Patent ID: 6205231
Filing Date: 2001-03-20
Classification: G01S,G06K,G06T,H04N

Abstract:
A method of identifying an object in a digitized moving video image such that the object can be acted on by a computer, comprising placing a plurality of tags at user selected points on the object in a video frame, each tag containing an edge of the object and the plurality of tags generally defining the object; automatically detecting the edges of the object; relating each tag to an edge by repositioning the tag to center the tag on the edge; tracking the object in subsequent frames of the moving video image by determining the locations of said tags in said subsequent video frames, wherein said plurality of tags define an area of the object corresponding to a hot spot, and said tracking of the object comprises tracking the hot spot, and wherein said hot spot comprises an area of the object bounded by lines interconnecting said plurality of tags.