Methods and apparatus for automatically tracking moving entities entering and exiting a specified region

• Main Authors: VELIPASALAR SENEM, SENIOR ANDREW W, HAMPAPUR ARUN, BROWN LISA M, TIAN YING-LI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.11.2006
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; PHYSICS

Techniques for tracking entities using a single overhead camera are provided. A foreground region is detected in a video frame of the single overhead camera corresponding to one or more entities. It is determined if the foreground region is associated with an existing tracker. It is determined whether the detected foreground region is the result of at least one of a merger of two or more smaller foreground regions having corresponding existing trackers and a split of a larger foreground region having a corresponding existing tracker when the detected foreground region is not associated with an existing tracker. The detected foreground region is tracked via at least one existing tracker when the foreground region is associated with an existing tracker or the foreground region is the result of at least one of a merger and a split.