Object tracking apparatus, object tracking method, and control program

1. An object tracking apparatus that tracks an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking apparatus comprising:

a positional relationship determining unit that determines a positional relationship between the object and an analog having a feature similar to that of the object in an earlier frame of a current frame;

an object position specifying unit that specifies a position of the object in the current frame;

an analog position specifying unit that specifies a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and

an object feature quantity producing unit that extracts characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and produces a characteristic object feature quality of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object,

wherein the object position specifying unit predicts the position of the object in the current frame to specify the position of the object based on the position of the object and a motional state of the object in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in a first state,

the object position specifying unit searches the object from an image of the current frame to specify the position of the object when the positional relationship is not in the first state,

the object position specifying unit searches the object from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and

the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

2. The object tracking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the positional relationship determining unit determines that the positional relationship is in the first state when the analog exists within a first range near the object.

3. The object tracking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog.

4. The object tracking apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an analog motional state specifying unit, wherein the positional relationship determining unit determines that the positional relationship is in a second state when the analog exists within a second range outside the first range, the analog motional state specifying unit specifies a motional state of the analog when the positional relationship is in the second state, the analog position specifying unit predicts the position of the analog in the current frame to specify the position of the analog based on the position of the analog and the motional state of the analog in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in the first state, and the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog when the positional relationship is in the second state.

5. The object tracking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the positional relationship determining unit determines that the positional relationship is in a third state when the analog exists in neither the first range nor the second range, and the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog when the positional relationship is in the third state.

6. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

7. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the positional relationship determining unit determines the positional relationship according to a distance between the object and the analog.

8. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 1 , wherein the motional state indicates a speed.

9. An object tracking apparatus that tracks an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking apparatus comprising: an object position specifying unit that searches the object from an image of a current frame to specify a position of the object in the current frame; an analog position specifying unit searches an analog having a feature similar to that of the object from the image of the current frame, and specifies a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and an object feature quantity producing unit that extracts characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and produces a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object, wherein the object position specifying unit searches the object from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

10. The object tracking apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the analog position specifying unit searches the analog from the image of the current frame to specify the position of the analog.

11. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 2 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

12. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 3 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

13. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 1 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

14. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 5 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

15. The object tracking apparatus as in claim 10 , further comprising an object motional state specifying unit that specifies the motional state of the object.

16. An object tracking method for tracking an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking method comprising the steps of: determining a positional relationship between the object and an analog having a feature similar to that of the object in an earlier frame of a current frame; specifying a position of the object in the current frame; specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object; wherein, in the object position specifying step, the position of the object in the current frame is predicted to specify the position of the object based on the position of the object and a motional state of the object in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in a first state, and the object from an image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object when the positional relationship is not in the first state, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in the analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

17. An object tracking method for tracking an object in a time-series image including a plurality of frames, the object tracking method comprising the steps of: searching the object from an image of a current frame to specify a position of the object in the current frame; searching an analog having a feature similar to that of the object from the image of the current frame, specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object; wherein, in searching the object step, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

18. A control program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes a computer to perform the steps of: determining a positional relationship between an object that is of a tracked target and an analog having a feature similar to that of the object in an earlier frame of a current frame in a time- series image including a plurality of frames; specifying a position of the object in the current frame; specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object; wherein, in the object position specifying step, the position of the object in the current frame is predicted to specify the position of the object based on the position of the object and a motional state of the object in an earlier frame when the positional relationship is in a first state, the object from an image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object when the positional relationship is not in the first state, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.

19. A control program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium that causes a computer to perform the steps of:

searching an object that is of a tracked target from an image of a current frame in a time-series image including a plurality of frames to specify a position of the object in the current frame;

searching an analog having a feature similar to that of the object from the image of the current frame, specifying a position of the analog in the current frame when the analog exists in a surrounding region that is of a predetermined region around the object; and

extracting characteristic information on the object from the image of the current frame, and producing a characteristic object feature quantity of the object by using the extracted characteristic information on the object;

wherein, in the searching the object step, the object from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the object by using the object feature quantity in an earlier frame, and

in an analog position specifying step, the analog from the image of the current frame is searched to specify the position of the analog in the current frame by using the object feature quantity.