Patent ID: 7663689

Claim:
A method for differentiating between foreground objects and background objects within a scene being captured through an image capture device, comprising: emitting a ray of light from a light source toward an object of the scene; opening an aperture cover allowing access to a sensor of the image capture device for reflected light from the light source; closing the aperture cover after a set time, the predefined amount of time corresponding to a maximum distance traveled by the light; generating a depth mask identifying objects within a foreground region and a background region of the scene based upon the light captured during the set time, the depth mask identifying objects within the foreground region with a first bit value and identifying objects within the background region with a second bit value; adjusting an image capture device parameter according to bit values of the depth mask for one or more of a sequence of captured image frames of the scene, wherein the image capture device parameter is selected from one of brightness, exposure or gain; applying the adjusted image capture device parameter so that the brightness, exposure, or gain of the captured image frames is adjustable independently for both of the objects within the foreground region and the objects within the background region; and tracking an object within the foreground region, the tracking being enhanced by the applied adjusted image capture device parameter.