Recording of moving images

• US 20040008264A1
• Filed: 05/13/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktienbolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktienbolaget L.M. Ericsson
• Inventors: Nister, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,271,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

The present invention relates to the recording of moving images by means of a portable communication device, such as a videophone. The communication device includes a main device (101), comprising a video camera (105). Furthermore, an accessory device (102), such as a headset, is also associated with the main device (101) and co-located with a relevant object (103). The video camera (105) records an original image of the relevant object (103). At least one tracking point (107a) is located on the accessory device (102) and at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c) responsive to the at least one tracking point is located on the main device (101). The main device (101) further comprises a tracking data generator, which receives signals from the automatic tracking sensor(s) (108a-108c) and generates in response thereto tracking data representing a target direction (104) between the main device (101) and the accessory device (102). An image controller in the main device (101) creates a stabilized image of the relevant object (103) based on the target direction (104) and an original image recorded by the video camera (105).

Claims

1. A method of producing an enhanced image of a relevant object (103) recorded by a video camera (105) in a main device (101), an accessory device (102) being associated with the main device (101) and co-located with the relevant object (103), characterised by

at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) being located on at least a first device of the main device (101) and the accessory device (102),

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f), responsive to the at least one tracking point (107a;

107b), being located on at least a second device of the main device (101) and the accessory device (102),

the method comprising the steps of;

generating tracking data representative of a target direction (104) between the main device (101) and the accessory device (102) on basis of signals received by the at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f), and

creating a stabilized image of the relevant object (103) by processing an original image (201) recorded by the video camera (105) on basis of the target direction (104).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised by the generation of tracking data involving triangulation of signals received from at least three automatic tracking sensors (108a-108c;

108d-108f).

3. A method according to any one of the claims 1 or 2, characterised by the creation of the stabilized image involving adaptively selecting a particular portion (202) of the original image (201) recorded by the video camera (105).

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the creation of the stabilized image involving tilting at least an image-forming element (303, 401) in the video camera (105) around at least a first axis (301;

302) relative to the main device (101).

5. A method according to any one of the claims 3 or 4, characterised by an image processing step in which the stabilized image is produced by utilising data from at least two consecutively recorded images.

6. A method according to any one of the claims 3-5, characterised by generating an alerting signal indicating that the video camera (105) is unable to record the original image of the relevant object (103) when at least a part of the relevant object (103) is estimated to be located outside a recording range (106) of the video camera (105).

7. A method according to claim 6, characterised by the alerting signal being an acoustic signal.

8. A method according to any one of the claims 6 or 7, characterised by the alerting signal being a mechanical signal.

9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the at least one tracking point (107a) being located in the accessory device (102).

10. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c) being located in the main device (101).

11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the at least one tracking point (107b) being located in the main device (101).

12. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the at least one automatic tracking sensor (108d-108f) being located in the accessory device (102), and the method involving transferring tracking signals from the accessory device (102) to the main device (101).

13. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the main device (101) being a mobile videophone.

14. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised by the accessory device (102) being a headset for duplex exchange of audio information with the main device (101).

15. A computer program directly loadable into the internal memory of a computer, comprising software for controlling the steps of any of the claims 1-14 when said program is run on a computer.

16. A computer readable medium, having a program recorded thereon, where the program is to make a computer perform the steps of any of the claims 1-14.

17. A communication arrangement including a main device (101) and an associated accessory device (102), the main device (101) comprising a video camera (105) to record an original image (201) of a relevant object (103), the accessory device (102) being co-located with the relevant object (103), characterised in that

at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is located on at least a first device of the main device (101) and the accessory device (102),

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) responsive to the at least one tracking point (107a-107b) is located on at least a second device of the main device (101) and the accessory device (102),

the main device (101) comprises a tracking data generator (203), which receives at least one signal from the at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) and generates in response thereto tracking data representing a target direction (104) between the main device (101) and the accessory device (102), and

the main device (101) comprises an image controller (204), which creates a stabilized image of the relevant object (103) on basis of the target direction (104) and an original image (201) recorded by the video camera (105).

18. A communication arrangement according to claim 17, characterised in that

the second device includes at least three automatic tracking sensors (108a-108c;

108d-108f) which each generates a tracking signal, and

the tracking data generator (203) produces the tracking data by triangulation of the tracking signals.

19. A communication arrangement according to any of the claims 17 or 18, characterised in that the image controller (204) produces the stabilized image of the relevant object (103) by adaptively selecting a particular portion (202) of the original image (201) recorded by the video camera (105).

20. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-19, characterised in that at least one image forming element (303, 401) in the video camera (105) is tiltable around at least a first axis (301;

302) relative to the main device (101) such that the image controller (204) can create the stabilized image of the relevant object (103) by processing an image recorded by the image forming element (303) when being placed in a tilted position.

21. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 19 or 20, characterised in that the image controller (204) includes an image processor for producing the stabilized image from data recorded in at least two consecutively recorded images.

22. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 19-21, characterised in that the main device includes an alerting unit to generate an alerting signal indicative of that the video camera (105) is unable to record the original image of the relevant object (103) whenever at least a part of the relevant object (103) is estimated to be located outside a recording range (106) of the video camera (105).

23. A communication arrangement according to claim 22, characterised in that the alerting unit generates an acoustic signal.

24. A communication arrangement according to any of the claims 22 or 23, characterised in that the alerting unit generates a mechanical signal.

25. A communication arrangement according to claim 17, characterised in that at least one automatic tracking sensor is constituted by the video camera (105).

26. A communication arrangement according to claim 25, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is constituted by a marker that has a known and well defined appearance.

27. A communication arrangement according to claim 26, characterised in that the marker is located on the accessory device (102).

28. A communication arrangement according to claim 27, characterised in that the marker is adapted to reflect light that is emitted from a light source in the main device (101).

29. A communication arrangement according to claim 28, characterised in that the light source emits a flashing light according to a particular sequence, which is to be reflected by the tracking point (107a).

30. A communication arrangement according to any of the claims 17-29, characterised in that

at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is a light source, and

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) includes a light sensor.

31. A communication arrangement according to claim 25, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) being constituted by a pulsating light source that emits a flashing light according to a particular sequence, which is to be registered by the video camera (105).

32. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 31 or 32, characterised in that the light source(s) is(are) a light emitting diode(s).

33. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 31 or 32, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a) is included in the accessory device (102).

34. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-33, characterised in that

at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is a magnetic component, and

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) includes a magnetic field sensor.

35. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-34, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is an ultra-sound generator, and at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) includes a microphone for reception of ultra-sonic sounds.

36. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-35, characterised in that

at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) is a radio transmitter, and

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) includes a radio receiver.

37. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-36, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a;

107b) includes an accelerometer,

at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c;

108d-108f) includes an accelerometer, and

the tracking data being generated from an estimated positional-directional relationship between the main device (101) and the accessory device (102), the positional-directional relationship being derived from a comparison of signals generated by the at least one tracking point accelerometer with signals generated by the at least one automatic tracking sensor accelerometer.

38. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-37, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107a) is located in the accessory device (102).

39. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-38, characterised in that at least one automatic tracking sensor (108a-108c) is located in the main device (101).

40. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-39, characterised in that at least one tracking point (107b) is located in the main device (101).

41. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-40, characterised in that at least one automatic tracking sensor (108d-108f) is located in the accessory device (102), and the accessory device (102) includes a transmitter for transferring tracking signals to the main device (101).

42. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-40, characterised in that the main device (101) is a mobile videophone.

43. A communication arrangement according to any one of the claims 17-42, characterised in that the accessory device (102) is a headset for duplex exchange of audio information with the main device (101).