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

• US 5,572,317 A
• Filed: 05/12/1995
• Issued: 11/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gvbb Holdings SARL (Vislink Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ParkerVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Mix, Jonathan D., Sorrells, David F., Looke, Richard C., Parker, Jeffrey L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buczinski, Stephen C.
• Application Number:
  US08/439,879
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 356/139.06, 250/203.3, 250/206.1, 318/640, 348/169, 352/53
• US Class Current: 356/139.06
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/786 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• 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 by the automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

B. enabling automatic tracking of the automatic tracking system for automatically tracking the target by the field of view;

C. determining by the automatic tracking system an interruption of automatic tracking of the target by the automatic tracking system; and

D. continuing to control the field of view of the camera by the automatic tracking system in the same direction as the field of view was being controlled before interruption of the automatic tracking of the target.

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

E. automatically determining by the automatic tracking system when automatic tracking of the target is possible to resume automatic tracking of the target by the field of view of the camera when automatic tracking is possible.

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

E. continuing to control the field of view at generally the same speed as the field of view was moving before interruption of the automatic tracking of the target.

4. A method of controlling the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view by an automatic tracking system comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

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

C. issuing a cease tracking command to the automatic tracking system to cause the cessation of automatic tracking of the target; and

D. determining by the automatic tracking system the location of the target during the cessation of automatic tracking of the target of step C.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the step of:

D. issuing a start tracking command to control the field of view of the camera to cause automatic tracking to resume after automatic tracking has been commanded to cease in step C.

6. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target by the field of view by determining the location of the target by the automatic tracking system with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system; and

C. controlling the field of view from a first state of not being in motion to a second state having the desired tracking response for automatic tracking by automatically selecting the desired tracking response.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. controlling the field of view through a predetermined change in the rate of movement to attain the tracking response selected in step C.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. defining the first state as occurring when the target is in an area relative to the field of view where no automatic tracking of the target occurs and defining the second state as occurring when the target is outside the area relative to the field of view where no automatic tracking occurs.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. defining the first state as occurring when the automatic tracking system has been commanded not to track the target and the second state as occurring when the automatic tracking system has been commanded to track the target.

10. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target by continuously determining by the automatic tracking system the location of the target and by controlling the difference between the location of a target as determined by the automatic tracking system and a desired location of a target with respect to the reference position as established by the automatic tracking system; and

C. Automatically selecting the tracking response of the automatic tracking system based on the difference between the desired location of the target relative to the field of view and the actual location of the target relative to the field of view.

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

D. automatically adjusting the tracking response at which the field of view is controlled in the tracking of the target to increase the response with the increase in the difference between the desired location of the target relative to the field of view and the actual location of the target relative to the field of view.

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

E. maintaining the greatest tracking response selected until the difference between the desired and actual locations is reduced to a predetermined amount.

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

F. automatically tracking at the response selected for the predetermined amount of step E and for tracking for any subsequent difference greater than the predetermined amount of step E that occurs after the difference has been reduced to the amount of step E.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein step E includes the step of:

F. controlling the difference to substantially eliminate the difference between the actual and desired location of the target.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. modifying the tracking response when the difference is of a first predetermined value and maintaining the tracking response at the modified response until the difference is reduced to a second predetermined value.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein step D includes the step of:

E. modifying the tracking response at each of a plurality of predetermined values of difference.

17. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera by the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target by the field of view;

C. controlling the automatic tracking by determining the actual location of the target relative to the field of view with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system and determining the desired location of the target relative to the field of view;

D. establishing at least two different sized tracking zones with each zone consisting of an area relative to the desired location of the target and determining by the automatic tracking system the location of the target moving within each tracking zone;

E. establishing for each tracking zone a specific tracking response which establishes the control of the field of view of the camera to control for the difference between the target'"'"'s actual location and desired location;

F. determining in which tracking zone the target is located; and

G. controlling the field of view to automatically track the target at the response determined in step E.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein step D includes the step of:

H. defining each tracking zone in terms of area in one or more planes, each tracking zone established being different in area from each other established zone.

19. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

H. establishing a first tracking zone which represents the smallest tracking zone in area relative to the desired location of the target and where each subsequent tracking zone represents a larger area; and

I. determining when the target being automatically tracked by the field of view is located within the first or other tracking zones.

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

J. controlling the field of view such that when the target is located within the first tracking zone the tracking response is less than the tracking response selected when the target is located within another zone.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein step J includes the steps of:

K. selectively maintaining the tracking response selected for tracking a target in the other zone when the target moves into the first zone from the other zone during reduction of the difference between the actual and desired location of the target during automatic tracking; and

L. automatically reselecting the tracking response of the first tracking zone when the difference has been reduced to a predetermined amount.

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

H. establishing one of the tracking zones to be the smallest tracking zone and which represents the zone with the smallest area defined relative to a reference representing the desired location of the target; and

I. automatically tracking the target in the field of view when it is located within the smallest tracking zone such that there is no movement of the field of view until the target moves out of the smallest tracking zone.

23. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

H. establishing at least one tracking zone such that there is no movement of the field of view when the target is within such zone; and

I. automatically tracking a target with the field of view when the target moves out of the tracking zone of step H.

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

J. automatically tracking a target by controlling the field of view until a particular relationship between the desired location and actual location is achieved; and

K. ceasing the movement of the field of view while the target is within the tracking zone of step H.

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

J. selectively maintaining the tracking response for a target in the other zone when the subject moves into the smallest tracking zone from any other zone during reduction of the difference between the desired and actual locations of the target during automatic tracking; and

K. automatically reselecting the tracking response of the smallest tracking zone when a particular relationship between the desired location and actual location of the target is achieved.

