Object trackability via parametric camera tuning

• US 7,884,858 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sun, Wei, Martins, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Osinski; Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/265,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20090059009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 348135-143, 348157-161, 348169-172, 348/222.1, 348/223.1, 348266-267, 382/103
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• 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 performed by a processor, the method comprising:

loading prior camera settings that were previously used and stored if the prior camera settings are available; and

if saturation and hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects to be tracked and a background of the image do not exceed a threshold,

searching the prior camera settings to find a setting that causes the saturation and hue differences between the objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of an image to exceed the threshold.

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

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

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

reading a user selection describing lighting conditions; and

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

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

selecting one of the prior camera settings;

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

performing a full search of a selected range of the prior 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 prior camera settings within the range to find the prior camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising loading predetermined factory camera settings if the prior camera settings are not available.

7. A system comprising:

a storage device having stored therein one or more routines for improving trackability of an object to be tracked 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 to be tracked within the video image, the processor to load prior camera settings that were previously used and stored if the prior camera settings are available, and if saturation and hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects to be tracked and a background of the image do not exceed a threshold,

search the prior camera settings to find a setting that causes the saturation and hue differences between the objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of an image to exceed the threshold.

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

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

selecting one of the prior camera settings;

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

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

saving results of the full search.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the performing of the full search comprises testing the prior camera settings within the range to find the prior camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further to load predetermined factory camera settings if the prior camera setting are not available.

11. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

load prior camera settings that were previously used and stored if the prior camera settings are available; and

if saturation and hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects to be tracked and a background of the image do not exceed a threshold,

search the prior camera settings to find a setting that causes the saturation and hue differences between the objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of an image to exceed the threshold.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions which, when executed, further cause the machine to determine whether the prior camera settings cause the saturation of the image and the hue differences between objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of the image to exceed a threshold.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, further comprising performing full search of a selected range of the prior camera settings, wherein the performing of the full search comprises testing the prior camera settings within the range to find the prior camera setting that causes saturation and hue differences.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions which, when executed, further cause the machine to load predetermined factory camera settings if the prior camera setting are not available.

14. A processor comprising:

a first logic circuit to load prior camera settings that were previously used and stored if the prior camera settings are available; and

if saturation and hue differences between objects to be tracked and between the objects to be tracked and a background of the image do not exceed a threshold,

a second logic circuit to search the prior camera settings to find a setting that causes the saturation and hue differences between the objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of an image to exceed the threshold.

15. The processor of claim 14, wherein the second logic circuit is further to determine whether the prior camera settings cause the saturation of the image and the hue differences between objects to be tracked, and between the objects to be tracked and the background of the image to exceed a threshold.

16. The processor of claim 14, wherein the first logic circuit is further to load predetermined factory camera settings if the prior camera settings are not available.