Method and system for tracking a plurality of communication devices

• US 10,149,110 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Cao, Lan-Jian, Du, Quan-Wen, Sabripour, Shervin, Zheng, Ji-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): Sams, Matthew C
• Application Number:
  US15/535,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20180295475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 911 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

Method and system for tracking a plurality of communication devices. One system includes a plurality of communication devices that each include a respective electronic processor, a respective camera, a respective location component, and a respective network interface. At least one of the plurality of communication devices is configured to receive location information from each of the other of the plurality of communication devices, generate a tracking map, and transmit the tracking map to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices. The tracking map assigns each of the plurality of communication devices only one of the other of the plurality of communication devices. Each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to control, with its respective electronic processor, its respective camera based on the tracking map to include in its field of view its respectively assigned one of the other of the plurality of communication devices.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a plurality of communication devices, each of the plurality of communication devices including a respective electronic processor, a respective camera, a respective location component, and a respective network interface;

at least one of the plurality of communication devices configured to

transmit, with its respective network interface, an instruction to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to enable the respective camera of such other communications devices,

transmit, with its respective network interface, a request to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to provide location information,

receive, with its respective network interface, the location information from each of the other of the plurality of communication devices,

generate, with its respective electronic processor, a tracking map based on the location information, wherein the tracking map assigns each of the plurality of communication devices only one of the other of the plurality of communication devices, and

transmit, with its respective network interface, the tracking map to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices; and

each of the plurality of communication devices configured to control, with its respective electronic processor, its respective camera based on the tracking map to include in its field of view its respectively assigned one of the other of the plurality of communication devices.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of communication devices is configured to generate, with its respective electronic processor, the tracking map at least partially by dividing the plurality of communication devices into sub-groups based on the location information.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the tracking map includes geographic coordinates of each of the plurality of communication devices and wherein each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to control, with its respective electronic processor, its respective camera based on the geographic coordinates of its respectively assigned one of the other of the plurality of communication devices.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to control, with its electronic processor, at least one from the group consisting of a focal distance and a direction of focus of its respective camera.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to transmit, with its respective network interface, image or video data captured by its respective camera via a network.

6. The communication system of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of communication devices is configured to communicate with the other of the plurality of communication devices via a personal area network.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective cameras is mounted on at least one of the group consisting of a vehicle, a drone, and an article worn by a person.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the respective cameras is configured to rotate approximately three hundred and sixty degrees.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of communication devices includes a second camera such that its respective camera and the second camera face in substantially opposite directions.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of communication devices includes an odd number of three or more communication devices.

11. A method of tracking a plurality of communication devices, the method comprising:

transmitting, with a network interface of one of the plurality of communication devices, an instruction to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to enable the respective camera of such other communications devices,

transmitting, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, a request to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to provide location information,

receiving, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the location information from each of the other of the plurality of communication devices,

generating, with an electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, a tracking map based on the location information, the tracking map assigning each of the plurality of communication devices only one of another of the plurality of communication devices, and

transmitting, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices; and

controlling, with a respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, a respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices based on the tracking map to include in its field of view its respectively assigned one of the another of the plurality of communication devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map includes generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map at least partially by dividing the plurality of communication devices into sub-groups based on the location information.

13. The method of claim 11,

wherein generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map includes generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map, the tracking map including geographic coordinates of each of the plurality of communication devices;

and

wherein controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices includes controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices based on the geographic coordinates of its respectively assigned one of the other of the plurality of communication devices.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices includes controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, at least one from the group consisting of a focal distance and a direction of focus of the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting, with the respective network interface of each of the plurality of communication devices, image or video data captured by the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices via a network.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein transmitting the request, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the request to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to provide the location information includes transmitting, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the request to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices to provide the location information via a personal area network;

wherein receiving, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the location information from each of the other of the plurality of communication devices includes receiving, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the location information from each of the other of the plurality of communication devices via the personal area network; and

wherein transmitting, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices includes transmitting, with the network interface of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map to each of the other of the plurality of communication devices via the personal area network.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices includes controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices, at least one of the respective cameras being mounted on at least one of the group consisting of a vehicle, a drone, and an article worn by a person.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices includes controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices, at least one of the respective cameras being configured to rotate approximately three hundred and sixty degrees.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices includes controlling, with the respective electronic processor of each of the plurality of communication devices, the respective camera of each of the plurality of communication devices, at least one of the plurality of communication devices including a second camera such that its respective camera and the second camera face in substantially opposite directions.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality of communication devices, the tracking map based on the location information, the tracking map assigning each of the plurality of communication devices only one of another of the plurality of communication devices includes generating, with the electronic processor of the one of plurality, of communication devices, the tracking map based on the location information, the tracking map assigning each of the plurality of communication devices only one of another of the plurality of communication devices and the plurality of communication devices including an odd number of three or more communication devices.