Object identification in a moving video image
First Claim
1. A method of identifying an object in a digitized moving video image such that the object can be acted on by a computer, comprising placing a plurality of tags at user selected points on the object in a video frame, each tag containing an edge of the object and the plurality of tags generally defining the object;
- automatically detecting the edges of the object;
relating each tag to an edge by repositioning the tag to center the tag on the edge;
tracking the object in subsequent frames of the moving video image by determining the locations of said tags in said subsequent video frames, wherein said plurality of tags define an area of the object corresponding to a hot spot, and said tracking of the object comprises tracking the hot spot, and wherein said hot spot comprises an area of the object bounded by lines interconnecting said plurality of tags.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A moving object identification method (10) for identifying and tracing an object (20) within a video image (14) such that the object (20) can act as a hot spot (30) as for an interactive computer/user interface (70). A plurality of tags (28) define the edges (26) of the object (20) and a plurality of hot spot borders (32) define the hot spot (30) such that the hot spot (30) and the object (20) generally coincide. A physical tag (28b) is optionally used to position the tags (28). Sensitivity to disappearance of the edges (26) is adjustable according to the relative size of a subtag (68) to the corresponding tag (28).
127 Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method of identifying an object in a digitized moving video image such that the object can be acted on by a computer, comprising placing a plurality of tags at user selected points on the object in a video frame, each tag containing an edge of the object and the plurality of tags generally defining the object;
- automatically detecting the edges of the object;
relating each tag to an edge by repositioning the tag to center the tag on the edge;
tracking the object in subsequent frames of the moving video image by determining the locations of said tags in said subsequent video frames, wherein said plurality of tags define an area of the object corresponding to a hot spot, and said tracking of the object comprises tracking the hot spot, and wherein said hot spot comprises an area of the object bounded by lines interconnecting said plurality of tags.
- automatically detecting the edges of the object;
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2. A method of identifying an object in a digitized moving video image such that the object can be acted on by a computer, comprising placing a plurality of tags at user selected points on the object in a video frame, each tag containing an edge of the object and the plurality of tags generally defining the object;
- automatically detecting the edges of the object;
relating each tag to an edge by repositioning the tag to center the tag on the edge;
tracking the object in subsequent frames of the moving video image by determining the locations of said tags in said subsequent video frames, wherein a tag comprises a first two dimensional array of pixels within a video frame, and each tag contains a subtag comprising a second smaller two-dimensional array of pixels centered within the first array; and
wherein said re-positioning of the tag to center the tag on an edge comprises positioning the subtag on the edge. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6)
- automatically detecting the edges of the object;
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7. A method for identifying and tracking an object in a moving video image such that the object can be acted on by a computer, comprising placing a tag at a user-selected point on the object within a video frame, the tag comprising an array of pixels and said placing comprising selecting a point for the tag such that the tag contains an edge of the object;
- repositioning the tag such that the array of pixels comprising the tag is centered on the edge;
selecting a region of interest within the tag corresponding to a portion of the tag which coincides with the object;
repeating said placing and selecting steps to place a plurality of tags on the object;
defining a hot spot comprising an area bounded by lines interconnecting the tags, the hot spot comprising a clickable area which enables the object to be acted upon by the computer; and
tracking the object over successive frames by tracking and storing the locations of each of the tags from frame to frame. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
- repositioning the tag such that the array of pixels comprising the tag is centered on the edge;
Specification