Patent ID: 8004565

Claim:
A method for tracking objects in video data during video playback, the method comprising: acquiring video frames from a video playback device as a source of previously captured video frames; designating a target region within a first previously captured video frame; automatically identifying, subsequent to designation of the target region, an object included within the target region; performing a zoom modifying the display size of the identified object within the target region in response to input from a user selecting a zoom action; identifying a motion vector associated with the identified object, the motion vector being associated with a second previously captured video frame and at least a portion of the identified object being included in the second previously captured video frame; shifting the target region for the second previously captured video frame according to the identified motion vector and according to a series of time-based rules for addressing boundary conditions to re-center the target region in a display device for the second previously captured video frame, the time-based rules including: providing an indication that the identified object is not visible, and waiting a limited period of time after the indication to determine if the identified object becomes visible; and automatically preserving the user-selected action modifying the display size of at least a portion of the identified object within the shifted target region when the identified object becomes visible after the limited period of time following the indication; wherein the identified object is tracked and a zoomed version of the identified object is re-centered in the display device for the second previously captured video frame.