Method and apparatus for real-time multiple objects tracking

A method and an apparatus for tracking multiple objects in real-time are provided to set priority to each particle filter, receive the subtraction image of the same priority to set a tracking target object in each particle filter, and receive a subtraction image, in which an area corresponding to the tracking target object which an upper particle filter is tracking is removed, and set a tracking target object, thereby reducing the increase of calculation caused by the extension of a tracking range as the number of tracking target objects increases and reducing the deterioration of tracking performance. An apparatus(100) for tracking multiple objects includes S particle filters(170a~170s), wherein S is an arbitrary natural number, a camera controller(120), an image storage memory(130), a priority distributor(150), and an image subtraction unit based on priority(140). The camera controller receives an original image from a camera(110) and outputs image information corresponding to the received original image. The image storage memory stores the image information. The priority distributor sets priority by using an object tracking result of particle filters. The image subtraction unit based on priority generates k priority subtracted image by using the image information of continuous frames read from the image storage memory and the area information of objects tracked by the (k-1) particle filters, wherein k is an arbitrary natural number in a range of 1 to S. The particle filters perform object tracking by using the priority subtracted images to output location information.