Ultrasonic camera tracking system and associated methods
First Claim
1. A camera tracking apparatus, comprising:
- a first source emitting ultrasound and being portable with a first subject to be tracked;
a controllable camera;
a plurality of receivers being stationary with respect to the controllable camera and the first source and being at least responsive to ultrasound; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the controllable camera and the receivers, the controller configured to;
receive ultrasound signals communicated from the receivers in response to the ultrasound emitted from the first source,process the ultrasound signals to determine an at least approximate location of the first source, andcontrol the controllable camera to direct at least approximately at the determined location of the first source while the receivers are stationary.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A camera tracking system includes a controllable camera, an array of microphones, and a controller. The microphones are positioned adjacent the controllable camera and are at least responsive to ultrasound emitted from a source. The microphones may additionally be capable of responding to sound in the audible spectrum. The controller receives ultrasound signals communicated from the microphones in response to ultrasound emitted from the source and processes the ultrasound signals to determine an at least approximate location of the source. Then, the controller sends one or more command signals to the controllable camera to direct at least approximately at the determined location of the source. The camera tracking system tracks the source as it moves and continues to emit ultrasound. The source can be an emitter pack having one or more ultrasonic transducers that produce tones that sweep form about 24-kHz to about 40-kHz.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A camera tracking apparatus, comprising:
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a first source emitting ultrasound and being portable with a first subject to be tracked; a controllable camera; a plurality of receivers being stationary with respect to the controllable camera and the first source and being at least responsive to ultrasound; and a controller communicatively coupled to the controllable camera and the receivers, the controller configured to; receive ultrasound signals communicated from the receivers in response to the ultrasound emitted from the first source, process the ultrasound signals to determine an at least approximate location of the first source, and control the controllable camera to direct at least approximately at the determined location of the first source while the receivers are stationary. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22)
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19. A camera tracking method, comprising:
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emitting ultrasound with a first source being portable with a first subject to be tracked; receiving the ultrasound with a plurality of separate channels, each of the separate channels associated with a receiver being stationary relative to the first source; determining an at least approximate location of the first source by processing the ultrasound received with the separate channels; and controlling a camera movable relative to the receivers to at least approximately direct at the determined location of the first source while the receivers are stationary. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 23)
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24. A non-transitory program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored on the program storage device for causing the programmable control device to perform a camera tracking method, the method comprising:
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emitting ultrasound with a first source being portable with a first subject to be tracked; receiving the ultrasound with a plurality of separate channels, each of the separate channels associated with a receiver being stationary relative to the first source; determining an at least approximate location of the first source by processing the ultrasound received with the separate channels; and controlling a camera movable relative to the receivers to at least approximately direct at the determined location of the first source while the receivers are stationary.
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25. A camera tracking system, comprising:
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an emitter unit having at least one ultrasonic transducer emitting ultrasound and being portable to track a subject; a moveable camera; a plurality of microphones being stationary relative to the emitter unit and the movable camera and being capable of at least responding to ultrasound emitted by the at least one ultrasonic transducer; and a control unit communicatively coupled to the moveable camera and the microphones, the control unit receiving ultrasound signals communicated from the microphones in response to ultrasound detected from the at least one ultrasonic transducer, the control unit processing the ultrasound signals to determine an at least approximate location of the at least one ultrasonic transducer and controlling the moveable camera to direct at least approximately at the determined location while the microphones are stationary.
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Specification