Automatic tracking camera

• US 8,125,630 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Grass Valley Canada (Belden Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gvbb Holdings SARL (Vislink Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wood, Stephen Robert, Umberhant, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): RATCLIFFE, LUKE D
• Application Number:
  US12/085,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20090121938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,276 Days
• Field of Search: 356/139.09, 356 301- 315, 356 401- 41, 356 501- 51, 356 6- 22, 356/28, 356/28.5, 356/139.01
• US Class Current: 356/139.09
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/66 Tracking systems using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/163 Determination of attitude using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49

Abstract

A tracking system includes an emitter array configured to emit radiation around a subject to be tracked in at least one dimension wherein each emitter or group of emitters is modulated to permit identification of a source of the radiation. A receiver is configured to receive the radiation from the emitter array, wherein one of the emitter array and the receiver are located on the subject to be tracked. A processor is configured to interpret changes in radiation and correlate the changes to a device position to output a device position control signal.

Claims

1. A tracking apparatus, comprising:

a processor responsive to changes in radiation received at a tracked subject, the radiation emanating from at least one emitter associated with a tracking device, the processor determining tracking changes for changing the position of the tracking device based on an energy level of the received emitter radiation,

wherein the at least one emitter includes emitters arranged about a centerline such that each emitter of a pair is directed at an equal and opposite angle from the centerline, and

wherein the processor interfaces with a radiation receiver in proximity of the tracked subject, the radiation receiver including a plurality of photodiodes that receive radiation signals emanating from the at least one emitter and a summer that sums the received radiation signals for processing by the processor to determine changes in position of the tracked subject.

2. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the emitter is modulated to permit identification of a source of radiation and the processor is responsive to changes in radiation from said modulation.

3. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the emitter is an air array that includes a plurality of infrared diodes.

4. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor receives the summed radiation signals from the summer and processes the summed radiation signals by providing a Fourier transform of the summed radiation signals to determine changes in position of the tracked subject.

5. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one emitter comprises diode pairs.

6. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the emitter emits radiation to monitor X and Y directions relative to an initial tracking device position.

7. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the processor includes data acquisition software, which measures energy levels for a plurality of modulated emitter signals to determine a direction and magnitude for the changes to the tracking device position, and wherein the processor determines tracking changes for the tracking device based on the measured energy levels of the modulated emitter signals.

8. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the modulated emitter signals include a distinct modulation frequency for each emitter or group of emitters in the array.

9. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the receiver is coupled to the subject to be tracked and wirelessly communicates with the processor.

10. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the emitter is controlled and modulated by a microprocessor.

11. A camera view tracking apparatus, comprising:

a video camera;

an emitter array configured to emit radiation towards a subject to be tracked in at least one dimension wherein at least one of each emitter of at least one group of emitters is modulated to permit identification of a source of the radiation, wherein the emitter array includes emitters arranged about a centerline such that each emitter of a pair is directed at an equal and opposite angle from the centerline; and

a receiver associated with a subject to be tracked and configured to receive the radiation emitted from the emitter array; and

a processor configured to determine a position of the subject based on an energy level of the radiation received by the receiver from the emitter array, the processor configured to interpret changes in emitted radiation and determine changes to a camera position of the video camera based on the energy level of the received radiation,

wherein the processor interfaces with the receiver in proximity of the subject, the receiver including a plurality of photodiodes that receive radiation signals emanating from the emitter array and a summer that sums the received radiation signals for processing by the processor to determine changes in position of the subject.

12. The tracking apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a pan/tilt unit configured to receive a camera position control signal from the processor and move the video camera in accordance therewith.

13. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the emitter array includes a plurality of infrared diodes.

14. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor receives the summed radiation signals from the summer and processes the summed radiation signals by providing a Fourier transform of the summed radiation signals to determine changes in position of the subject.

15. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the emitter array comprises diode pairs.

16. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the emitter array emits radiation to monitor X and Y directions relative to an initial camera position.

17. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the processor includes data acquisition software, which measures energy levels for a plurality of modulated emitter signals to determine a direction and magnitude for the changes to the camera position of the video camera, and wherein the processor determines camera position changes for the video camera based on the measured energy levels of the modulated emitter signals.

18. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the modulated emitter signals include a distinct modulation frequency for each emitter or group of emitters in the array.

19. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the receiver wirelessly communicates with the processor.

20. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the emitter array is controlled and modulated by a microprocessor.

21. A camera view tracking apparatus, comprising:

a video camera;

a transmitter including a microprocessor which controls and modulates an emitter array, the emitter array comprising at least one emitter arranged about a centerline such that emitter of a pair is directed at an equal and opposite angle from the centerline and said emitter array is configured to emit radiation about the centerline between the emitter array and an initial position of a subject to be tracked in at least one dimension wherein each emitter or group of emitters is modulated to permit identification of a source of the radiation;

a receiver connected to the subject to be tracked and configured to receive the radiation emitted from the emitter array and process received radiation signals;

a processor including data acquisition software, which measures energy levels for a plurality of modulated emitter signals to determine a direction and magnitude for changes to a camera position of the video camera, the processor configured to interpret changes in the received radiation signals and correlate the changes to the camera position to output a camera position control signal; and

a pan/tilt unit configured to receive the camera position control signal and move the video camera in accordance therewith,

wherein the microprocessor interfaces with the receiver in proximity of the subject, the receiver including a plurality of photodiodes that receive radiation signals emanating from the emitter array and a summer that sums the received radiation signals for processing by the processor to determine changes in position of the subject.

22. The tracking apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein the emitter array comprises diode pairs.

23. A method comprising:

receiving radiation signals from a tracked subject, the radiation signals are emitted from an emitting source associated with a tracking device and received by the tracked subject via a receiver, wherein the emitting source includes at least one emitter arranged about a centerline such that each emitter of a pair is directed at an equal and opposite angle from the centerline; and

processing the received radiation signals to determine a position of the tracked subject based on an energy level of the received radiation signals to determine tracking changes for changing the position of the tracking device,

wherein the receiver includes a plurality of photodiodes for receiving the radiation signals emanating from the emitter source and a summer for summing the received radiation signals for processing to determine changes in position of the tracked subject.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

measuring energy levels for a plurality of modulated emitter radiation signals that comprise the received radiation signals to determine a direction and magnitude for changes to the position of the tracking device,

wherein processing the received radiation signals includes determining tracking changes for the tracking device based on the measured energy levels of the modulated emitter radiation signals.