Method and apparatus for remotely controlling an image capture position of a camera

• US 10,455,133 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Bekiares, Tyrone D., Keller, Matthew C., Tine, Steven D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Monk, Mark T
• Application Number:
  US15/403,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20170126954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19621 Portable camera
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19689 Remote control of cameras, e.g. remote orientation or image zooming control for a PTZ camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/08 menus for interactive user guidance
• 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: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5133 Operator terminal details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A digital image capture device streams captured images (e.g. low-resolution images) to a remote viewer terminal, along with image identifiers and/or device position information. The remote viewer terminal displays the images for viewing by a remote viewer. The remote viewer provides inputs to a user interface, which indicate a direction of desired movement of the image capture device, and/or that the remote viewer wants new images (e.g. high-resolution images) to be captured at a desired position. The user interface inputs are translated into requests, which are transmitted to the image capture device. The image capture device provides movement prompts that direct a device operator to move the device in a requested direction or toward a requested position. When a position of the device corresponds to a requested image capture position, the image capture device captures one or more new images, and transmits the new images.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising:

a display device;

a device operator interface;

a data path interface configured to receive, from a remote device, image data and indications of image capture positions associated with the image data; and

a processing system configured to

cause images to be displayed on the display device, wherein the images correspond to the image data received from the remote device,

receive a device operator input via the device operator interface indicating device operator selection of a selected image of the displayed images, and

transmit an image capture request to the remote device via the data path interface, wherein the image capture request includes a unique image identifier;

wherein the image capture request causes the remote device to;

retrieving, by the remote device and based on the unique image identifier, device position data;

determining, by the remote device, the image capture position of the remote device based on remote device position data; and

when a current position of the remote device corresponds to the determined image capture position, capturing a new image using a digital camera to produce new image data.

2. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the indications of the image capture positions include at least one position definition parameter selected from a group consisting of a device orientation, a device geographical location, and an optical magnification level, and wherein the information corresponding to the image capture position includes a position definition parameter associated with the selected image.

3. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein:

the image data received from the remote device corresponds to relatively low resolution images;

the data path interface is further configured to receive requested image data from the remote device in response to the processing system having transmitted the image capture request, wherein the requested image data corresponds to a relatively high resolution image; and

the processing system is further configured to cause the display device to display an image that corresponds to the requested image data.

4. The electronic system of claim 1, wherein the electronic system is an operator terminal associated with a public safety answering point.