Methods and systems for providing functionality of an interface to control orientations of a camera on a device

• US 8,838,276 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Desai, Munjal, Hickman, Ryan, Lewis, Thor, Kohler, Damon
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khoi
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIN, ABBY YEE
• Application Number:
  US13/213,635
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 396 56- 59, 396/70, 396/300, 700/245, 700258-259, 382/153, 715/700, 715/702, 715/710, 715/740, 715/833, 715858-859, 715/862, 296 56- 59, 296/70, 296/300, 345/594, 345/619, 345/642, 345649-659, 345156-160, 345163-167, 345173-179, 348/207.11, 348/E5.042
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40002 Camera, robot follows direction movement of operator head, helmet, headstick
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40617 Agile eye, control position of camera, active vision, pan-tilt camera, follow object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/50 Miscellaneous

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing functionality of an interface to control orientations of a camera on a device are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving an input on an interface indicating a command for an orientation of a camera on a robotic device, and the interface may be provided on a device remote from the robotic device. An indicator may be provided on the interface representing a location of the input, and the indicator may be representative of the command for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device. The method may also include determining that the location of the input on the interface is within a distance threshold to a pre-set location on the interface, and repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an input on an interface indicating a command for an orientation of a camera on a robotic device, wherein the interface is provided on a device remote from the robotic device;

providing an indicator on the interface representing a location of the input, wherein the indicator is representative of the command for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device;

determining that the location of the input on the interface is within a distance threshold to a pre-set location on the interface, wherein the pre-set location on the interface is indicative of one or more of a pan or a tilt value associated with a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device; and

repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a control signal indicating the orientation of the camera on the robotic device according to a command associated with the pre-set location on the interface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising providing the control signal to the robotic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a shape configured to overlay an x-y axis, and wherein the x-axis is configured to represent a pan value for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device and the y-axis is configured to represent a tilt value for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-set location on the interface is associated with one or more of a command for an orientation of the camera to capture a view of a base of the robotic device, a forward view of the robotic device, a backward view of the robotic device, a view to a right of the robotic device, a view to a left of the robotic device, an upward view of the robotic device, and a downward view of the robotic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a number of pre-set locations on the interface, wherein each pre-set location is associated with a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device;

determining that the location of the input on the interface is within the distance threshold to one of the number of pre-set locations on the interface; and

responsively repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the one of the number of pre-set locations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of pre-set locations on the interface based on a user profile.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the input on the interface comprises receiving a contact on a touchscreen of the device, wherein the touchscreen is configured to display the interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a double-tap or double-click input on an interface; and

generating a control signal indicating the orientation of the camera on the robotic device to be reset to a default orientation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the command indicates a fixed orientation of the camera on the robotic device, wherein the fixed orientation includes a position of the camera with respect to the robotic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the command indicates a dynamic orientation of the camera on the robotic device, wherein the dynamic orientation is associated with geographic position coordinates.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing on the interface an icon indicative of a pre-set command for a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device, wherein the pre-set command includes adjusting the orientation of the camera to be directed to a predetermined object.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the camera on the robotic device is associated with geographic position coordinates of a predetermined object, and the method further comprises:

providing on the interface an icon indicative of a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device when the robotic device is within a predetermined distance of the geographic position coordinates.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the distance threshold is about equal to a length of the indicator.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing on the interface a display of a region substantially adjacent or surrounding the pre-set location, wherein the region is indicative of the distance threshold.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving multiple inputs on the interface over time indicating commands for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device; and

as the multiple inputs on the interface approach the pre-set location, providing on the interface a display of a region substantially adjacent or surrounding the pre-set location, wherein the region is indicative of the distance threshold.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the indicator on the interface representing the location of the input comprises providing the indicator at the location of the input.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface includes a rectangular shape configured to overlay an x-y axis,

wherein providing the indicator on the interface representing the location of the input comprises providing the indicator along a perimeter of the rectangular shape at a location substantially matching x-axis coordinates of the input on the interface, and

wherein repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location comprises repositioning the indicator on the interface to be substantially at an x-axis coordinate of the pre-set location.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a second indicator on the interface along the perimeter of the rectangular shape at a location substantially matching y-axis coordinates of the input on the interface.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a single input, wherein the interface includes a rectangular shape configured to overlay an x-y axis, and wherein providing the indicator on the interface representing the location of the input comprises providing the indicator at the location of the input, and the method further comprises:

providing a first group of indicators on the interface along a perimeter of the rectangular shape at locations substantially matching x-axis coordinates of the input on the interface; and

providing a second group of indicators on the interface along the perimeter of the rectangular shape at locations substantially matching y-axis coordinates of the input on the interface.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising fading out a display of indicators in the first group of indicators and indicators in the second group of indicators as the input on the interface changes.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing one or more of an audio or vibration indicator that is indicative of repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing on the interface text indicative of the command for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving an input on an interface indicating a command for an orientation of a camera on a robotic device;

providing an indicator on the interface representing a location of the input, wherein the indicator is representative of the command for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device;

determining that the location of the input on the interface is within a distance threshold to a pre-set location on the interface, wherein the pre-set location on the interface is indicative of one or more of a pan or a tilt value associated with a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device; and

repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location.

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the interface is provided on the computing device and the computing device is remote from the robotic device, and wherein receiving the input on the interface comprises receiving a contact on a touchscreen of the computing device, wherein the touchscreen is configured to display the interface.

26. A device comprising:

a processor; and

memory including instructions stored therein executable by the processor to perform functions comprising;

receiving an input on an interface indicating a command for an orientation of a camera on a robotic device;

providing an indicator on the interface representing a location of the input, wherein the indicator is representative of the command for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device;

determining that the location of the input on the interface is within a distance threshold to a pre-set location on the interface, wherein the pre-set location on the interface is indicative of one or more of a pan or a tilt value associated with a given orientation of the camera on the robotic device; and

repositioning the indicator on the interface to be at the pre-set location.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the interface includes a shape configured to overlay an x-y axis, and wherein the x-axis is configured to represent a pan value for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device and the y-axis is configured to represent a tilt value for the orientation of the camera on the robotic device.