Photographing device, moving body for photographing, and photographing control apparatus for moving body

• US 10,356,294 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2016
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Osanai, Yoji, Igarashi, Tsutomu, Kouchi, Taichiro, Nonaka, Osamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Chia Wei A
• Application Number:
  US15/457,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/644 compensating for large deviations, e.g. maintaining a fixed line of sight while a vehicle on which the system is mounted changes course
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A photographing device attachable to a moving body includes: a first control section configured to predict and obtain a change in physical quantity based on an alteration in a photographing state; and a communication control section configured to transmit information related to the change in the physical quantity. The photographing device improves stability in the moving body and stability of photographing. Information related to influence on the moving body based on a change in an outer shape and a change in a position of the center of gravity of the photographing device mounted on the moving body is shared by the moving body to improve the stability in the moving body and the stability of photographing.

Claims

1. A photographing device attachable to a moving body, having a propulsive mechanism for moving the moving body, the photographing device comprising:

a camera with a movable component; and

one or more processors comprising hardware, wherein the one or more processors are configured to;

predict a change in a physical quantity of the photographing device which changes a movement and a posture of the moving body based on a movement to be made by the movable component;

determine whether the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain a predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

determine a control instruction for the propulsive mechanism to move the moving body to reduce the change in the movement and the posture of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device; and

control the propulsive mechanism based on the control instruction together with the movement of the movable component; and

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism cannot be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device, control the camera to prevent the movement to be made by the movable component.

2. The photographing device according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to refer to a storage storing information describing a relationship between the movement to be made and the change in the physical quantity to predict the change in the physical quantity.

3. The photographing device according to claim 2,

wherein the storage is arranged with the camera.

4. The photographing device according to claim 1,

wherein the movable component of the camera comprises is a lens or a stroboscope.

5. The photographing device according to claim 1,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to:

receive information related to an inclination of the moving body;

determine whether the inclination of the moving body exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

in response to determining that the inclination of the moving body exceeds the predetermined threshold, control the camera to set a zoom operation of the camera to electronic zoom.

6. A system comprising:

a moving body comprising a propulsive mechanism configured to move the moving body;

a photographing device attachable to the moving body, the photographing device comprising a camera with a movable component;

one or more processors configured to;

predict a change in a physical quantity of the photographing device which changes a movement and a posture of the moving body based on a movement to be made by the movable component;

determine whether the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain a predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

determine a control instruction for the propulsive mechanism to move the moving body to reduce the change in the movement and the posture of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device; and

control the propulsive mechanism based on the control instruction together with the movement of the movable component; and

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism cannot be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device, control the camera to prevent the movement to be made by the movable component.

7. A method for controlling a moving body having a propulsive mechanism for moving the moving body and a photographing device attachable to the moving body, the photographing device having a camera with a movable component, the method comprising:

predicting a change in a physical quantity of the photographing device which changes a movement and a posture of the moving body based on a movement to be made by the movable component;

determining whether the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain a predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism can be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device;

determining a control instruction for the propulsive mechanism to move the moving body to reduce the change in the movement and the posture of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device; and

controlling the propulsive mechanism based on the control instruction together with the movement of the movable component; and

in response to determining that the propulsive mechanism cannot be controlled to maintain the predetermined stability of the moving body caused by the predicted change in the physical quantity of the photographing device, controlling the camera to prevent the movement to be made by the movable component.