Patent ID: 6233008
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G01S,G06T

Abstract:
A method for tracking a target, comprising the steps of:(a) forming a first tracking window at a first position in a first image, said first tracking window substantially including said target;(b) forming a second tracking window at a first position in a second image temporally sequential to said first image;(c) discriminating a first plurality of pixels included in a first plurality of regions of said first and second tracking windows, and utilizing block matching to calculate a first block matching value between said first and second tracking windows by analyzing only said first plurality of pixels of said first plurality of regions;(d) modifying said second tracking window in a predetermined manner to thereby form a third tracking window at a second position in said second image, said second position in said second image being separately located from said first position in said second image;(e) discriminating a second plurality of pixels included in a second plurality of regions of said first and third tracking windows, and utilizing block matching to calculate a second block matching value between said first and third tracking windows by analyzing only said second plurality of pixels of said second plurality of regions; and(f) comparing said first block matching value with said second block matching value, selecting a final tracking window corresponding to a maximum block matching value, and determining a positional difference between said first tracking window and said final tracking window resulting in the maximum block matching value as a movement vector of said target, said final tracking window being selected from one among said second tracking window and said third tracking window.