International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 3 Issue 2, March 2014

doi: 10.14355/ijics.2014.0302.03

www.iji-cs.org

The Reseach of the Vehicle Tracking and

Illegal Trajectory Discriminant Based on
Video
Zhenghua Zhang *, Min Xie, Jun Gu
School of Information Engineering, University of Yangzhou
196 West Huayang Road, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127, P. R. China
zhangzh@yzu.edu.com

Abstract
The single Meanshift tracing with RGB model always loses
its target under complex condition. The Meanshift and the
prediction of kalman combined in tracking moving targets
could improve it. According to the initial location, Meanshift
and the prediction of kalman are combined to confirm the
new location being the starting point of next tracking, then
the trajectories of vehicles are shown. The trajectory of
vehicle can distinguish whether the vehicles break rules and
regulations. Experimental results show that improved
tracking algorithm under complex condition has a certain
degree of improvement, and the trajectory tracking has a
smooth effect, which doesnt take too much time, and still
meets the requirement of real-time. Extraction of vehicle
trajectory provides the basis of illegal discrimination. The
lanes and the light determine whether the vehicle has run a
red light or illegal turn. The detection method can accurately
discriminate illegal vehicles to make video surveillance more
intelligent.
Keywords
Trajectory Tracking;
Discriminant

Trajectory

Extraction;

Violation

of

Introduction
The detection and tracking technology of moving
target use a certain algorithm to identify and calculate
its target trajectory. Meanshift tracking algorithm
generally uses its colour histogram as the target
features. Through an iterative, it can continuously
converge to true position by Meanshift vector, so as to
achieve the purpose of tracing moving targets. The
traditional MeanShift based on RGB model has several
advantages: (1) In the case of the known region, it can
be done in real-time, moreover, it is not complex; (2)
The histogram using kernel function model, is
insensitive to the target rotation, edge cover,
deformation. Literature 1 uses a modified Newton

interpolation algorithm to determine the optimal

location close to the true position, and makes the
tracing more accurately, thus improving the
robustness of the algorithm; however, it greatly
increased complexity of the algorithm. Literature 2
uses the idea of blocking, making tracking stability,
but there will be some distortion. Literature 3
proposed Meanshift algorithm with the least squares
method, to predict the position at first, then search the
final position, therefore, its accuracy has been
improved and more stable, while the complexity of the
algorithm has improved greatly. Literature 4 proposed
multiple
feature
fusion
theory,
using
the
complementarity among features. Integration of
colour and edge features were proposed in Meanshift
tracking algorithm. It is more complex and not
universal. Literature 5 proposed using colour
histograms combined with Meanshift algorithm,
increasing the robustness of the algorithm. But in the
real complex scenes, the effect will be unsatisfactory.
However, the above algorithm improves the
robustness but ignores real-time. For the real traffic
junctions, real-time tracking of illegal discrimination is
an important factor.
Moving target detection and tracking is universal and
basis research, and trajectory analysis and
recognitionis an important issue in motion analysis.
It is mainly used to explain the events that occur in the
scene being monitored. Identificating and analysising
the behavior of moving objects in the scene, then
classified intelligently. When an abnormal event
occurs, the real-time capture and timely warning, thus
arrive purposes of safely monitor. Traffic in the scene
most intuitive is the illegal turning left, turning right,
running red lights and other basic events, Automatic
identification of these events contributes to traffic for
illegality. Intelligent traffic monitoring system is to
help solve the problem in low efficiency of video
surveillance.

41

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International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 3 Issue 2, March 2014

In this paper, Meanshift tracking in complex scenes

easily lose issue, prediction of Kalman algorithm
combining with meanshift. This algorithm is effective
in reducing the complex condition of the lost target,
and also in real-time. The change of coordinate
combined with the change of lights determines
whether the vehicle is turning a red light or illegal
phenomenon.

In the actual traffic junctions, the scene is more

complex. Meanshift tracking algorithm is concerned
with the similarity of the colour between target model
and candidate model; however, there will be a high
similarity of the colour between the target and
background. Then, Meanshift tracking easily lose
targets, so the introduction of the Kalman filter is to
improve the tracking performance. Meanshift
algorithm combined with Kalman filter can effectively
solve the problem and have good robustness. When
the colour of the background and objectives are similar
or overlapping objectives are too much, Meanshift
tracking will not be able to ensure the accuracy of
moving objects. Background colours may cause
tracking the background rather than tracking moving
targets, because of the similar colour. If we can predict
the current frame targets from the information of the
previous motion, the targets may not be lost.
The step of Kalman filter prediction algorithm
integrated into Meanshift tracking algorithm.
(1) Firstly, in the initial frame of the video, it locates
the position of the target and creates the target mode.
If the center of the target position is y0 . Assuming
there are m pixel values { xi }i =1,2n ,Number of

eigenvalues is n. each feature value for probability

density is:

qu
C0

C0 k (

represents

i =1

xi y0
) [b( xi u )] .
h

Normalization

coefficient,

gray value of the u-th gets the center position y1 .

y1 , the center of the second frame, establishes a target

model to test the following formula:

x y
C1 k ( i 1 ) [b( xi u )]
h
i =1

p u

42

otherwise it will continue.

