METHOD FOR GENERATING A TARGET TRAJECTORY OF A CAMERA EMBARKED ON A DRONE AND CORRESPONDING SYSTEM

• US 20160117811A1
• Filed: 10/28/2015
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: TARIOLLE, Francois-Louis, Mollet, Nicolas, Fleureau, Julien
• Application Number:
  US14/925,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117811A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/106 Change initiated in response to external conditions, e.g. avoidance of elevated terrain or of no-fly zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10004 Still image; Photographic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

For generating a target trajectory of a drone equipped with a vehicle, the drone moving in an indoor or outdoor environment, the method comprises acquiring (S1) an approximate trajectory of the target trajectory by moving manually an object in the environment and capturing the movement of the object; identifying (S2), in the approximate trajectory, at least one trajectory segment corresponding substantially to at least one predefined camera movement pattern; and replacing (S3) the at least one trajectory segment by the at least one predefined camera movement pattern in order to get the target trajectory. The manual acquisition of a first trajectory which is an approximate trajectory of the target trajectory in the real environment allows taking into account obstacles in the real environment without having to describe these obstacles in software to prepare the shoot.

Claims

1. A method for generating a target trajectory of a camera embarked on a drone moving in an indoor or outdoor environment, the method comprising:

receiving information representative of an approximate trajectory of the target trajectory acquired by moving an object in said environment,

identifying, in said approximate trajectory, at least one trajectory segment corresponding substantially to at least one predefined camera movement pattern, and

replacing said at least one trajectory segment by said at least one predefined camera movement pattern in order to get the target trajectory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined camera movement is part of a collection of predefined camera movements used in film making industry.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying is automatic.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the approximate trajectory comprises a plurality of sample points, each sample point being characterized by a 3D position, an orientation and a time stamp.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the movement of the object is captured by a tracking system arranged for tracking the 3D position and the orientation of the object when moved in said environment and for generating a 3D position, an orientation and a time stamp for each sample point of the approximate trajectory.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises modifying the timestamp and/or the 3D position and/or the orientation of at least one sample point of the approximate trajectory or the target trajectory.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the method further comprises adding and/or deleting at least one sample points to and/or from the approximate trajectory and/or target trajectory.

8. An apparatus for generating a target trajectory of a camera embarked on a drone moving in an indoor or outdoor environment, wherein said system comprises:

a receiver receiving information representative of an approximate trajectory of the target trajectory acquired by moving an object in said environment, and

a processor configured for identifying, in said approximate trajectory, at least one trajectory segment corresponding substantially to at least one predefined camera movement pattern and for replacing said at least one trajectory segment by said at least one predefined camera movement pattern in order to get the target trajectory.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the predefined camera movement is part of a collection of predefined camera movements used in film making industry.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the identifying is automatic.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the approximate trajectory comprises a plurality of sample points, each sample point being characterized by a 3D position, an orientation and a time stamp.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein an acquisition unit for capturing the movement of said object comprises a tracking system arranged for tracking the 3D position and the orientation of the object when moved in said environment and for generating a 3D position, an orientation and a time stamp for each sample point of the approximate trajectory.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to modify the timestamp and/or the 3D position and/or the orientation of at least one sample point of the approximate trajectory or the target trajectory.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured for adding and/or deleting at least one sample points to and/or from the approximate trajectory and/or target trajectory.