Controlling movement of a camera to autonomously track a mobile object

A method comprising:

• receiving from a camera, video depicting a scene having a center bounded by a first horizontal edge and a second horizontal edge, the scene also including an identified object of interest (OI) having characteristic information including a region around the identified OI and a motion vector representing a location, and an amount and direction of movement of the identified OI within the scene, the direction of movement including at least a horizontal direction of movement;
• calculating from the location of the identified OI, a distance of the identified OI from either or both of the horizontal edges of the scene. and in which the first horizontal edge is in the horizontal direction of movement and the second horizontal edge is opposite the horizontal direction of movement;
• and at least one of,
• causing an increase in a speed of the camera in the horizontal direction of movement in an instance in which the identified OI is located less than a first certain distance from the first horizontal edge;
• or
• causing a decrease in the speed of the camera in an instance in which the identified OI is located less than a second certain distance from the second horizontal edge.

A computer-readable storage medium that is non-transitory and has computer-readable program code stored therein that, in response to execution by a processor, cause an apparatus to at least:

• receive from a camera, video depicting a scene having a center bounded by a first horizontal edge and a second horizontal edge, the scene also including an identified object of interest (OI) having characteristic information including a region around the identified OI and a motion vector representing a location, and an amount and direction of movement of the identified OI within the scene, the direction of movement including at least a horizontal direction of movement;
• calculate from the location of the identified OI, a distance of the identified OI from either or both of the horizontal edges of the scene, and in which the first horizontal edge is in the horizontal direction of movement and the second horizontal edge is opposite the horizontal direction of movement;
• and at least one of,
• cause an increase in a speed of the camera in the horizontal direction of movement in an instance in which the identified OI is located less than a first certain distance from the first horizontal edge;
• or
• cause a decrease in the speed of the camera in an instance in which the identified OI is located less than a second certain distance from the second horizontal edge.