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

• US 5,517,300 A
• Filed: 02/17/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Parker, Jeffrey L., Mix, John D., Daber, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/197,669
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 250/231.18, 250/203.3, 250/206.1, 250/206.2, 318/640, 318/648, 356/141.2, 356/141.4, 356/141.5, 356/139.06, 354/81, 352/53, 352/197, 352/243, 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 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 motion picture as well as still picture cameras. The system provides for improved motor control for PAN and TILT functions including motor turn-off in the event of stall; the use of optical means to provide position feedback through the use of a light-blocking disk graduated on a "gray scale" which eliminates mechanical contacts; mechanical levers that are motor driven for operation of ON/OFF and ZOOM functions of a motion picture camera or shutter control for a still camera via either the base or remote unit command circuitry. The remote unit is formed as a hand-held wand and also provides audio circuitry. A space diversity RF receiver is used to improve the communication link between the remote unit and the base unit.

Claims

1. A remote-controlled tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, a base station, said base station further including control circuit means for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to said base station and providing control output signals in response thereto, said base station including means for tracking said remote control unit, said means for tracking including movable means responsive to said control circuit means for moving said base station in response to said control output signals, said movable means including position feedback circuit means for providing a reference position signal and a position feedback signal to said control circuit means indicative of the position of said base station with respect to said reference position, said control circuit means providing said control output signals to said movable means for moving said base station in response to said position feedback signal.

2. The tracking system as defined in claim 1 wherein said position feedback circuit means includes light emitter means for emitting light and a light level detector means for detecting light emitted by said emitter means and further including light level blocking means mounted to said movable means and being positioned between said light emitter means and said light level detector means for varying the level of light detected by said light level detector means with respect to movement of said base station by said movable means, said light level detector means providing a light level output signal to said control circuit means indicative of the level of light detected by said detector means.

3. The tracking system as defined in claim 2 wherein said light level blocking means includes a member having a light blocking material therein, said light blocking material distributed throughout said member in a known manner from one portion of said member to another portion of said member, said light level detector means providing said light level output signal to said control circuit means indicative of the relative position of said light level blocking means with respect to said emitter means.

4. A remote-controlled tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, a base station, said base station further including control circuit means for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to said base station and providing control output signals in response to said control circuit means, said base station including means for tracking said remote control unit, said means for tracking moving said base station in response to said control output signals, said remote control unit including a signal transmitter, said signal transmitter being a radio frequency signal transmitter, said control circuit means including a radio frequency space diversity receiver means located and maintained in a known relationship to said base station said diversity receiver means including a pair of spaced apart antennas for minimizing the possibility of a loss of continuous reception of said remote unit signal by said diversity receiver means.

5. The tracking system as defined in claim 4 wherein said diversity receiver means includes a pair of receiver circuit sections, each said receiver circuit section receiving an input signal from a corresponding said antenna and providing a section output signal, and further including switch logic circuit means responsive to a quality of said section output signals for selectively providing one said section output signal as the receiver output signal in response to said quality of said section output signals.

6. The tracking system as defined in claim 5 wherein each said receiver circuit section includes noise responsive circuit means for determining said quality of respective said section output signal by determining a noise level present in respective said section output signal and providing a noise level output signal to said switch logic circuit means indicative of said quality of said section output signal, said switch logic circuit means being responsive to each said noise level output signal and selectively providing one said section output signal as said receiver if the noise level in the other said section output signal exceeds a predetermined level as determined by said switch logic circuit means.

7. A remote-controlled tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, a base station, said base station including control circuit means for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to said base station and providing control output signals in response thereto, said base station including means for tracking said remote control unit, said means for tracking including movable means responsive to said control circuit means for moving said base station in response to said control output signals, said remote control unit including means to provide a remote control unit signal and an audio microphone means for providing an audio signal in said remote control unit signal, said base station including circuit means for detecting said audio signal in said remote unit signal and providing an audio output signal in response to detected said audio signal.

8. The tracking system as defined in claim 7 wherein said audio circuit means of said remote control unit includes audio signal level limiting circuit means to limit the level of said audio signal in said remote unit signal to limit the level of said audio signal provided to said camera in said base station.

9. A remote-controlled automatic tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, a base station, said base station including automatic control means for continuous automatic tracking of said remote control unit and for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit and providing control output signals in response thereto, said automatic control means including means for receiving command signals and integrating said command signals with automatic tracking capability of said automatic control means for selectively enabling and disabling said automatic tracking capability, said base station including movable means responsive to said control output signals for moving said base station, said base station including position feedback means for providing a reference position signal and a position feedback signal to said automatic control means indicative of a position of said base station with respect to a reference position, said remote control unit including command circuit means for selectively providing an OVERRIDE command signal for disabling said automatic tracking capability to cease automatic tracking of said remote control unit without disabling said movable means.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein said command circuit means selectively provides a DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT signal to said control circuit means for moving said movable means in a direction as determined by said DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT signal.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 wherein said command circuit means selectively provides a SPEED CONTROL signal to said control circuit means for moving said movable means at a speed as determined by said SPEED CONTROL signal.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein said command circuit means selectively provides a TRACKING command signal to said control circuit means to resume an automatic tracking said remote control unit.

