Patent ID: 8599267

Claim:
A tracking device which tracks a tracking object by controlling a photographing section so as to continuously include the tracking object in a photographic image, the tracking device comprising: a feature information detection section that detects feature information from a current photographic image; a storage section that registers tracking object information in which feature information of a plurality of figures are registered so that the feature information corresponds to a priority indicating tracking order of the feature information; a tracking object matching section that (i) compares the feature information thus detected with the tracking object information registered in the storage section, and (ii) determines whether or not the feature information thus detected is information of the tracking object; a priority acquisition section that acquires the priority of the feature information thus detected from the tracking object information, in the case where it is determined that the feature information thus detected is the information of the tracking object; and a control section that controls the photographing section, based on the priority thus acquired, so as to include, in a subsequent photographic image, continuously from the current photographic image from which a plurality of the feature information serving as the tracking objects is detected, feature information that has a highest priority in the current photographic image, wherein the feature information detection section, when detecting the feature information of the tracking object from a previous photographic image but not detecting the feature information from the current photographic image, excludes that feature information from the tracking objects.