Mobile motion capture cameras

• US 7,333,113 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2006
• Issued: 02/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Gordon, Demian
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kimbinh T.
• Application Number:
  US11/372,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20060152512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/475, 348/475, 382/103
• US Class Current: 345/475
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/7864 T.V. type tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/222 Studio circuitry; Studio devices; Studio equipment cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors, or control thereof H04N23/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications

Abstract

A system for capturing motion comprises: a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on the at least one moving object; at least one mobile motion capture camera, the at least one mobile motion capture camera configured to be moveable within the motion capture volume; and a motion capture processor coupled to the at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of the at least one moving object.

Claims

1. A system for capturing motion, comprising:

a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on said at least one moving object;

at least one mobile motion capture camera, said at least one mobile motion capture camera configured to be moveable within said motion capture volume;

a motion capture processor coupled to said at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of said at least one moving object; and

a camera motion processor coupled to said at least one mobile motion capture camera to track the movement of said at least mobile motion capture camera and to remove the movement in the subsequent processing of captured data to generate said digital representation of movement of said at least one moving object.

2. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, further comprising at least one fixed motion capture camera.

3. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera moves around the periphery of the volume.

4. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera is moved such that substantially all laterally exposed surfaces of said at least one moving object while in motion within said motion capture volume are within a field of view of said at least one mobile motion capture camera at substantially all times.

5. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera is arranged to provide a larger effective volume of said motion capture volume than possible with all fixed motion capture cameras.

6. The system of capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera is moved from a first position to a second position and is fixed at said second position.

7. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera is moved to follow the action of said at least one moving object and to perform motion capture while moving.

8. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, further comprising at least one servomotor used to move said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

9. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera is moved individually.

10. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

a first reference camera configured to show views of said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

11. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

a second reference camera configured to generate reference and adjustment of action captured by said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

12. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

a feedback loop configured to generate reference and adjustment of motion captured by said at least one mobile motion capture camera without a reference camera.

13. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, further comprising

at least one mobile motion capture rig configured to enable at least one of said at least one mobile motion capture camera to be disposed on said at least one mobile motion capture rig such that cameras of said at least one mobile motion capture camera are moved.

14. The system for capturing motion of claim 13, wherein at least one of said at least one mobile motion capture rig includes

at least one servomotor configured to provide translation and rotational movements to said at least one mobile motion capture camera disposed on that mobile motion capture rig.

15. The system for capturing motion of claim 14, wherein said at least one servomotor is coupled to said at least one mobile motion capture rig to provide said translation and rotational movements together to said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

16. The system for capturing motion of claim 14, wherein said at least one servomotor is coupled to each of said at least one mobile motion capture camera to provide said translation and rotational movements individually to said each of said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

17. The system for capturing motion of claim 16, wherein at least one of said at least one mobile motion capture camera is restricted in at least one movement of said translation and rotational movements.

18. The system for capturing motion of claim 13, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture rig is configured such that movements of said at least one mobile motion capture rig are pre-programmed.

19. The system for capturing motion of claim 13, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture rig is configured to move automatically based on received input for said at least one moving object.

20. The system for capturing motion of claim 19, wherein said received input includes a visual signal received from said at least one moving object.

21. The system for capturing motion of claim 20, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture rig moves with said at least one moving object on captured movement of that object.

22. The system for capturing motion of claim 1, further comprising fixed tracking markers disposed at fixed locations within said motion capture volume.

23. The system for capturing motion of claim 22, further comprising

a camera calibration system to calibrate said at least one mobile motion capture camera using motion capture information representing the location of said fixed tracking markers.

24. A system for capturing motion, comprising:

at least one mobile motion capture camera configured to be moveable, said at least one mobile motion capture camera operating to capture data representing at least one motion within a motion capture volume;

at least one mobile motion capture rig configured to enable said at least one mobile motion capture camera to be disposed on said at least one mobile motion capture rig such that cameras of said at least one mobile motion capture camera can be moved; and

a camera motion processor coupled to said at least one mobile motion capture camera to track the movement of said at least one mobile motion capture camera and to remove the movement in subsequent processing of said captured data to generate a digital representation of said at least one motion.

25. A method for capturing motion, comprising:

defining a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on said at least one moving object;

moving at least one mobile motion capture camera within said motion capture volume;

tracking the movement of said at least one mobile motion capture camera; and

processing data from said at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of said at least one moving object, said processing data including removing said movement of said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said moving said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

moving said at least one mobile motion capture camera from a first position to a second position and is fixed at said second position.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said moving said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

moving said at least one mobile motion capture camera to follow the action of said at least one moving object and to perform motion capture while moving.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said at least one mobile motion capture camera includes

generating reference and adjustment of motion captured by said at least one mobile motion capture camera.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising

placing fixed tracking markers at fixed locations within said motion capture volume.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising

calibrating said at least one mobile motion capture camera using motion capture information representing the location of said fixed tracking markers.

31. A system for capturing motion, comprising:

means for defining a motion capture volume configured to include at least one moving object having markers defining a plurality of points on said at least one moving object;

means for moving at least one mobile motion capture camera within said motion capture volume;

means for tracking the movement of said at least one mobile motion capture camera; and

means for processing data from said at least one mobile motion capture camera to produce a digital representation of movement of said at least one moving object, said means for processing data including means for removing said movement of said at least one mobile motion capture camera.