Intelligent object tracking using object-identifying code

A tracking controller for a camera device, comprising:

• a computer processor;
• and
• memory storing instructions, when executed, causing the computer processor to:
• capture a sequence of images of a scene, wherein the sequence of images is captured by a single optical sensor of the camera device;
• detect, based on a pattern of local light change across the sequence of images captured by the single optical sensor, a light source in the scene;
• compare, in response to detecting the light source, a location of the light source in at least one image of the sequence of images and a target position within the at least one image to generate a result;
• and
• generate, based on the result, a control signal for changing a field-of-view of a camera device such that the light source aligns with the target position within the field-of-view,
• wherein the light source is configured to produce an object-identifying code,
• wherein the pattern of local light change identifies at least a first pixel position in the at least one image as the location of the light source,
• wherein the target position corresponds to at least a second pixel position in the at least one image, and
• wherein the result comprises a pixel position displacement between at least the first pixel position of the light source and at least the second pixel position of the target position.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for object tracking, the instructions, when executed by a computer processor, comprising functionality for:

• capturing a sequence of images of a scene, wherein the sequence of images is captured by a single optical sensor of a camera device;
• detecting, based on a pattern of local light change across the sequence of images captured by the single optical sensor, a light source in the scene;
• comparing, in response to detecting the light source, a location of the light source in at least one image of the sequence of images and a target position within the at least one image to generate a result;
• and
• generating, based on the result, a control signal for changing a field-of-view of a camera device such that the light source aligns with the target position within the field-of-view,
• wherein the light source is configured to produce an object-identifying code,
• wherein the pattern of local light change identifies at least a first pixel position in the at least one image as the location of the light source,
• wherein the target position corresponds to at least a second pixel position in the at least one image, and
• wherein the result comprises a pixel position displacement between at least the first pixel position of the light source and at least the second pixel position of the target position.