Object selecting apparatus, object selecting program, integrated circuit used for the object selecting apparatus, and object selecting method

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon which is executed by an object selecting apparatus for allowing a user to select an object in a video image, the program causing the object selecting apparatus to execute:

• a video processing step of causing an external display device to display a video image;
• a storing step of storing data of the video image caused to be displayed in the video processing step;
• an inputting step of receiving an input operation by which the user attempts to designate a display position of an object in the video image displayed on the display device;
• an input analyzing step of generating, when the input operation is received in the inputting step, time information indicating a time of receipt and position information indicating the inputted position in the video image;
• a video analyzing step of extracting one or more objects in the video image based on the data of the video image stored in the storing step, of analyzing one or more paths of the respective one or more objects, and of generating, with respect to each of the one or more objects, path information indicating a path history of the object;
• and
• a determination step of, with respect to each of the one or more objects, performing anticipated path determination which:
• estimates an anticipated path, on which the user would anticipate that the object might be displayed at around the time of receipt indicated by the time information outputted by the input analyzing section, based on the path information occurring during a certain period of time prior to a point in time which is the start of a predetermined period of time before the time of receipt, the certain period of time excluding the time of receipt;
• compares an anticipated position on the anticipated path, which anticipated position corresponds to the time of receipt, with the position information generated by the input analyzing section;
• and determines, when the distance between the anticipated position and the position information is in a predetermined range, the object, which is a close object, as the object selected by the user.

An integrated circuit to be used in an object selecting apparatus for allowing a user to select an object in a video image, the integrated circuit functioning as:

• a video processing section which causes an external display device to display a video image;
• a storage section which stores data of the video image caused to be displayed by the video processing section;
• an input section which receives an input operation by which the user attempts to designate a display position of an object in the video image displayed on the display device;
• an input analyzing section which generates, when the input operation is received by the input section, time information indicating a time of receipt and position information indicating an inputted position in the video image;
• a video analyzing section which extracts one or more objects in the video image based on the data of the video image stored in the storage section, which analyzes one or more paths of the respective one or more objects, and which generates, with respect to each of the one or more objects, path information indicating a path history of the object;
• and
• a determination section which, with respect to each of the one or more objects, performs anticipated path determination which:
• estimates an anticipated path, on which the user would anticipate that the object might be displayed at around the time of receipt indicated by the time information outputted by the input analyzing section, based on the path information occurring during a certain period of time prior to a point in time which is the start of a predetermined period of time before the time of receipt, the certain period of time excluding the time of receipt;
• compares an anticipated position on the anticipated path, which anticipated position corresponds to the time of receipt, with the position information generated by the input analyzing section;
• and determines, when the distance between the anticipated position and the position information is in a predetermined range, the object, which is a close object, as the object selected by the user.

An object selecting method used in an object selecting apparatus for allowing a user to select an object in a video image, the object selecting method comprising:

• a video processing step of causing an external display device to display a video image;
• a storing step of storing data of the video image caused to be displayed in the video processing step;
• an inputting step of receiving an input operation by which the user attempts to designate a display position of an object in the video image displayed on the display device;
• an input analyzing step of generating, when the input operation is received in the inputting step, time information indicating a time of receipt and position information indicating an inputted position in the video image;
• a video analyzing step of extracting one or more objects in the video image based on the data of the video image stored in the storing step, of analyzing one or more paths of the respective one or more objects, and of generating, with respect to each of the one or more objects, path information indicating a path history of the object;
• and
• a determination step of, with respect to each of the one or more objects, performing anticipated path determination which:
• estimates an anticipated path, on which the user would anticipate that the object might be displayed at around the time of receipt indicated by the time information outputted by the input analyzing section, based on the path information occurring during a certain period of time prior to a point in time which is the start of a predetermined period of time before the time of receipt, the certain period of time excluding the time of receipt;
• compares an anticipated position on the anticipated path, which anticipated position corresponds to the time of receipt, with the position information generated by the input analyzing section;
• and determines, when the distance between the anticipated position and the position information is in a predetermined range, the object, which is a close object, as the object selected by the user.