System and method for tracking an object in a video and linking information thereto

An image processing system for processing video content in a sequence of video frames and linking a pixel object embedded in said video content to data corresponding to the pixel object, the image processing system comprising:

• a video capture system for capturing a sequence of video frames;
• a user interface for enabling a user to select a pixel object in at least one of the captured frames, said video capture system determining a range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object;
• a pixel object tracking system configured to track the selected pixel object through a plurality of the sequence of video frames based on the determined range of color values;
• and
• a video linking system which generates a linked video file that is separate from and not embedded in said sequence of video frames, said linked video file comprising (i) a pixel object file which identifies, by frame number and location within the frame, the selected pixel object in the captured frame and at least one subsequent frame, and (ii) a separate data object file which includes data that corresponds to the selected pixel object, said linked video file being configured to be exportable to a media player, said video linking system sampling said video content at a sample rate which is a divisor of plural standard playback rates,
• wherein said video capture system determines the range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object by:
• (i) determining a value of at least one of (ia) a hue, and (ib) a color variable, of at least one pixel of the selected pixel object,
• (ii) applying a predetermined value range to the determined value,
• (iii) analyzing pixels that (iiia) fall within a predetermined distance of said at least one pixel of the selected pixel object, and (iiib) fall within the applied value range,
• (iv) determining a further range of values based on the analyzed pixels, and
• (v) using the determined range of further values as said range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object.

An image processing system for processing video content in a sequence of video frames and linking a pixel object embedded in said video content to corresponding data, the image processing system comprising:

• a video capture system for capturing a sequence of video frames;
• a user interface for enabling a user to select a pixel object in at least one of the captured frames, said video capture system determining a range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object;
• a pixel object tracking system configured to track the selected pixel object through a plurality of the sequence of video frames based on the determined range of color values;
• and
• a video linking system which generates a linked video file that is separate from and not embedded in said sequence of video frames, said linked video file comprising (i) a pixel object file which identifies, by frame number and location within the frame, the selected pixel object in the at least one captured frame and at least one subsequent frame, and (ii) a separate data object file, linked to the pixel object file, which includes data corresponding to the selected pixel object, said video linking system being configured to be exportable to a media player, said video linking system sampling said video content at a sample rate which is a divisor multiple of plural standard playback rates, said video linking system clustering the sampled video content with plural frames per cluster,
• wherein said video capture system determines the range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object by:
• (i) determining a value of at least one of (ia) a hue, and (ib) a color variable, of at least one pixel of the selected pixel object,
• (ii) applying a predetermined value range to the determined value,
• (iii) analyzing pixels that (iiia) fall within a predetermined distance of said at least one pixel of the selected pixel object, and (iiib) fall within the applied value range,
• (iv) determining a further range of values based on the analyzed pixels, and
• (v) using the determined range of further values as said range of color values corresponding to the selected pixel object.