Camera aiming using an electronic positioning system for the target
First Claim
1. A system for using positioning information to image vehicles in an open-pit mine, the system comprising:
- a plurality of land-based transmitters at different known locations in or by the open-pit mine;
a plurality of cameras each steerable along at least two axes, the cameras positioned at or by respective land-based transmitters such that updates for the known locations of the land-based transmitters correspond to camera locations, the cameras operable to zoom;
a management processor operable to determine locations of a plurality of vehicles in or by the open-pit mine as a function of signals transmitted from the land-based transmitters at the known locations and received at the vehicles; and
a display operable to display a graphical representation of the locations of the vehicles;
wherein the management processor is operable to steer the plurality of cameras to a first one of the vehicles and to zoom the plurality of cameras as a function of distances from the cameras to the first one of the vehicles, and wherein the display is operable to display images from the plurality of cameras, the images showing the first one of the vehicles from different angles such that four sides of the first one of the vehicles are shown in the images.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Vehicles, such as vehicles in an open-pit mine, are visually tracked. The location of a vehicle is determined using radio frequency signals, such as pseudolite transmissions of ranging signals. The camera is steered based on the location. For example, multiple cameras are directed automatically on a vehicle based on the vehicle position. Images from a plurality of perspectives are provided to resolve or prevent a problem. The directing may include zooming for better viewing of vehicles at different distances from the camera. The directing may be incorporated into a vehicle management system, such as a dispatch system. For example, a user selects a vehicle from a list of managed vehicles or a displayed map, and the cameras are steered to view the selected vehicle based on the position of the vehicle.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for using positioning information to image vehicles in an open-pit mine, the system comprising:
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a plurality of land-based transmitters at different known locations in or by the open-pit mine; a plurality of cameras each steerable along at least two axes, the cameras positioned at or by respective land-based transmitters such that updates for the known locations of the land-based transmitters correspond to camera locations, the cameras operable to zoom; a management processor operable to determine locations of a plurality of vehicles in or by the open-pit mine as a function of signals transmitted from the land-based transmitters at the known locations and received at the vehicles; and a display operable to display a graphical representation of the locations of the vehicles; wherein the management processor is operable to steer the plurality of cameras to a first one of the vehicles and to zoom the plurality of cameras as a function of distances from the cameras to the first one of the vehicles, and wherein the display is operable to display images from the plurality of cameras, the images showing the first one of the vehicles from different angles such that four sides of the first one of the vehicles are shown in the images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for imaging with a camera, the system comprising:
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a camera steerable along at least a first axis; a user input operable to receive a user indication of selection of at least a first one of a plurality of mobile vehicles; a display operable to display a representation for at least the first one of the mobile vehicles on a map, the first one of the mobile vehicles having a dynamically determined position; and a processor operable to steer the camera to view the first one of the mobile vehicles in response to the user indication, the camera steered as a function of the dynamically determined position of the first one of the mobile vehicles, wherein the processor is further operable to steer the camera to scan along one or more roads when in a road scan mode, to steer the camera to substantially continuously switch between views of different ones of the mobile vehicles when in a vehicle hopping mode, and to steer the camera to view infrastructure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for imaging with a camera, the method comprising:
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determining locations of a plurality of managed vehicles with radio frequency ranging; displaying a graphical representation of the locations and types of the plurality of managed vehicles; focusing, steering, and zooming, automatically, a plurality of cameras on a first one of the plurality of managed vehicles as a function of the location of the first one of the managed vehicles, wherein steering includes providing a plurality of camera steering modes, including steering the plurality of cameras to scan along one or more roads, steering the plurality of cameras to view different ones of the managed vehicles at a same time and switching the different ones of the managed vehicles being viewed, and steering the plurality of cameras to view infrastructure; and displaying images from the cameras of the first one of the managed vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for imaging with a camera, the system comprising:
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a plurality of land-based transmitters at different known locations, each of the land-based transmitters on a respective mast; a plurality of steerable cameras, the cameras positioned on the masts; and a processor operable to determine a location of a vehicle as a function of signals transmitted from the land-based transmitters to the vehicle, and operable to steer the cameras to view a vehicle as a function of the location, wherein the processor is further operable to update camera locations of the steerable cameras, the camera locations being laterally determined along three axes, wherein the processor determines distances and angles of the vehicle location relative to the camera locations, and wherein the processor steers and focuses the cameras as a function of the distances and angles. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for imaging with a camera, the method comprising:
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determining locations of a plurality of managed vehicles with radio frequency ranging; displaying a graphical representation of the locations and types of the plurality of managed vehicles; focusing, steering, zooming, or combinations thereof, automatically, a plurality of cameras on a first one of the plurality of managed vehicles as a function of the location of the first one of the managed vehicles; displaying images from the cameras of the first one of the managed vehicles; receiving a request for in-vehicle display of a view of the first one of the managed vehicles; and transmitting at least one of the images to the first one of the managed vehicles. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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Specification