Patent ID: 6731799
Filing Date: 2004-05-04
Classification: G06K,G06T

Abstract:
A method for estimating a desired contour of an image object which is tracked over a sequence of image frames, each image frame comprising a plurality of image data, comprising the steps of:extracting a background model of an image background from the sequence of image frames; for a given image frame among the sequence of image frames, applying the background model to the given image frame to derive background information for the given image frame; for the given image frame, extracting motion information corresponding to said given image frame, said motion information comprising image data at which movement occurs within said given image frame relative to either one or both of a prior image frame and a subsequent image frame; for the given image frame, allocating the plurality of image data for said given image frame among a plurality of groups based upon the background information for the given image frame and the motion information for said given image frame, wherein a first group of the plurality of groups corresponds to image data at which motion occurs and a second group corresponds to image data correlating to the background model; receiving one estimate of the desired contour of the image object for the given image frame, said one estimate comprising a plurality of data points; and adjusting the estimate of the desired contour for the given image frame by progressing from data point to data point among the plurality of data points of said one estimate and updating points included in the desired contour to achieve an updated estimate of the desired contour, said adjusting comprising, for a given point: (a) when the given point is among the first group of the plurality of groups, adjusting the estimate of the desired contour outwards at said given point; and (b) when the given point is among the second group among the plurality of groups, adjusting the estimate of the desired contour inwards at said given point.