Image processing

Apparatus for processing a sequence of images of a scene, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more sensors arranged to gather a sequence of images;
• and
• one or more processors arranged to execute a computer program stored in a non-transitory medium which will cause the one or more processors to process the sequence of images according to a method which includes:
• tracking a region of interest in the sequence of images using a Self Adaptive Discriminant filter;
• selecting a particular image in the sequence;
• selecting a set of images from the sequence, the set of images containing one or more images that precede the particular image in the sequence of images;
• and
• for each pixel in the region of interest in the particular image, determining a value for one or more parameters, said parameters comprising red-intensity, green-intensity and blue-intensity of a pixel;
• for each pixel in the region of interest of each image in the set of images, determining a value for the one or more parameters;
• and
• comparing a function of the determined values for the region of interest in the particular image to a further function of the determined values for the regions of interest in the images in the set of images said comparing of a function of the determined values for the region of interest in the particular image to a further function of the determined values for the regions of interest in the images in the set of images, comprises:
• for the particular image, determining a histogram of the determined values for the region of interest in that image;
• for each of the images in the set of images, determining a histogram of the determined values for the region of interest in that image;
• determining a histogram that is a function of the histograms determined for each of the images in the set of images;
• and determining a value of a parameter that is indicative of a difference between the histogram determined for the particular image and the histogram that is a function of the histograms determined for each of the images in the set of images.

A machine readable storage medium storing a program or at least one of the plurality of programs in a non-transitory medium which, when executed by a computer, will cause the computer to implement a method comprising:

• tracking a region of interest in the sequence of images using a Self Adaptive Discriminant filter;
• selecting a particular image in the sequence;
• selecting a set of images from the sequence, the set of images containing one or more images that precede the particular image in the sequence of images;
• and
• for each pixel in the region of interest in the particular image, determining a value for one or more parameters, said parameters comprising red-intensity, green-intensity and blue-intensity of a pixel;
• for each pixel in the region of interest of each image in the set of images, determining a value for the one or more parameters;
• and
• comparing a function of the determined values for the region of interest in the particular image to a further function of the determined values for the regions of interest in the images in the set of images said comparing of a function of the determined values for the region of interest in the particular image to a further function of the determined values for the regions of interest in the images in the set of images, comprises:
• for the particular image, determining a histogram of the determined values for the region of interest in that image;
• for each of the images in the set of images, determining a histogram of the determined values for the region of interest in that image;
• determining a histogram that is a function of the histograms determined for each of the images in the set of images;
• and determining a value of a parameter that is indicative of a difference between the histogram determined for the particular image and the histogram that is a function of the histograms determined for each of the images in the set of images.