Visual tracking using pertinent patch selection and masking

A novel visual tracking algorithm using patch-based appearance models is proposed in this paper. We first divide the bounding box of a target object into multiple patches and then select only pertinent patches, which occur repeatedly near the center of the bounding box, to construct the foreground appearance model. We also divide the input image into non-overlapping blocks, construct a background model at each block location, and integrate these background models for tracking. Using the appearance models, we obtain an accurate foreground probability map. Finally, we estimate the optimal object position by maximizing the likelihood, which is obtained by convolving the foreground probability map with the pertinence mask. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art tracking algorithms significantly in terms of center position errors and success rates.