Tracking Processing Apparatus, Tracking Processing Method, and Computer Program

• US 20090245577A1
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMAOKA, Keisuke, LIU, Yuyu
• Application Number:
  US12/410,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20090245577A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20076 Probabilistic image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30196 Human being; Person
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/277 involving stochastic approaches, e.g. using Kalman filters
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/56 exterior to a vehicle by using sensors mounted on the vehicle

Abstract

A tracking processing apparatus includes: first state-variable-sample-candidate generating means for generating state variable sample candidates at first present time; plural detecting means each for performing detection concerning a predetermined detection target related to a tracking target; sub-information generating means for generating sub-state variable probability distribution information at present time; second state-variable-sample-candidate generating means for generating state variable sample candidates at second present time; a state-variable-sample acquiring means for selecting state variable samples out of the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time at random according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance; and estimation-result generating means for generating main state variable probability distribution information at the present time as an estimation result.

Claims

1. A tracking processing apparatus comprising:

first state-variable-sample-candidate generating means for generating state variable sample candidates at first present time on the basis of main state variable probability distribution information at preceding time;

plural detecting means each for performing detection concerning a predetermined detection target related to a tracking target;

sub-information generating means for generating sub-state variable probability distribution information at present time on the basis of detection information obtained by the plural detecting means;

second state-variable-sample-candidate generating means for generating state variable sample candidates at second present time on the basis of the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time;

state-variable-sample acquiring means for selecting state variable samples out of the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time at random according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance; and

estimation-result generating means for generating main state variable probability distribution information at the present time as an estimation result on the basis of likelihood calculated on the basis of the state variable samples and an observation value at the present time.

2. A tracking processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub-information generating means obtains the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time from a mixed distribution based on plural kinds of detection information obtained from the plural detecting means.

3. A tracking processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sub-information generating means changes a mixing ratio corresponding to the plural kinds of detection information in the mixed distribution on the basis of reliability concerning the detection information of the detecting means.

4. A tracking processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 3, wherein

the sub-information generating means obtains plural kinds of sub-state variable probability distribution at the present time corresponding to the respective plural detection information by performing probability distribution for each of the plural kinds of detection information obtained by the plural detecting means, and

the state-variable-sample acquiring means selects, according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance, state variable samples at random from the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time corresponding to the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time.

5. A tracking processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the state-variable-sample acquiring means changes the selection ratio among the state variable sample candidates at the second preset time on the basis of reliability concerning detection information of the detecting means.

6. A tracking processing method comprising the steps of:

generating state variable sample candidates at first present time on the basis of main state variable probability distribution information at preceding time;

generating sub-state variable probability distribution information at present time on the basis of detection information obtained by detecting means that each performs detection concerning a predetermined detection target related to a tracking target;

generating state variable sample candidates at second present time on the basis of the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time;

selecting state variable samples out of the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time at random according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance; and

generating main state variable probability distribution information at the present time as an estimation result on the basis of likelihood calculated on the basis of the state variable samples and an observation value at the present time.

7. A computer program for causing a tracking processing apparatus to execute:

a first state-variable-sample-candidate generating step of generating state variable sample candidates at first present time on the basis of main state variable probability distribution information at preceding time;

a sub-information generating step of generating sub-state variable probability distribution information at present time on the basis of detection information obtained by detecting means that each performs detection concerning a predetermined detection target related to a tracking target;

a second state-variable-sample-candidate generating step of generating state variable sample candidates at second present time on the basis of the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time;

a state-variable-sample acquiring step of selecting state variable samples out of the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time at random according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance; and

an estimation-result generating step of generating main state variable probability distribution information at the present time as an estimation result on the basis of likelihood calculated on the basis of the state variable samples and an observation value at the present time.

8. A tracking processing apparatus comprising:

a first state-variable-sample-candidate generating unit configured to generate state variable sample candidates at first present time on the basis of main state variable probability distribution information at preceding time;

plural detecting units each configured to perform detection concerning a predetermined detection target related to a tracking target;

a sub-information generating unit configured to generate sub-state variable probability distribution information at present time on the basis of detection information obtained by the plural detecting units;

a second state-variable-sample-candidate generating unit configured to generate state variable sample candidates at second present time on the basis of the sub-state variable probability distribution information at the present time;

a state-variable-sample acquiring unit configured to select state variable samples out of the state variable sample candidates at the first present time and the state variable sample candidates at the second present time at random according to a predetermined selection ratio set in advance; and

an estimation-result generating unit configured to generate main state variable probability distribution information at the present time as an estimation result on the basis of likelihood calculated on the basis of the state variable samples and an observation value at the present time.