Remote controlled tracking system for tracking a remote-control unit and positioning and operating a camera and method

• US 5,432,597 A
• Filed: 02/14/1994
• Issued: 07/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gvbb Holdings SARL (Vislink Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Looke, Richard C., Parker, Jeffrey L., Mix, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/196,774
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 356/152, 356/139.06, 318/640, 250/203.3, 250/206.1, 352/53, 348/169
• US Class Current: 356/139.06
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects

Abstract

The system includes improvements to a remote tracking system for the control of the field of view of a camera. The system provides for improved motor control for PAN and TILT functions and expanded modes of operation in both the automatic and manual operation of the system. These improvements also include several tracking response and command programs for control based upon the error between the desired position of the camera field of view and its actual position. In addition, a universal learning remote unit is provided to learn commands from the IR remote unit for those cameras that have such features.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the position of the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the movement of the field of view of a camera;

B. automatically tracking a subject with the field of view;

C. selecting field of view positions of the camera;

D. remembering the positions selected; and

E. controlling the cessation of automatic tracking to return to any of the selected positions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein step B includes the step of:

F. selecting a field of view of the camera by controlling the position of the field of view of the camera to automatically track the subject with the field of view of the camera to any of the selected positions.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

F. re-enabling the automatic tracking disabled in step E to begin automatic tracking of the subject by the field of view of the camera.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein step D includes the steps of:

F. controlling the movement of the position of the field of view of the camera to move from a position remembered to another position remembered by controlling the movement of the field of view to automatically track the subject to the other selected position; and

G. remembering the other position.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step E includes the step of:

F. controlling the position of the field of view of a camera to move from a selected position to another selected position.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of:

G. adjusting the rate at which the position of the field of view is moved between a selected position and another selected position.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

F. controlling the perspective of the field of view to provide a selected perspective;

G. adjusting the perspective of the field of view for a selected perspective of the field of view; and

H. remembering a selected perspective of the field of view.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the step of:

I. remembering the selected perspective of the field of view at the remembered selected position.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of:

J. automatically recalling the selected perspective when the field of view returns to the selected position.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the step of:

J. remembering a perspective associated with each position remembered.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of:

K. automatically recalling the perspective associated with each position when each position is recalled in step E.

12. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

F. controlling the cessation of automatic tracking of the subject in step B by the field of view by providing a Direction of Movement command to move the field of view in a direction as determined by the Direction of Movement command so as to control the field of view for determining a selected position.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the step of:

G. maintaining cessation of automatic tracking until a command is issued to re-establish step B.

14. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

F. issuing a Speed command to adjust the rate at which the return to any of the selected and remembered fields of view occur in step E.

15. The method of claim 1 further including the step of:

F. issuing a Speed Control command to adjust the rate at which the return to each selected and remembered field of view occurs in step E.

16. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera;

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject with the field of view;

C. controlling the cessation of automatic tracking in step B of the subject by the field of view by providing a Direction of Movement command to move the field of view in a direction as determined by the Direction of Movement command.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein step C further includes the step of:

D. providing a Speed Control command to move the field of view at a specific rate.

18. The method of claim 16 further including the step of:

D. issuing a Speed command to adjust the rate at which the return to any of the selected and remembered fields of view which occur in step C.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein step C further includes the step of:

E. increasing or decreasing the rate of movement.

20. The method of claim 16 further including the step of:

D. providing a command to begin control of the field of view to automatically track the subject with the field of view of the camera.

21. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject from the field of view with an automatic tracking device comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view; and

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject by the field of view; and

C. controlling the perspective of the field of view to provide a selected perspective; and

D. issuing commands to the tracking device to alter the perspective.

22. The method of claim 21 further including the steps of:

E. remembering at least one selected perspective of the field of view; and

F. recalling at least one selected perspective.

23. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera;

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject by the field of view;

C. selectively remembering a first field of view of the camera;

D. selectively remembering a second field of view of the camera;

E. controlling the automatic tracking to cease automatic tracking in step B and to return to the first field of view; and

F. controlling the field of view to automatically return to the second field of view after a predetermined time period.

24. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. controlling the field of view in step F such that when the field of view has returned to the second field of view the field of view is controlled to automatically return to the first field of view after a predetermined period;

H. controlling the field of view to automatically return to the second field of view after a predetermined time period; and

I. controlling the field of view to cycle between the first and the second field of views after waiting a predetermined time period at each selected and remembered field of view.

25. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject to the first field of view remembered in step C.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein step D includes the step of:

G. controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject to the second field of view of the camera.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein step C includes the step of:

G. selecting the first field of view by ceasing the automatic tracking of the subject by the field of view with a Direction of Movement command to move the field of view in a direction as determined by the Direction of Movement command so as to control the field of view for the purpose of selecting the first field of view.

28. The method of claim 23 wherein step D includes the step of:

G. selecting the second field of view by ceasing the automatic tracking of the subject by the field of view by providing a Direction of Movement command to move the field of view in a direction as determined by the Direction of Movement command so as to control the field of view for the purpose of determining the second field of view.

29. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. issuing a Speed command to adjust the rate at which the return to the first selected and remembered field of view occurs in step E.

30. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. issuing a Speed command to adjust the rate at which the return to the second selected and remembered field of view of the camera occurs in step F.

31. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. issuing a Cycle command to accomplish steps E and F.

32. The method of claim 24 further including the step of:

J. issuing a Cycle command to accomplish steps E, F, G, H, and I.

33. The method of claim 31 further including the step of:

H. issuing a Stop Cycle command to countermand step G.

34. The method of claim 32 further including the step of:

K. issuing a Stop Cycle command to countermand step J.

35. The method of claim 23 further including the step of:

G. issuing a Time Period command which adjusts the predetermined time period established in step F.

36. The method of claim 24 further including the step of:

H. issuing a Time Period command which adjusts the predetermined time periods established for the first and second fields of view.

37. The method of claim 24 further including the steps of:

J. selecting additional fields of view of the camera to be remembered; and

K. controlling the camera to continuously cycle between each remembered field of view after waiting a predetermined time period at each field of view.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein step J includes the step of:

L. selecting the additional fields of view of the camera by controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject to the remembered additional fields of view.

39. The method of claim 37 further including the step of:

L. selecting the additional fields of view of step J by controlling the-cessation of automatic tracking in step B of the subject by the field of view by providing a direction of movement command to move the field of view in a direction as determined by the direction of movement command so as to control the field of view for the purpose of selecting the additional fields of view.

40. The method of claim 37 further including the step of:

L. issuing a Speed command to adjust the rate at which the return to the additional selected and remembered fields of view of the camera occurs.

41. The method of claim 37 further including the step of:

L. issuing a Time Period command which adjusts the predetermined time period established in step F.

42. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view with an automatic tracking device comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera;

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject by the field of view; and

C. issuing a first command to the automatic tracking device and to automatically move the field of view in the same direction and to discontinue automatic tracking of the subject by the field of view at generally the same rate of movement existing at the time the command was issued.

43. The method of claim 42 further including the step of:

D. discontinuing the first command to the automatic tracking device to resume controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject with the field of view.

44. The method of claim 43 wherein step D includes the step of:

E. discontinuing movement of the field of view if tracking of the subject is not possible.

45. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view with an automatic tracking device comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera to automatically track the subject by the field of view;

B. issuing a command to the automatic tracking device for automatically moving the field of view until the subject can be automatically tracked; and

C. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view of the camera when the subject can be automatically tracked.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein step C includes the step of:

E. discontinuing movement of the field of view if a subject cannot be found in a predetermined amount of time or in a predetermined amount of movement of the field of view.

47. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view by an automatic tracking device and record images therein comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera;

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject in the field of view;

C. recording the image in the field of view; and

D. issuing commands to the automatic tracking device to control the starting or stopping of the recording of the field of view.

48. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a subject with the field of view with an automatic tracking device comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera;

B. controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject with the field of view; and

C. controlling the functions of a camera by the automatic tracking device.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. remotely controlling the camera using commands to the automatic tracking device.

50. The method of claim 49 further including the step of:

E. controlling the functions of a camera by programming in the automatic tracking device such that commands received by the automatic tracking device for controlling the operation of the functions of a camera will be remembered and controlled by the tracking device.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein step E includes the step of:

F. controlling the field of view by programming to provide for the accepting and remembering of camera commands by the automatic tracking device for more than one camera wherein each camera has different camera commands for the same functions.

52. The method of claim 48 further including the step of:

D. issuing commands to the automatic tracking device to control the functions of the camera.