Motorized camera with automated panoramic image capture sequences

• US 8,773,501 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2011
• Issued: 07/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Good Sportsman Marketing LLC
• Original Assignee: DUCO Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Unger, Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ustaris, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ren, Zhubing
• Application Number:
  US13/164,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20120320148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture

Abstract

A motorized camera provides one or more capture sequences for capturing images of objects detected within one or more of its detection zones. The capture sequences may include actions to move or reposition the camera to one or more locations, and to capture one or more images before, during, or as the camera is moved. In addition, particular operations of the motorized camera may be conditioned on specific circumstances or environmental conditions relevant to image capture or the operation of the motorized camera. The motorized camera may comprise a moving camera for capturing images, one or more sensors that provide the to detection zones, and one or more illuminators held by an enclosure. A battery or other power source may be provided as well to allow the motorized camera to be portable and operate independent of external power sources or other external devices.

Claims

1. A motorized wildlife camera for capturing one or more images of an animal according to one or more capture sequences comprising:

a mount configured to securely mount the motorized wildlife camera at an outdoor location;

a plurality of separate sensors, each of the plurality of sensors associated with a distinct one of a plurality of detection zones and configured to generate an output identifying its associated detection zone only when an animal is detected within its associated detection zone;

a rotating camera configured to rotate to point to each of the plurality of detection zones and capture one or more images thereof;

a motor configured to move the rotating camera to point to each of the plurality of detection zones;

a storage device configured to store the one or more images;

one or more processors configured to receive the output and to execute one or more capture sequences when the output is received, the one or more capture sequences comprising;

rotating the rotating camera to the detection zone identified in the output with the motor;

capturing an image of the animal with the rotating camera while the rotating camera is at the detection zone identified in the output;

after capturing the image of the animal, rotating the camera to one or more other detection zones not identified in the output with the motor according to a predefined order;

capturing a plurality of additional images by capturing an additional image while the camera is at each of the one or more other detection zones;

positioning the image of the animal and plurality of additional images adjacent to one another in a single combined image according to the predefined order; and

storing the single combined image on the storage device.

2. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 1 further comprising an internal power source and an enclosure, wherein the enclosure forms a watertight outer shell for outdoor use of the motorized wildlife camera and the power source provides electrical power for the motorized wildlife camera.

3. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of illuminators, each of the plurality of illuminators positioned to illuminate only one of the plurality of detection zones.

4. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to activate one of the plurality of illuminators corresponding to the one of the plurality of detection zones where the animal was detected when the image of the animal is captured.

5. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors are positioned relative to one another to form a convex arrangement of sensors.

6. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 1, wherein the one or more capture sequences further comprise writing a tag to the image of animal without writing the tag to the plurality of additional images to make the image of the animal readily identifiable from the plurality of additional images.

7. A motorized wildlife camera comprising:

a mount configured to securely mount the motorized wildlife camera at an outdoor location;

a plurality of sensors configured generate sensor information identifying one of a plurality of detection zones in which an animal has been detected;

a camera movable between a plurality of predefined positions to point at each of the plurality of detection zones;

a motor configured to move the camera to point at each of the plurality of detection zones;

one or more capture sequences comprising instructions to;

move the camera to point at the detection zone identified in the sensor information with the motor;

capture an image of the animal with the camera pointed at the detection zone identified in the sensor information;

after capturing the image of the animal, move the camera to point at one or more other detection zones not identified in the sensor information with the motor according to a predefined order;

capture a plurality of additional images by capturing an additional image while the camera is pointed at each of the one or more other detection zones; and

store the image of the animal and plurality of additional images on a storage device; and

one or more processors configured to receive the sensor information, and upon receipt of the sensor information execute.

8. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to position the image of the animal and the plurality of additional images adjacent to one another in a single combined image according to the predefined order.

9. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to distinguish the image of the animal from the plurality of additional images by an action selected from the group consisting of:

storing the image of the animal but not the plurality of additional images in a particular directory, and writing a particular identifier to the image of the animal but not to the plurality of additional images.

10. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 7, wherein the predefined order is user defined via an input device.

11. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of illuminators each configured to illuminate only one of the plurality of detection zones, wherein the one or more capture sequences further comprise instructions to selectively activate one of the plurality of illuminators to illuminate the detection zone identified in the sensor information when the image of the animal is captured.

12. The motorized wildlife camera of claim 7 further comprising one or more batteries and an enclosure, wherein the batteries power the motorized wildlife camera and the enclosure forms a watertight outer shell for outdoor use of the motorized wildlife camera.

13. A method of capturing one or more images with a motorized wildlife camera comprising:

positioning a motorized wildlife camera comprising a plurality of sensors and a rotatable camera at an outdoor vantage point such that a plurality of detection zones provided by the plurality of sensors cover an area of interest at the outdoor vantage point,

wherein the rotatable camera is configured to capture a plurality of images according to one or more capture sequences,

wherein the plurality of images comprise an image of an animal at the one of the plurality of detection zones where the animal was detected, and a plurality of additional images of a plurality of second detection zones adjacent the one of the plurality of detection zones where the animal was detected;

detecting the animal in one of the plurality of detection zones with the plurality of sensors and outputting sensor information from the plurality of sensors that identifies the detection zone where the animal was detected;

activating one or more capture sequences of the motorized wildlife camera based on the sensor information, wherein each of the one or more capture sequences comprise instructions to move the camera to the detection zone identified in the sensor information to capture the image of the animal, and then to each of the plurality of second detection zones according to a predefined order to capture the plurality of additional images; and

positioning the plurality of images adjacent to one another in a single combined image according to the predefined order, wherein the plurality of additional images are positioned to the left and right of the image of the animal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving the one or more capture sequences from a user with one or more input devices of the motorized wildlife camera.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the predefined order is received from a user via one or more input devices of the motorized wildlife camera.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising activating one or more conditional actions of the one or more capture sequences, the one or more conditional actions comprising instructions to activate one of a plurality of illuminators of the motorized wildlife camera to illuminate only the detection zone identified in the sensor information when the image of the animal is captured.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising attaching the motorized wildlife camera to a structure at the outdoor vantage point with a mount to secure the motorized wildlife camera in position.