Method of automatically tracking and photographing celestial objects and photographic apparatus employing this method
First Claim
1. A method of automatically tracking and photographing an arbitrarily-selected celestial object, comprising:
- performing a preliminary photographing operation by directing a photographic apparatus toward the celestial object;
inputting latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of said photographic apparatus obtained during said preliminary photographing operation;
inputting star map data of a range corresponding to the input said latitude information, said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information;
calculating a deviation amount between a location of the celestial object that is imaged in a preliminary image obtained by said preliminary photographing operation and a location of the celestial object which is defined in the input said star map data;
correcting at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information using said deviation amount; and
performing a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on the corrected said at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of automatically tracking and photographing a celestial object, includes inputting latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of a photographic apparatus; inputting star map data of a certain range including data on a location of a celestial object from the latitude information, the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation angle information; calculating a deviation amount between a location of the celestial object that is imaged in a preliminary image obtained by the photographic apparatus and the location of the celestial object which is defined in the input star map data; correcting at least one of the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation angle information using the deviation amount; and performing a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on the corrected at least one of the photographing azimuth angle information and the photographing elevation angle information.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of automatically tracking and photographing an arbitrarily-selected celestial object, comprising:
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performing a preliminary photographing operation by directing a photographic apparatus toward the celestial object; inputting latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of said photographic apparatus obtained during said preliminary photographing operation; inputting star map data of a range corresponding to the input said latitude information, said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information; calculating a deviation amount between a location of the celestial object that is imaged in a preliminary image obtained by said preliminary photographing operation and a location of the celestial object which is defined in the input said star map data; correcting at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information using said deviation amount; and performing a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on the corrected said at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information.
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2. A method of automatically tracking and photographing an arbitrarily-selected celestial object which moves relative to a photographic apparatus due to diurnal motion so that an image of the celestial object, which is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system of said photographic apparatus, becomes stationary relative to a predetermined imaging area of said imaging surface of said image sensor during a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation, said method comprising:
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obtaining a preliminary image by performing a preliminary photographing operation using said photographic apparatus, which is directed toward the celestial object; calculating a location of the celestial object that is imaged in the obtained said preliminary image; inputting photo date information, latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of said photographic apparatus obtained during said preliminary photographing operation; inputting star map data of a range corresponding to the input said photo date information, said latitude information, said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information; calculating a deviation amount, in a predetermined coordinate system, between the calculated said location of the celestial object that is imaged in said obtained preliminary image and said location of the celestial object which is defined in the input said star map data; correcting at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information using said deviation amount; and performing said celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on corrected said at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A photographic apparatus which automatically tracks and photographs a celestial object that moves relative to a photographic apparatus due to diurnal motion so that an image of the celestial object, which is formed on an imaging surface of an image sensor via a photographing optical system of said photographic apparatus, becomes stationary relative to a predetermined imaging area of said imaging surface of said image sensor during a celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation, said photographic apparatus comprising:
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an inputter which obtains a preliminary image by directing said photographic apparatus toward an arbitrarily-selected celestial object and performing a preliminary photographing operation using said photographic apparatus, and inputs photo date information, latitude information, photographing azimuth angle information and photographing elevation angle information of said photographic apparatus obtained during said preliminary photographing operation; an image-sensor mover which linearly moves said image sensor in directions orthogonal to an optical axis of said photographing optical system and rotates said image sensor about said optical axis; and a controller which controls operations of said photographic apparatus, wherein said controller inputs star map data of a range corresponding to the input said photo date information, said latitude information, said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information;
calculates a deviation amount between said location of the celestial object that is obtained from said preliminary image and said location of the celestial object which is defined in the input said star map data;
corrects at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information using said deviation amount; and
performs said celestial-object auto-tracking photographing operation based on corrected said at least one of said photographing azimuth angle information and said photographing elevation angle information.
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Specification