Patent ID: 7302081

Claim:
A method for detecting new objects in an illuminated scene, the scene being observed by at least one sensor, configured to deliver a succession of images, the method comprising: detecting and producing the succession of images in a form of electrical signals at successive instants; digitizing the electrical signals and producing digital image data at successive instants; storing the digital image data; estimating a nature of an object and a trajectory and changes in attitude of the object; the estimating the nature of the object and the trajectory and changes in attitude of the object including extracting, from the succession of images, at least one of primitives and calottes that are configured to be used for efficient discrimination between light spots and objects, wherein the digital image data includes pixels, and the method further comprising: associating a primitive or primitives with each pixel; counting, at regular time intervals over a time period T 1 , for each pixel and for each of the primitives associated with the respective pixel, a number N 1 of times that each primitive is materialized, wherein if the number N 1 of times that a primitive is materialized exceeds a threshold S 1 , the primitive is determined to be usually materialized during the time period T 1 , and if the number N 1 does not exceed the threshold S 1 , the primitive is determined to be usually not materialized during the time period T 1 ; counting, at regular time intervals during a time period T 2 shorter than T 1 , for each pixel and for each of the primitives associated with the respective pixel, a number N 2 of times that each primitive is materialized, wherein if the number N 2 of times that the primitive is materialized exceeds a threshold S 2 , the primitive is determined to be usually materialized during the time period T 2 , and if the number N 2 does not exceed the threshold S 2 , the primitive is determined to be usually not materialized during the time period T 2 ; determining whether a change has occurred in a primitive associated with a pixel, by applying at least one of criteria: (1) the primitive is usually materialized during the time period T 1 and is usually not materialized during the time period T 2 , and (2) the primitive is usually materialized during the time period T 2 and is usually not materialized during the time period T 1 ; counting, for each pixel, a number N 3 of changes in the primitives associated with the respective pixel, wherein if the number N 3 of changes exceeds a threshold S 3 , equal to half of the number of primitives associated with the respective pixel, it is determined that a change has occurred in the respective pixel; detecting whether a new object has appeared, by determining whether a change has occurred in a connected set of pixels.