ELEVATION ANGLE ESTIMATING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER TERMINAL PLACEMENT

• US 20160290794A1
• Filed: 04/06/2015
• Published: 10/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WorldVu Satellites Limited
• Original Assignee: WorldVu Satellites Limited
• Inventors: Ni, Melvin S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,415,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/26 for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/00 Satellite radio beacon positioning systems; Determining position, velocity or attitude using signals transmitted by such systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0015 characterised by the lens design
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A system and a method for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal include a camera device for capturing an image of the sky and a display device for displaying the image of the sky captured by the camera device. One of the camera device and the display device generates an elevation limit marking in the image of the sky displayed by the display device. The elevation limit marking in the image of the sky defines an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions.

Claims

1. A system for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal, the system comprising:

a camera device for capturing an image of the sky; and

a display device for displaying the image of the sky captured by the camera device;

wherein one of the camera device and the display device generates an elevation limit marking on the image of the sky displayed by the display device;

wherein the elevation limit marking defines an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the elevation angle defined by the elevation limit marking comprises a maximum elevation angle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera device includes an image sensor for capturing the image of the sky.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the image sensor comprises a charge-coupled device.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS active-pixel device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera device includes an optical system for focusing light, representing the sky and the one or more objects in the field of view of the camera device, on the image sensor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the optical system includes a wide-angle lens.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the optical system includes a reticle that generates the elevation limit marking that is superimposed on the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera device includes image processing and communication electronics.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the image processing and communication electronics includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for image acquisition and wireless transmission the image of the sky to the display device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the image of the sky is a real-time video image and wherein the image processing and communication electronics generates the real-time video image.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the image of the sky is a still image and wherein the firmware generates the still image.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the image processing and communication electronics allows for one or more of BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, Internet, and cellular data transmission of the image of the sky to the display device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the image processing and communication electronics includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wired transmission of the image of the sky to the display device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the image processing and communication electronics for wired transmission allows for a Universal Serial Bus connection of the camera device with the display device.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus On-The-Go adaptor for wired connection of the camera device with the display device.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the image processing and communication electronics adds the elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein the camera device includes a processor for controlling the functions of the image processing and communication electronics.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises a portable or a mobile device having a display screen for displaying the image of the sky captured by the camera device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the portable or mobile device comprises a hand held device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the handheld device comprises a smart phone or a tablet computer.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the portable or mobile device comprises a laptop computer.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wireless reception of the image of the sky transmitted by the camera device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, allows one or more of BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, Internet, and cellular data reception of the image of the sky transmitted from the camera device.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wired reception of the image of the sky transmitted by the camera.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wired reception provides for a Universal Serial Bus connection between the display device and the camera device.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes a software application, which when executed by a processor of the display device displays the image of the sky on the display device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein when the software application is executed by the processor the software application adds the elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein the display device includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, that adds the elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein the elevation limit marking comprises a circle.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein if the one or more objects is substantially outside the elevation limit marking, the one or more objects are estimated to be below the elevation angle.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein if a portion of the one or more objects is substantially inside the elevation limit marking, the one or more objects are estimated to be above the elevation angle.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera device and display device comprise an integral unit.

34. A user terminal comprising a housing, an antenna associated with the housing, and the camera device of claim 1 disposed on or integrated into the housing.

35. A user terminal comprising a housing, an antenna associated with the housing, and the system of claim 1 disposed on or integrated into the housing.

36. A camera device for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal, the camera device comprising:

an image sensor capturing an image of the sky;

wherein the camera device generates an elevation limit marking in the image of the sky that will be displayed by a display device;

wherein the elevation limit marking defines an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all of the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions.

37. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the elevation angle defined by the elevation limit marking comprises a maximum elevation angle.

38. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the camera device includes an image sensor for capturing the image of the sky.

39. The camera device of claim 38, wherein the image sensor comprises a charge-coupled device.

40. The camera device of claim 38, wherein the image sensor comprises a CMOS active-pixel device.

41. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the camera device includes an optical system for focusing light, representing the sky and the one or more objects in the field of view of the camera device, on the image sensor.

42. The camera device of claim 41, wherein the optical system includes a wide-angle lens.

43. The camera device of claim 41, wherein the optical system includes a reticle that generates the elevation limit marking that is added to the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

44. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the camera device includes image processing and communication electronics.

45. The camera device of claim 44, wherein the image processing and communication electronics includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for image acquisition and wireless transmission the image of the sky to the display device.

46. The camera device of claim 44, wherein the image of the sky is a real-time video image and wherein the image processing and communication electronics generates the real-time video image.

47. The camera device of claim 44, wherein the image of the sky is a still image and wherein the image processing and communication electronics generates the still image.

48. The camera device of claim 44, wherein the image processing and communication electronics allows for one or more of BLUETOOTH, Wi-Fi, Internet, and cellular data transmission of the image of the sky to the display device.

49. The camera device of claim 44, wherein the image processing and communication electronics includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wired transmission of the image of the sky to the display device.

50. The camera device of claim 49, wherein the firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, for wired transmission allows for a Universal Serial Bus connection of the camera device with the display device.

51. The camera device of claim 50, further comprising a Universal Serial Bus On-The-Go adaptor for wired connection of the camera device with the display device.

52. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof adds the elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display device.

53. The camera device of claim 36, wherein the camera device includes a processor for controlling the functions of the image processing and communication electronics.

54. A display device for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal, the display device comprising:

a display screen for displaying an image of the sky captured by a camera device; and

a processor;

wherein the display device includes a software application, which when executed by the processor adds an elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display screen; and

wherein the elevation limit marking defines an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions.

55. A display device for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal, the display device comprising:

a display screen for displaying an image of the sky captured by a camera device;

wherein the display device includes firmware, hardware, software, or any combination thereof, that adds an elevation limit marking to the image of the sky displayed on the display screen; and

wherein the elevation limit marking defines an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions.

56. A method for estimating the elevation angle of one or more objects surrounding a user terminal, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the sky with a camera device that is disposed on, attached to, disposed in, or disposed adjacent, to the user terminal;

superimposing an elevation limit marking on the image of the sky, the elevation limit marking defining an elevation angle above a horizon of the earth that all the one or more objects in a field of view of the camera device must remain below so that the user terminal has an unobstructed view of the sky in all azimuthal directions; and

displaying the image of the sky on a display device to ascertain the location of each of the one or more objects in the image relative to the elevation limit marking.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein if all the one or more objects are substantially outside the elevation limit marking, the one or more objects are estimated to be below the elevation angle, and wherein if a portion of the one or more objects is substantially inside the elevation limit marking, the portion of the one or more objects is estimated to be above the elevation angle.