Patent Document ID: 8781160
Application ID: 12650894
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of image object tracking and segmentation, comprising: defining an initial contour for identifying an image object; partitioning the initial contour into a plurality of contour segments; estimating a weighted length for a contour segment of the plurality of contour segments; and generating a desired contour by converging the plurality of contour segments to a plurality of edges of the image object using the estimated weighted length, wherein the converging the plurality of contour segments comprises: estimating an external energy value for the contour segment, estimating an internal energy value based upon the estimated weighted length and a smoothness index, the smoothness index associated with a gradient data of points along the contour segment, combining the external and internal energy values to estimate an energy functional, and minimizing the estimated energy functional to obtain the desired contour.