IP Library Granted Patent US 9,947,106
Granted Patent B2
US 9,947,106 · App. 14/975,665 · Granted Apr 17, 2018

Method and electronic device for object tracking in a light-field capture

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,947,106
App. No.
14/975,665
Granted
Apr 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and an electronic device for object tracking in a sequence of light-field captures. A data acquisition unit acquires a sequence of light-field captures, wherein each light-field capture comprises a plurality of views. A feature determining unit determines features of an initial visual appearance model for an object of interest in a reference view of a first light-field capture. A feature matching unit matches the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture. A feature discarding unit discards features that cannot be well matched in all views of the first light-field capture. An appearance model building unit builds an updated visual appearance model for the object of interest based on the remaining features. Finally, a movement tracking unit tracks the movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures using the visual appearance model.

Claims (41)

1. A method for object tracking in a sequence of light-field captures, the method comprising:

acquiring a sequence of light-field captures with a light-field camera, each light-field capture having a plurality of views, the plurality of views corresponding to displaced viewpoints of the camera in a two dimensional plane, which is perpendicular to a main axis of the camera, one view among the plurality of views being a reference view;

determining features of an initial visual appearance model for an object of interest in the reference view of a first light-field capture;

matching the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture;

discarding features that cannot be matched in all or most of the views of the first light-field capture;

building an updated visual appearance model for the object of interest based on the remaining features; and

tracking a movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures using the visual appearance model.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the views of each light-field capture are acquired in a timely synchronized manner.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matching of the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture is based on a similarity metric score.

4. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions enabling object tracking in a sequence of light-field captures, which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

acquire a sequence of light-field captures with a light-field camera, each light-field capture having a plurality of views, the plurality of views corresponding to displaced viewpoints of the camera in a two dimensional plane, which is perpendicular to a main axis of the camera, and one view among the plurality of views being a reference view;

determine features of an initial visual appearance model for an object of interest in the reference view of a first light-field capture;

match the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture;

discard features that cannot be matched in all or most of the views of the first light-field capture;

build an updated visual appearance model for the object of interest based on the remaining features; and

track a movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures using the visual appearance model.

5. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein the instructions cause the computer to acquire the views of each light-field capture in a timely synchronized manner.

6. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 4 , wherein the matching of the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture is based on a similarity metric score.

7. An electronic device for object tracking in a sequence of light-field captures, wherein the electronic device comprises:

a processor coupled to a memory, the processor being configured to:

acquire a sequence of light-field captures with a light-field camera, wherein each light-field capture comprises a plurality of views, the plurality of views corresponding to displaced viewpoints of the camera in a two dimensional plane, which is perpendicular to a main axis of the camera, one view among the plurality of views being a reference view;

determine features of an initial visual appearance model for an object of interest in the reference view of a first light-field capture;

match the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture;

discard features that cannot be matched in all or most of the views of the first light-field capture;

build an updated visual appearance model for the object of interest based on the remaining features;

track a movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures using the visual appearance model; and

output data relative to the movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is coupled to a light-field camera.

9. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to acquire the views of each light-field capture in a timely synchronized manner.

10. An electronic device for object tracking in a sequence of light-field captures, the electronic device comprising a processing device and a memory device having stored therein instructions, which, when executed by the processing device, cause the electronic device to:

acquire a sequence of light-field captures with a light-field camera, each light-field capture having a plurality of views, the plurality of views corresponding to displaced viewpoints of the camera in a two dimensional plane, which is perpendicular to a main axis of the camera, one view among the plurality of views being a reference view;

determine features of an initial visual appearance model for an object of interest in the reference view of a first light-field capture;

match the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture;

discard features that cannot be matched in all or most of the views of the first light-field capture;

build an updated visual appearance model for the object of interest based on the remaining features; and

track a movement of the object of interest in the sequence of light-field captures using the visual appearance model.

11. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to match the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture based on a similarity metric score.

12. An apparatus for processing image data, in particular video post-production system or video surveillance system, comprising the electronic device according to claim 7 or 10 .

13. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is coupled to a light-field camera.

14. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the instructions cause the electronic device to acquire the views of each light-field capture in a timely synchronized manner.

15. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the processing device causes the electronic device to match the features in the reference view and in the further views of the first light-field capture based on a similarity metric score.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY NAME FROM INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS TO INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS, SAS. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 47332 FRAME: 511. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Feb 28, 2024
From: THOMSON LICENSING
To: INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS, SAS
Reel/Frame 066703/0509 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2018
From: THOMSON LICENSING
To: INTERDIGITAL CE PATENT HOLDINGS
Reel/Frame 047332/0511 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 9, 2018
From: LE CLERC, FRANCOIS; ROBERT, PHILIPPE; VARANASI, KIRAN
To: THOMSON LICENSING
Reel/Frame 045478/0669 →