an input image memory which stores the input image data, a search image memory which stores the search image data, and a reference image memory which stores the reference image data; correlation computing means for computing a correlation value which indicates a correlation between the reference image data stored in the reference image memory and the search image data stored in the search image memory by carrying cut a correlation computing process; peak position detecting means for obtaining a peak position of the correlation value from said correlation computing means; and image memory managing means for controlling said selector means based on the peak position from said peak position detecting means and successively storing a history of the reference image data in said image memory, so as to update the reference image data based on a history of the peak position of the correlation value stored within the search image memory. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 27)
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26. A local region image tracking apparatus which continuously tracks an arbitrary local region within a search image that is described by search image data by comparing the search image data to be subjected to a tracking process out of input image data picked up by image pickup means that is supported on moving means with reference image data related to the arbitrary local region, said local region image tracking apparatus comprising:
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memory means for storing at least the search image data and the reference image data; reference image data generating means for automatically generating the reference image data from the input image data; address generating means for generating addresses for reading the search image data and the reference image data from said memory means; correlation computing means for computing a correlation value which indicates a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data read from said memory means by carrying out a correlation computing process; and control means for outputting a moving instruction which moves said image pickup means by said moving means so as to track the arbitrary local region based on a peak position of the correlation value obtained from said correlation computing means. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A local region image tracking apparatus which continuously tracks an arbitrary local region within a search image that is described by search image data by comparing the search image data to be subjected to a tracking process out of input image data picked up by image pickup means with reference image data related to the arbitrary local region, said local region image tracking apparatus comprising:
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memory means for storing at least the search image data and the reference image data; reference image data generating means for automatically generating the reference image data related to a plurality of local regions from the input image data; labeling means for labeling the plurality of local regions to identify the plurality of local regions; address generating means for generating addresses for reading the search image data and the reference image data from said memory means; correlation computing means for computing a correlation value which indicates a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data read from said memory means by carrying out a correlation computing process with respect to each of the plurality of labeled local regions; and control means for tracking the plurality of labeled local regions based on a peak position of the correlation value obtained from said correlation computing means. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A local region image tracking apparatus for continuously tracking a plurality of local regions within a search image represented by search image data, said local region image tracking apparatus comprising:
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at least four image memories; a selector that selects, from the at least four image memories, an input image memory that stores input image data, a search image memory that stores the search image data, and a reference image memory that stores reference image data relating to a selected local region in the plurality of local regions; a correlation computing unit that computes a correlation value indicating a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data representing a specified local region included in the plurality of local regions; a peak position detector that obtains a peak position when the correlation value indicates a highest correlation within the input image; and an image memory manager that controls said selector based on the peak position from said peak position detector. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A local region image tracking apparatus for continuously tracking a local region within a search image represented by search image data, said local region image tracking apparatus comprising:
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at least one memory that stores the search image data and reference image data related to the local region, the search image data being included in input image data picked up by a motorized image pickup unit; a motion detector that automatically generates the reference image data on the basis of the input image data; an address generator that generates addresses for reading the search image data and the reference image data from the at least one image memory; a correlation computing unit that computes a correlation value indicating a correlation between the reference image data and the search image data; and a controller that generates a moving instruction controlling the motorized image pickup unit to track the specified local region based on a peak position of the correlation value obtained from said correlation computing unit. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification