Camera lens control system and method

• US 5,570,177 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 10/29/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SA (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Sorrells, David F., Parker, Jeffrey L., Mix, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/463,846
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 356/139.06, 356/4.01, 356/141.2, 318/640, 250/203.3, 250/206.1, 352/53, 352/179, 348/169, 348/213
• 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 distance measuring capability for use in the local and remote control of a camera lens for automatic and programmable control of ZOOM perspective, FOCUS, IRIS and other functions of the camera in conjunction with the programming of an included microcomputer-controlled automatic tracking system.

Claims

1. A method of automatically controlling the field of view of an image-receiving device with an automatic control system to track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view to automatically track a subject with the field of view by determining by the automatic control system the location of the subject with respect to a reference established by the automatic control system;

B. defining the characteristics that control the field of view by selecting one or more values of one or more variables from one or more of the following list which defines field of view control of an image receiving device;

a. field of view position variables,

b. field of view perspective variables,

c. image-receiving imaging device variables,

d. automatic control system variables;

C. remembering one or more of the values of step B;

D. recalling one or more remembered values; and

E. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view using the one or more values recalled in step D.

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

F. associating two or more values so as to create a predetermined relationship;

G. remembering the associated values of step F; and

H. recalling the remembered values to automatically track the subject using the associated values remembered in step G.

3. The method of claim 2 further including the step of:

I. associating two or more values whereby one or more values is a dependent value and is determined by the value of one or more different independent values.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the value of one or more independent values of step I is determined by a value of a different one or more independent values.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the value of one or more automatic control system variables determines the response for controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject.

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

G. remembering more than one response; and

H. recalling more than one response.

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

F. defining that the value of one or more image-receiving device imaging variables determines the resulting image intensity from the camera field of view.

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

F. defining that the value of one or more image-receiving device imaging variables determines the camera field of view perspective.

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

F. defining that the automatic control system variables establishes where in relationship to the field of view position the subject will be maintained during automatic tracking of the subject.

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

F. defining that the automatic control system variables establishes the relationship relative to the field of view perspective that the subject will be maintained during automatic tracking of the subject.

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

G. controlling the field of view perspective to maintain the subject at a constant perspective relative to the field of view.

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

F. remembering a value different from the value remembered in step C.

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

F. remembering a different value than that remembered in step c;

G. recalling the different value in step D; and

H. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view using the value recalled in step G,

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

F. remembering the value of step C by sending a command to the automatic control system.

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

F. recalling the value of step D by sending a command to the automatic control system.

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

F. providing a range of selectable values for each variable.

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

G. creating a range of values by automatically interpolating between two or more selected values.

18. The method of claim 2 further including the steps of:

I. creating more than one set of associated values;

J. remembering more than one set of associated values;

K. recalling a different remembered set of associated values than the set recalled in step H; and

L. automatically tracking the subject using the associated values recalled in step K.

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

F. remembering one or more values of step C in which each value remembered establishes a different desired location of the subject to be maintained during tracking relative to the field of view position;

G. recalling one of the desired locations remembered in step H; and

H. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view to maintain the subject during tracking at the relationship relative to the field of view as recalled in step G.

20. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of:

I. recalling a different remembered desired location value than the value recalled in step G; and

J. controlling the field of view to maintain the subject during automatic tracking at a relationship with the field of view according to the remembered value recalled in step I.

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

F. providing that the one or more remembered values of step C in which each value remembered establishes the response for controlling the field of view to automatically track the subject;

G. providing the recall of one of the responses remembered in step F; and

H. providing that step E automatically tracks the subject with the field of view using the response recalled in step G.

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

I. recalling a remembered response value different than the value recalled in step G; and

J. controlling the field of view during automatic tracking using the response recalled in step I.

23. The method of claim 13 further including the steps of:

I. providing that the one or more remembered values of step C in which each value remembered establishes a different desired field of view perspective;

J. recalling one of the desired perspectives remembered in step I; and

K. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view perspective recalled in step J.

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

L. recalling a remembered value different than the value recalled in step J; and

M. controlling the field of view in accord with the perspective recalled in step L.

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

N. providing that the field of view perspective is controlled to maintain the subject at a constant perspective relative to the field of view.

26. The method of claim 13 further including the steps of:

I. providing that the one or more remembered values of step C in which each value remembered establishes one or more image-receiving device imaging variables which determines the resulting image intensity from the field of view;

J. recalling one or more of the desired variables remembered in step I; and

K. automatically tracking the subject with the field of view using the variables as recalled in step J.

27. The method of claim 26 further including the steps of:

L. recalling a remembered value different than the value recalled in step J; and

M. controlling the field of view using the desired variables as recalled in step L.

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

F. providing a means of independently determining values from one or more of the following list;

1. relationship of the subject to the field of view position;

2. relationship of the subject to the field of view perspective;

3. subject location in one or more planes;

4. subject location in one or more planes within a region that is in a known relationship to the field of view perspective;

5. field of view image variables;

6. automatic control system tracking response variables;

7. desired subject relationship relative to the field of view position during automatic tracking of the subject;

8. desired subject relationship relative to the field of view perspective during automatic tracking of the subject; and

9. field of view position.

29. The method of claim 28 further including the step of:

G. associating one or more values from the list of independent variables of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more dependent values from the list of step B.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the field of view perspective based upon the relationship of the subject to the field of view perspective.

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

I. controlling the field of view perspective to maintain the subject at a constant relationship with the field of view perspective during automatic tracking of the subject.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the field of view perspective based upon the field of view position.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the field of view perspective based upon the response for automatically tracking the subject.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the field of view perspective based upon the location of the subject.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the field of view perspective based upon the desired location for maintaining the subject during automatic tracking of the subject relative to the field of view position.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the location that the subject is maintained relative to the field of view during autotracking based upon the perspective of the field of view.

37. The method of claim 29 further including the steps of:

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically determine the location that the subject is maintained relative to the field of view position during autotracking based upon the perspective of the field of view; and

I. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the perspective of the field of view based upon the relationship of the subject to the field of view perspective.

38. The method of claim 37 further including that the perspective is controlled to maintain the subject at a constant relationship with the field of view perspective.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the location that the subject is maintained relative to the field of view during autotracking based upon the field of view position.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the location that the subject is maintained relative to the field of view during automatic tracking based upon a region that the subject is located in which is in known relationship to the camera field of view position during autotracking of the subject with the field of view.

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

H. associating one or more values of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the response for automatically tracking the subject based upon the perspective of the field of view.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the automatic tracking response of the subject based upon the error defined as the difference between the actual location of the subject relative to the field of view and the desired location of the subject relative to the field of view during automatic tracking of the subject.

43. The method of claim 29 further including the steps of:

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the response for automatically tracking the subject based upon the perspective of the field of view; and

I. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the perspective of the field of view based upon the relationship of the subject to the field of view perspective.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the automatic tracking response of the subject based upon a region that the subject is located in during tracking of the subject.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the automatic tracking response of the subject based upon the position of the field of view.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the image intensity from the field of view based upon the position of the field of view.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the image from the field of view based upon the perspective of the field of view.

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

H. associating one or more values from the list of step F to automatically determine and adjust one or more values from the list of step B so as to automatically control the variables which determine the image from the field of view based upon the location in a region that the subject that is being automatically tracked by the field of view is in.

49. A method of automatically controlling the camera field of view variables relative to a subject that is automatically determined to be in known relationship to the field of view of the camera with an automatic control system to track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. providing means of identifying a specific subject;

B. determining the relationship of the subject in one or more planes to the field of view of the camera by determining the distance between the subject of step A and the camera; and

C. controlling field of view camera variables based on the determined relationship of step B.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein step A includes the step of:

D. determining the relationship between the camera field of view and the subject as a function of the distance between the subject and camera field of view.

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

E. determining the relationship as a function of the field of view perspective.

52. The method of claim 51 further including the step of:

F. determining the relationship as a function of the location of the subject in one or more planes.

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

D. determining the relationship of the subject to the field of view position.

54. The method of claim 49 further including the steps of:

D. remembering one or more values for the variables of step C;

E. recalling one or more remembered values; and

F. automatically controlling the field of view of the camera using the one or more values recalled in step E.

55. The method of claim 54 further including the steps of:

G. associating two or more values with each other;

H. recalling the associated values; and

I. automatically controlling the field of view using the associated values recalled.

56. The method of claim 54 further including the step of:

G. remembering one or more desired field of view perspectives in relationship to the subject.

57. The method of claim 56 further including the step of:

H. controlling the field of view perspective to maintain the subject in a constant relationship to the field of view perspective recalled in step E.

58. The method of claim 57 further including the step of:

I. remembering a desired field of view focus in relationship to the subject and the desired field of view perspective.

59. The method of claim 58 further including the step of:

J. controlling the field of view focus to maintain the subject in a constant focus for the given field of view perspective.

60. A method of automatically controlling the control functions used in a system that controls the field of view of a camera to track a subject with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. automatically determining the relationship between a subject and a field of view of a camera in one or more planes by determining by the system the actual location of the subject with respect to a reference established by the system;

B. selecting which of one or more control functions used for the control of the camera field of view are determined by the values of the relationship between the subject and the field of view;

C. creating an association whereby the values of one or more control functions for controlling the field of view of the camera are automatically determined by the values of one or more of the control functions of step B; and

D. automatically controlling the camera field of view by the system in accordance with the control functions of steps B and C.

61. The method of claim 60 further including defining one or more control functions to include the functions of the following list:

a. camera field of view position,

b. camera field of view image variables,

c. camera field of view perspective,

d. autotracking variables, and

e. desired location relative to the camera field of view.