13. A remote controlled tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, and a base station, said base station including control circuit means having memory for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to a reference position of said base station as established by said control circuit means and providing control output signals in response thereto said base station including means for tracking said remote control unit, said control circuit means including means for receiving command signals and integrating said command signals with automatic tracking capability, said means for automatic tracking including movable means responsive to said control circuit means for moving said base station in response to said control output signals, said base station including position feedback means for providing a reference position signal and a position feedback signal to said means for automatic tracking indicative of a position of said base station with respect to said reference position, said remote control unit including command circuit means for moving said base station in response to said control output signals, command circuit means for selectively providing a LOCATION PRESET command signal to said control circuit means, said control circuit means being responsive to said LOCATION PRESET command signal to place data indicative of the position of said base station at the time said location preset command is received b/said control circuit means into said memory.

14. The tracking system as defined in claim 13 wherein said command circuit means selectively provides a LOCATION signal to said control circuit means, said control circuit means being responsive to said LOCATION signal to disable automatic tracking capability to cease tracking said remote control unit and move said movable means to position said base station in accordance with said data placed in said memory in response to said location preset command.

15. The tracking system as defined in claim 14 wherein said command circuit means selectively provides a TRACKING signal to said control circuit means, said control circuit means being responsive to said TRACKING signal to enable automatic tracking resume moving said movable means to automatically track said remote control unit.

16. A remote controlled tracking system comprising a movable remote control unit, a base station, said base station including control circuit means for automatically determining and remembering the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to said base station and providing control output signals in response thereto, said base station including means for automatic tracking said remote control unit, said means for tracking including movable means responsive to said control circuit means for moving said base station in response to said control output signals, command circuit means for selectively providing a STEALTH command signal to said control circuit means, said control circuit means being responsive to said STEALTH command signal to move said movable means at substantially the same rate and direction of movement at which said remote control unit was moving at the time said stealth command signal was provided to said control circuit means when said tracking mode is inoperative.

17. The system as defined in claim 16 wherein said STEALTH command signal provides for automatic return of said control circuit means to said automatic tracking mode when said tracking mode becomes operative after having been inoperative.

18. A system for positioning and operating a camera mounted on a tracking unit comprising a movable remote control unit, a command-driven controller having memory circuit means, a tracking unit movable by said controller for automatically tracking said movable remote control unit for recording pictures by the camera, said signal generating means located at said remote control unit for providing remote unit signals to said controller, signal receiving means at said controller for receiving said remote unit signals provided from said signal generating means, said controller being responsive to reception of said remote unit signals for moving said tracking unit, said remote unit signals including a data signal containing information indicative of the position and movement of said remote control unit and a STEALTH command signal for operating said controller, said memory circuit means storing said information indicative of the position and movement of said remote control unit, said controller moving said movable means in response to said STEALTH command signal having been received by said signal receiving means to move said movable means at substantially the same rate and direction of movement at which said remote control unit was moving at the time said STEALTH command signal was received by said signal receiving means.

19. A system for positioning and operating a camera mounted on a tracking unit comprising a remote control unit, a tracking unit, a command driven controller for automatically determining the relative position and movement of said remote control unit with respect to a reference position of said tracking unit as established by said controller, said controller having memory circuit means for automatically tracking said movable remote control unit by moving said tracking unit for recording pictures by a camera, said tracking including position feedback means for "providing a reference position signal and a position feedback signal to said controller indicative of the position of said tracking unit with respect to said reference position signal generating means located at said remote control unit for providing remote control unit signals to said controller, signal receiving means at said controller for receiving said remote control unit signals provided from said signal generating means, said controller being responsive to reception of said remote control unit signals and integrating said remote control signals with the tracking capability of said tracking unit for altering said tracking capability of said tracking unit, and generating data containing information indicative of the position of the tracking unit, said remote control unit signal including a POSITION PRESET command signal for operating said controller, said memory circuit means storing said information indicative of the position of said tracking unit at the time said POSITION PRESET command is received by said control circuit means in response to said controller receiving said POSITION PRESET command signal.

20. The system as defined in claim 19 wherein said signal generating means includes means for providing a LOCATION command signal to said controller, said controller moving said tracking unit in response to said information stored in said memory circuit means in response to receiving said LOCATION command signal.