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

J. automatically tracking the target when the subject is located outside the smallest tracking zone; and

K. continuing to track the target until a particular relationship between the desired and actual location of the subject is achieved.

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

J. automatically tracking the target when the subject is located outside the tracking zone of step H; and

K. continuing to track the target until a particular relationship between the desired and actual location of the target is achieved.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein step J includes the steps of:

L. ceasing the automatic tracking of a target when the difference is reduced to a predetermined value; and

M. maintaining the cessation of automatic tracking until the target moves out of the smallest tracking zone.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein step K includes the step of:

L. establishing that the particular relationship of step K occurs when the difference between the desired and actual locations of the target has been substantially eliminated.

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

I. establishing additional tracking zones each representing a larger area around the desired location of the target relative to the field of view such that the larger the area that each additional adjacent tracking zone represents that the greater the response of the tracking that will occur when the target being automatically tracked by the field of view moves into an additional adjacent tracking zone.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein step I includes the step of:

J. establishing that the greater response of tracking selected will be the response which is maintained until the difference between the actual location of the target relative to the field of view and the desired location is at a particular relationship.

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

K. automatically reselecting the response of tracking of the smallest tracking zone when the difference has been substantially eliminated.

33. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

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

C. tracking a target by determining a desired location of the target relative to the field of view with respect to a zero error position reference established by the automatic tracking system and the actual location of the target relative to the field of view;

D. determining the location of the target relative to one side of the desired location of the target to be a first error zone and the location being located on the opposite side of the desired location of the target to be a second error zone; and

E. controlling the field of view such that when the target moves from being located at the first error zone to the second error zone and then again to the first error zone within a predetermined time period the field of view will be controlled to not automatically move the field of view to track the target.

34. The method of claim 33 further including the steps of:

F. tracking the target in one or more planes;

G. determining the desired and actual locations in one or more planes; and

H. defining the first and second zones in one or more planes.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein step E includes the step of:

F. controlling the field of view such that while the target continues to move within the field of view from the first zone to the second zone within a predetermined time period the field of view will not be controlled to track the subject with the field of view.

36. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of the camera with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target with the field of view by determining a relationship of the target to the field of view with respect to a reference as established by the automatic tracking system;

C. providing the tracking system with a means for establishing by the tracking system a desired location of the target relative to the field of view;

D. providing control means capable of establishing and adjusting the relationship of the desired location of the target relative to the field of view during automatic tracking; and

E. controlling the field of view to maintain the target at the desired location as selected in step D.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein step C includes the step of:

E. establishing the desired location of the target to be within or outside of the field of view.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein step D includes the step of:

E. providing control means capable of establishing the relationship of the desired location of the subject relative to the field of view during automatic tracking.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein step F includes the step of:

G. providing control means capable of adjusting the desired location of the subject.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein step E includes the step of:

F. providing electric control means for establishing the desired location of the target relative to the field of view.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein step F includes the step of:

establishing the desired location of the target by command means.

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

A. controlling the field of view of a camera in at least two planes with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking a target with the field of view by determining the position of the target with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system;

C. determining whether the target is trackable in at least one of the two planes; and

D. determining that if the target is not trackable in at least one of the two planes the field of view is controlled to cease automatic tracking in both planes.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein step D includes the step of:

E. resuming automatic tracking when the target becomes trackable in at least two planes.

44. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system the field of view of a camera used to automatically track a target with the field of view comprising the steps of:

A. controlling the field of view of a camera with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target with the field of view by determining the location of the target with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system; and

C. selecting by the user the automatic tracking response of the target by the field of view from a plurality of selectable tracking responses.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. issuing commands to select a tracking response to change the tracking responsiveness of the automatic tracking system.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein step C includes the step of:

D. selecting a tracking response to represent a specified rate at which the automatic tracking system will control the difference between the desired and actual location of the target being tracked as the target is tracked by the field of view.

47. A method of controlling by an automatic tracking system 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 with the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the subject by the field of view by determining the actual location of the subject with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system; and

C. controlling the field of view to cease movement thereof when automatic tracking of the subject by the field of view is interrupted and adjusting the rate of movement of the field of view from the rate at which the field of view was moving when the subject was being tracked to a cessation of movement of the field of view by reducing the rate of movement of the field of view to accomplish a controlled decrease of movement of the field of view.

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

A. controlling the field of view of the camera by the automatic tracking system;

B. automatically tracking the target with the field of view by determining the location of the target with respect to a reference position as established by the automatic tracking system; and

C. modifying the tracking response of the automatic tracking system by issuing a command to the automatic tracking system to select from a plurality of tracking responses.

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

D. defining the tracking response to represent a specified rate at which the automatic tracking system will control the error between the actual location of the target and the desired location of the target with respect to a reference established by the automatic tracking system.

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

D. selectively controlling the rate at which the tracking response is changed from one tracking response to another tracking response.

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

E. controlling the rate at which the tracking response is changed by continuously increasing the tracking response.

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

F. controlling the rate change of step E automatically by the automatic tracking system.

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

E. controlling the rate change of step D automatically by the automatic tracking system.

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

E. controlling the rate change of step D by commands from the target being tracked.