MOBILE, WEARABLE, AUTOMATED TARGET TRACKING SYSTEM

• US 20160189391A1
• Filed: 02/26/2015
• Published: 06/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apeiros, LLC
• Original Assignee: Apeiros, LLC
• Inventors: Demartin, Frank, Walton, Erik, Peregrino, Ricardo
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,759 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2057 Details of tracking cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/026 by measuring distance between sensor and object G01B11/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/00 Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0072 Transmission between mobile stations, e.g. anti-collision systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30241 Trajectory
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/40 in video content extracting overlay text G06V20/62; video retrieval G06F16/70; processing of video elementary streams in video servers H04N21/234; processing of video elementary streams in video clients H04N21/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/52 Surveillance or monitoring of activities, e.g. for recognising suspicious objects recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/07 Target detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19602 Image analysis to detect motion of the intruder, e.g. by frame subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19608 Tracking movement of a target, e.g. by detecting an object predefined as a target, using target direction and or velocity to predict its new position
• 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 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

The mobile, wearable, automated target tracking system is designed to enable an image and/or sound recording device, such as a video camera or directional microphone, to automatically follow a subject (or target) in order to keep that subject within the image frame or sound range that is being recorded. The automated target tracking system makes it possible to capture both the action and subject simultaneously without requiring a cameraman to manually operate the equipment. The indoor/outdoor, automated tracking system is designed to be independent of the video/sound recording device and may utilize a smartphone for location sensing and control. Both the target (or subject) and the tracking device may be moving, so the tracking device is designed to adjust position on 3 axes, azimuth (pan), elevation (tilt) and horizon (roll). Since the compact, battery-operated tracking device is mobile and wearable, it enables the user to capture the subject and all the action while also participating in the activity at the same time.

Claims

1. A system for recording a subject, the system comprising:

a target device proximal to the subject, the target device comprising;

one or more target sensors sensing the position and/or motion of the target device and generating target trajectory data therefrom;

a target transceiver communicatively coupled to the wireless network, the target transceiver transmitting the target trajectory data via the wireless network;

a recording device having a recording range, the recording device displaced from the subject and recording the subject within the recording range; and

a tracking device operatively coupled to the recording device, the tracking device comprising;

one or more tracking sensors sensing the position and/or motion of the tracking device and generating tracking trajectory data therefrom;

a tracking transceiver communicatively coupled to the wireless network, the tracking transceiver receiving the target trajectory data transmitted by the target device;

a recording range sensor for sensing the recording range of the recording device and generating recording range data therefrom;

an orienting apparatus for adjusting the recording range of the recording device based on the received target trajectory data, the generated tracking trajectory data, and the sensed recording range.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the orienting apparatus generates an anticipated target trajectory based on the received target trajectory and the sensed tracking trajectory, and wherein the orienting apparatus adjusts the recording range based on the anticipated target and tracking device trajectories, and the recording range.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the anticipated target trajectory is a relative trajectory between the tracking device and the target device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking trajectory data includes position and motion data.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the target trajectory data includes position and motion data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking device and the recording device are positioned at a stationary location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking device and the recording device are positioned at a non-stationary location.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording range data includes data indicating the orientation of the recording device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the orienting apparatus comprises at least one of:

a tilt mechanism for adjusting the tilt of the recording device, a pan mechanism for adjusting the pan of the recording device, and a roll mechanism for adjusting the roll of the recording device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the orienting apparatus adjusts the recording range by changing one or more of the following orientations of the recording device:

tilt, pan, roll, zoom, focus, and activation.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein trajectory data includes stationary trajectory data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is a radio-frequency network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the target device comprises a smart phone.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the tracking device comprises a smart phone.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording device comprises a smart phone.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface device communicatively coupled to and operable to permit a user to interface with one or more of:

the tracking device, the target device, and the recording device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the user interface device is a smart phone executing a computer application whose execution causes the smart phone to permit the user to interface with one or more of:

the tracking device, the target device, and the recording device.