Object tracking system using statistical modeling and geometric relationship

A method of identifying an object in a first image, the method comprising the steps of:

• accessing a second image, the second image including a third image identifying the object;
• generating a first model from the third image;
• the first model corresponding to a first statistical analysis of a first part of the third image;
• generating a second model from the third image, the second model corresponding to a characteristic of a second part of the third image, the second part having a geometric relationship with the first part;
• accessing the first image;
• generating a value set from the first image, the first model, the second model, and the geometric relationship, the value set indicating a likely location of the object in the first image;
• and
• using the value set to identify the object in the first image.

A method of determining a likely location of an object in an first image, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a modeling image, the modeling image including an image of the object;
• generating a first color histogram from the modeling image, the first color histogram corresponding to a first region of the object, the first region also corresponding to the image of the object;
• generating a second color histogram from the modeling image, the second color histogram corresponding to a second region of the object;
• receiving the first image;
• and
• generating a value set from the first image, the first color histogram, the second color histogram, and a geometric relationship between the first region and the second region, the value set having values indicating a likely location of the object in the first image.

An object tracking system for tracking an object in a tracking image, the object tracking system comprising:

• a camera;
• and
• a computer system coupled to the camera, the computer system having a memory, a processor, and an object identification procedure, the object identification procedure including,
• a modeling procedure that generates a first statistical model of a first region of the object and a second statistical model of a second region of the object based on a modeling image, the first region having a first geometric relationship with the second region, and
• a tracking procedure that locates the object at a location in the tracking image and generates a set of camera controls for the camera responsive to determining the location, the location having a first portion of the tracking image corresponding to the first statistical model and having a second portion of the tracking image corresponding to the second statistical model, wherein the first portion has a second geometric relationship with the second portion, the second geometric relationship corresponding to the first geometric relationship.