Patent ID: 7783076

Claim:
A moving-object tracking control apparatus comprising: a moving-object specifying unit that specifies a moving-object region on an image captured by an imaging apparatus; a calculation point arranging unit that arranges a plurality of calculation points on the specified moving-object region; a local motion vector determining unit that determines a group of local motion vectors for the calculation points; a moving-object motion vector obtaining unit that obtains a moving-object motion vector based on the group of local motion vectors; a calculation point updating unit that updates the calculation points including a group of calculation points whose determined local motion vectors are the same as or similar to the moving-object motion vector and calculation points whose determined local motion vectors are different from the moving-object motion vector, the group of calculation points being continuously used to calculate the local motion vectors and being updated by moving the position of each of the group of calculation points along the moving-object motion vector, each of the calculation points whose determined local motion vectors are different from the moving-object motion vector being rearranged by placing a new calculation point at a position in the vicinity of any of the continuously used calculation points; and an imaging direction driving control unit that controls a movable mechanism including the imaging apparatus in accordance with the moving-object motion vector.