Object tracking apparatus, object tracking method, and control program

An object tracking method for tracking an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking method comprising the steps of:

• determining a positional relationship between the object and an analog having a feature similar to that of the object in an earlier frame of a current frame;
• specifying a position of the object in the current frame;
• specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object;
• and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object;
• wherein, in the object position specifying step, the position of the object in the current frame is predicted to specify the position of the object based on the position of the object and a motional state of the object in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in a first state, and the object from an image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object when the positional relationship is not in the first state, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in the analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

An object tracking method for tracking an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking method comprising the steps of:

• searching the object from an image of a current frame to specify a position of the object in the current frame;
• searching an analog having a feature similar to that of the object from the image of the current frame, specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object;
• and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object;
• wherein, in searching the object step, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

A control program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes a computer to perform the steps of:

• determining a positional relationship between an object that is of a tracked target and an analog having a feature similar to that of the object in an earlier frame of a current frame in a time- series image including a plurality of frames;
• specifying a position of the object in the current frame;
• specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object;
• and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object;
• wherein, in the object position specifying step, the position of the object in the current frame is predicted to specify the position of the object based on the position of the object and a motional state of the object in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in a first state, the object from an image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object when the positional relationship is not in the first state, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

A control program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes a computer to perform the steps of:

• searching an object that is of a tracked target from an image of a current frame in a time-series image including a plurality of frames to specify a position of the object in the current frame;
• searching an analog having a feature similar to that of the object from the image of the current frame, specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object;
• and
• extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object;
• wherein, in the searching the object step, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and
• in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.