Information completion apparatus, method and program

An information interpolation method comprising:

• acquiring target information that is information related to a target in an image of each frame composing an input video;
• performing either one of:
• when a frame next to a frame in which target information includes information indicating that a target does not exist is a frame in which target information includes information indicating that the target exists, determining, based on the target information, an indicator indicating high validity as a starting frame for each frame, the starting frame starting predetermined image processing on a target, the starting frame represents a frame to start predetermined image processing on a target as an indicator of the frame in which the target information includes the information indicating that the target exists;
• or
• calculate the indicator based on at least one of (i) information on whether or not a target exists, (ii) an evaluation value indicating a size of an overlapping region of a target and an object other than the target, (iii) an evaluation value representing how a target is close to a predetermined shape, and (iv) an evaluation value representing a magnitude of variation of a pattern in a target, that are included in target information or calculated from target information, wherein the evaluation value representing the magnitude of variation of the pattern in the target is an indicator representing proximity between an image of the target in each frame and a predetermined template image, or a sum of magnitudes of differences in images of the target in consecutive frames;
• determining a starting frame based on the indicator;
• and
• interpolating, when a frame in which positional information of a target is not included in target information exists among frames within a predetermined number from the determined starting frame, positional information of the target of the frame that does not include the positional information of the target by using positional information of the target included in target information of a frame other than the frame that does not include the positional information of the target.

An information interpolation device comprising:

• processing circuitry configured to:
• acquire target information that is information related to a target in an image of each frame composing an input video;
• calculate an indicator based on at least one of (i) information on whether or not a target exists, (ii) an evaluation value indicating a size of an overlapping region of a target and an object other than the target, (iii) an evaluation value representing how a target is close to a predetermined shape, and (iv) an evaluation value representing a magnitude of variation of a pattern in a target, that are included in target information or calculated from target information, wherein the evaluation value representing the magnitude of variation of the pattern in the target is an indicator representing proximity between an image of the target in each frame and a predetermined template image, or a sum of magnitudes of differences in images of the target in consecutive frames;
• determine a starting frame based on the calculated indicator;
• and
• interpolate, when a frame in which positional information of a target is not included in target information exists among frames within a predetermined number from the determined starting frame, positional information of the target of the frame that does not include the positional information of the target by using positional information of the target included in target information of a frame other than the frame that does not include the positional information of the target.