Patent ID: 8208686
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for detecting an object, comprising: a candidate point detection unit configured to detect a candidate point of a contact point between the ground and an object located on the ground from pixels in an image of the object taken by an imaging device; a search threshold value storage unit configured to store a search threshold value for use in detecting the candidate point; a tracking unit configured to track positions of the candidate point, and calculate the positions of the candidate point at a first time and a second time, respectively; a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a difference between an estimated position of the candidate point at the second time, the estimated position being estimated based on the position of the candidate point at the first time, and the position of the candidate point at the second time; a candidate point state storage unit configured to store a state of the candidate point; and a state determination unit configured to determine a new state of the candidate point at the second time based on the difference, and change the search threshold value stored in the search threshold value storage unit or the state stored in the candidate point state storage unit, in accordance with the new state.