(2) Calculating a predicted value k of Kalman,
Supposing the system state is k, According to the
system model, the system can predict current state
based on previous state.
'
X (k k =
1) AX (k 1 k 1) + BU
(k )

To obtain the predicted valuex1y1,

X (k k 1)

represents the predicted results based on previous

state ,

AX (k 1 k 1) represents optimal results of

previous state and

U (k ) represents controlling the

amount of current state.

(3) The predicted value of Kalman filter is x1y1,
Meanshift tracking results is x2y2, comparing
two values with the selected condition:

=
When

<T

( x1 x 2) 2 + ( y1 y 2) 2 .

x1 + x 2
y1 + y 2

will be the
2
2

result; otherwise x1y1will be the result. The

algorithm of flow chart is shown in Fig.1.
video

Mean value

Read first frame

Initialization

Result of
Kalman

Read next frame

Read next frame

k ( x)

bandwidth, and [b( xi u ) determines whether the

y x
xi wi g 0 i

h
mh ,G ( y ) = y1 y 0 = i =1
y0
2
m
y0 xi
wi g

h
i =1
Compared to the Bhattacharyya coefficient ( y ) of
m

represents kernel function of contour, h represents

Meanshift vector:

qu and p u , if y1 y0 < , the iteration will end;

Tracking Algorithm Based on Meanshift

Combined with the Kalman Filter

C1 represents Normalization coefficient too, getting

Meanshift

Prediction of
Kalman

The end

FIG. 1 ALGORITHM OF FLOW CHART

Simulation Results of Tracing

This algorithm is experimental results given on the
platform of matlab R2010b in the condition of window

International Journal of Information and Computer Science (IJICS) Volume 3 Issue 2, March 2014

xp with the computer of InterRCoreTM2 Duo

CPU E7500 @2.93GHz2.00GB RAM. In this study,
using the real surveillance video of shifu gang of
yangzhou, The size is 720*3840. The experimental
results are shown in Fig 2 and Fig 3.

Meanshift

Improved Algorithm

www.iji-cs.org

TABLE 1 CRITERION

Turn left

dx > 0 and dy > 0

dx / dy < T1

Turn right

dx < 0 and dy > 0

dx / dy > T2

Go straight

T1 < dx / dy < T2

This Criterion is for one intersection. When the

number reaches n times(n +1 frame) to determine
whether the vehicle position turns rightturns left or
goes straight combined with the crossing lane with the
lights, the discriminant of illegality then occurs. The
flow chart is shown in Fig.4.
Moving vehicle
Tracing vehicle
trajectory

Distinguish

Meanshift

Improved Algorithm

lights

Lane belongs

FIG.2 THE COMPARISON OF TRACKING

Determine
whether illegal

Conclusion

Meanshift
Improved Algorithm
FIG.3 THE COMPARISON OF SMOOTH TRAJECTORY

From the Fig.2when target model is similar to the

background model, Meanshift algorithm would lost
targets; while the improved algorithm can track the
target. Fig.3 shows that the trajectory could be smooth.
Illegal Discrimination Method
In modern traffic management system, the camera has
been erected on the road and widely used for traffic
management. But it also requires a lot of manpower
for real-time observation of abnormal real-time
reflection. This treatment seems more cumbersome,
making the monitoring work very heavy, and the
surveillance
personnel
also
having
higher
requirements. Discriminating illegal vehicles in case of
automatically monitoring traffic and driving
conditions of the vehicle tracking and monitoring,
recording vehicle which violates traffic rules. The
vehicle is detected by tracking in its travel path, by
analysing the running track lanes combined with
signal changes to determine whether the vehicle has
run a red light or the phenomenon of illegal turns.
The discriminating method:
The difference between the current frame of center
and previous frame is dx dy .

FIG. 4 THE FLOW CHART

Conclusions
In this paper, Meanshift easily lose target in a complex
condition, which was presented with the Kalman
algorithm. Using actual traffic junction surveillance
video simulation, the experimental results that the
improved algorithm is better than Meanshift can be
seen. The trajectory has a certain smoothing effect and
still meet the real-time requirements, it distinguishes
according to the trajectory, and lists the conditions of
illegal discrimination.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The author wishes to thank the International

Conference on Electronics and Communications for
providing this template and all colleagues who
previously provided technical support.
This research is supported by the Yangzhou special
"industry-university-institute" cooperation under the
Grand number 2012038-8.
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44

Zhenghua Zhang was born in city of Nantong, Jiangsu

Prov., China, in 1965. He received BS from Yangzhou
engineering college, China, in 1992, MS from Zhejiang
University, China in 2004, respectively. His research
interests include video image processor coding and
decoding, real-time signal processing, etc.
He is an associate professor in Yangzhou University, China,
now.
Min Xie was born in city of Yangzhou, Jiangsu Prov., China,
in 1988. Now she is a graduate student in Yangzhou
University, China. Her research interest is video image
processing and real-time signal processing,
Jun Gu was born in city of Nantong, Jiangsu Prov., China, in
1990. Now she is a graduate student in Yangzhou Univeisity,
China. Her research interest is real-time signal processing.