Capturing images of a game by an unmanned autonomous vehicle

• US 10,269,133 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hildreth, Evan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Torres, Jose
• Application Number:
  US15/397,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20180189971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/0021 Tracking a path or terminating locations
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 43/004 electrically conductive, e.g. for automatic arbitration
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/18 Throwing or slinging toys, e.g. flying disc toys discs used in athletics A63B65/10as part of a game A63F9/02; sling weapons F41B3/00; spring toy guns F41B7/08
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10032 Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30224 Ball; Puck
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30228 Playing field
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Embodiments include devices and methods for capturing images of a game by an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV). A processor of the UAV may determine game play rules of the game. The processor may determine a location of the game object. The processor may calculate a position from which to capture an image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object. The processor may capture an image of the game from the calculated position.

Claims

1. A method of capturing images of a game by an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

surveying, by a processor of the UAV, a playing area of the game;

determining, by a processor of the UAV, game play rules of the game based on the survey of the playing area of the game;

determining, by the processor, a location of a game object;

calculating, by the processor, a position from which to capture an image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

capturing an image of the game from the calculated position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the game play rules comprises:

obtaining the game play rules from a memory coupled to the processor of the UAV.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the game play rules comprises:

identifying, by the processor, a landmark of the playing area; and

determining, by the processor, the game play rules based on the identified landmark of the playing area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the game object comprises:

receiving telemetry from the game object; and

determining the location of the game object based on the received telemetry.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position from which to capture the image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object comprises:

predicting, by the processor, a game action based on the game play rules and the determined location of the game object; and

calculating, by the processor, the position based on the predicted game action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the position from which to capture the image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object comprises:

characterizing, by the processor, a game context based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

calculating, by the processor, the position based on the characterized game context.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, whether the game context has changed; and

calculating, by the processor, another position from which to capture a second image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the changed game context.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the game from the calculated position comprises:

moving the UAV to the calculated position.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the image of the game from the calculated position comprises:

selecting, by the processor, a second UAV proximate to the calculated position; and

capturing the image of the game from the calculated position by the second UAV.

10. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

an image sensor; and

a processor coupled to the image sensor and configured with processor-executable instructions to;

survey a playing area of a game;

determine game play rules of the game based on the survey of the playing area of the game;

determine a location of a game object;

calculate a position from which to capture an image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

capture an image of the game from the calculated position.

11. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

obtain the game play rules from a memory coupled to the processor of the UAV.

12. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

identify a landmark of the playing area; and

determine the game play rules based on the identified landmark of the playing area.

13. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

receive telemetry from the game object; and

determine the location of the game object based on the received telemetry.

14. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

predict a game action based on the game play rules and the determined location of the game object; and

calculate the position from which to capture the image of the game based on the predicted game action.

15. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

characterize a game context based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

calculate the position from which to capture the image of the based on the characterized game context.

16. The UAV of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

determine whether the game context has changed; and

calculate another position from which to capture a second image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the changed game context.

17. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

move the UAV to the calculated position.

18. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured with processor-executable instructions to:

select a second UAV proximate to the calculated position; and

capture the image of the game from the calculated position by the second UAV.

19. An unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV), comprising:

means for surveying a playing area of a game;

means for determining game play rules of the game based on the survey of the playing area of the game;

means for determining a location of a game object;

means for calculating a position from which to capture an image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

means for capturing an image of the game from the calculated position.

20. A non-transitory processor-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of an unmanned autonomous vehicle (UAV) to perform operations comprising:

surveying a playing area of a game;

determining game play rules of the game based on the survey of the playing area of the game;

determining a location of a game object;

calculating a position from which to capture an image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

capturing an image of the game from the calculated position.

21. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that determining the game play rules comprises:

obtaining the game play rules from a memory coupled to the processor of the UAV.

22. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that determining the game play rules comprises:

identifying a landmark of the playing area; and

determining the game play rules based on the identified landmark of the playing area.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that determining the location of the game object comprises:

receiving telemetry from the game object; and

determining the location of the game object based on the received telemetry.

24. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that calculating the position from which to capture the image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object comprises:

predicting a game action based on the game play rules and the determined location of the game object; and

calculating the position based on the predicted game action.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that calculating the position from which to capture the image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object comprises:

characterizing a game context based on the determined game play rules and the location of the game object; and

calculating the position based on the characterized game context.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations further comprising:

determining whether the game context has changed; and

calculating another position from which to capture a second image of the game based on the determined game play rules and the changed game context.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that capturing the image of the game from the calculated position comprises:

moving the UAV to the calculated position.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are further configured to cause the processor of the UAV to perform operations such that capturing the image of the game from the calculated position comprises:

selecting a second UAV proximate to the calculated position; and

capturing the image of the game from the calculated position by the second UAV.