OBJECT TRACKABILITY VIA PARAMETRIC CAMERA TUNING

• US 20090059009A1
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fernando Martins, Wei Sun
• Original Assignee: Fernando Martins, Wei Sun
• Inventors: Sun, Wei, Martins, Fernando
• Granted Patent: US 7,884,858 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/169
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for improving object trackability via parametric camera tuning. In one embodiment, a determination is made as to whether the camera settings loaded cause saturation of a video image and hue differences between objects and between the objects and a background of the video image. If the saturation and hue differences do not exceed the threshold, a search of camera settings is performed to increase saturation and hue differences between objects and between the objects and a background of the video image.

Claims

1. A method of improving trackability of an object within a video image, comprising:

loading camera settings, the camera settings including prior camera settings or predetermined camera settings, if the prior camera settings are not available; and

searching the camera settings to find a setting that causes saturation and hue differences between objects and between the objects and a background of an image to exceed a threshold, if the saturation and hue differences do not exceed the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the camera settings cause the saturation of the image and the hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects and the background of the image to exceed a threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera settings comprise one or more of saturation, hue, brightness and white balance.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the loading of the camera settings comprises:

reading a user selection describing lighting conditions; and

selecting one of the camera settings responsive to the user selection.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the searching of the camera settings comprises:

selecting one of the camera settings;

selecting a range of the camera settings near a selected camera setting;

performing a full search of a selected range of camera settings; and

saving results of the full search.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the performing of the full search comprises testing the camera settings within the range to find the camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences.

7. A system comprising:

a storage device having stored therein one or more routines for improving trackability of an object within a video image; and

a processor coupled to the storage device to execute the one or more routines to improve the trackability of the object within the video image, the processor to

load camera settings, the camera settings including prior camera settings or predetermined camera settings, if the prior camera settings are not available; and

search the camera settings to find a setting that causes saturation and hue differences between objects and between the objects and a background of an image to exceed a threshold, if the saturation and hue differences do not exceed the threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to determine whether the camera settings cause the saturation of the image and the hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects and the background of the image to exceed a threshold

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the camera settings comprise saturation, hue, brightness and white balance.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the loading of the camera settings comprises:

reading a user selection describing lighting conditions; and

selecting one of the camera settings responsive to the user selection.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the searching of the camera settings comprises:

selecting one of the camera settings;

selecting a range of the camera settings near a selected camera setting;

performing a full search of a selected range of camera settings; and

saving results of the full search.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the performing of the full search comprises testing the camera settings within the range to find the camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences

13. A machine readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

load camera settings, the camera settings including prior camera settings or predetermined camera settings, if the prior camera settings are not available; and

search the camera settings to find a setting that causes saturation and hue differences between objects and between the objects and a background of an image to exceed a threshold, if the saturation and hue differences do not exceed the threshold.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions which, when executed, further cause the machine to determine whether the camera settings cause the saturation of the image and the hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects and the background of the image to exceed a threshold

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the camera settings comprise saturation, hue, brightness and white balance.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the loading of the camera settings comprises:

reading a user selection describing lighting conditions; and

selecting one of the camera settings responsive to the user selection.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the searching of the camera settings comprises:

selecting one of the camera settings;

selecting a range of the camera settings near a selected camera setting;

performing a full search of a selected range of camera settings; and

saving results of the full search.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the performing of the full search comprises testing the camera settings within the range to find the camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences