Methods and systems for providing functionality of an interface to include an artificial horizon

• US 8,854,485 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• 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, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US13/213,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.4, 348/211.8, 348/211.99, 348/143, 348/333.02, 700/245
• US Class Current: 348/211.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing functionality of an interface to include an artificial horizon are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving information indicating a range of motion of a camera on a device, and providing an interface on a second device remote from the device. The interface may be configured to receive an input indicating a command for an orientation of the camera on the device. The method may further include based on the information indicating the range of motion of the camera, providing an artificial horizon at a fixed position on the interface that indicates the range of motion of the camera on either side of the artificial horizon. The fixed position of the artificial horizon may be associated with an orientation of the camera having a tilt value of about zero or having a pan value of about zero.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information indicating a range of motion of a camera on a device,

providing an interface on a second device remote from the device, wherein the interface is configured to receive an input indicating a command for an orientation of the camera on the device;

based on the information indicating the range of motion of the camera, providing an artificial horizon at a position on the interface that indicates the range of motion of the camera on either side of the artificial horizon, wherein the position of the artificial horizon is associated with an orientation of the camera having a tilt value of about zero or having a pan value of about zero with respect to a plane associated with a field of view of the camera;

receiving information indicating a change to the range of motion of the camera on the device; and

based on the information indicating the change to the range of motion of the camera, updating the position of the artificial horizon to a different position on the interface, wherein the different position of the artificial horizon is associated with the orientation of the camera having the tilt value of about zero or having the pan value of about zero with respect to the plane associated with the field of view of the camera.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the information indicating the range of motion of the camera on the device during initialization of the interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicating the range of motion of the camera on the device is indicative of one or more of a range of tilt values or a range of panning values of the camera.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted on a pan/tilt unit capable of adjusting a pan or a tilt orientation of the camera.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial horizon is associated with an orientation of the camera being substantially parallel to a ground plane.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the position of the artificial horizon on the interface indicates that the range of motion of the camera on either side of the artificial horizon is unequal such that the camera has a larger range of motion to one side of the artificial horizon.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is provided on a touchscreen on the second device, and the touchscreen is configured to receive the input indicating the command for the orientation of the camera on the device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a given input on the interface; and

generating a control signal indicating a given orientation of the camera on the device according to a location of the input on the interface, wherein the location of the input on the interface is associated with one or more of a tilt and a pan value of the camera.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information indicating movement of the device;

determining the change to the range of motion of the camera on the device based on the information indicating movement of the device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing on the interface an indicator representing a current orientation of the camera on the device, wherein the interface is configured to change a position of the indicator on the interface corresponding to movement of the camera on the device; and

providing on the interface a second indicator representing a location of the input.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the interface includes a rectangular shape configured to overlay an x-y axis, 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 position of the indicator; 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 position of the indicator.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial horizon is semi-transparent.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the artificial horizon is provided on the interface and extends from the position of the artificial horizon to about a perimeter of the interface.

14. 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 device and the y-axis is configured to represent a tilt value for the orientation of the camera on the device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information indicating the range of motion of the camera on the device comprises receiving information indicating a range of tilt values and a range of panning values of the camera, and the method further comprises:

providing the artificial horizon at the position on the interface that indicates the range of tilt values of the camera, wherein the position of the artificial horizon is associated with the orientation of the camera having the tilt value of about zero; and

providing a second artificial horizon at a second position on the interface that indicates the range of panning values of the camera, wherein the second position of the artificial horizon is associated with an orientation of the camera having the pan value of about zero,

wherein the artificial horizon and the second artificial horizon are configured on the interface to be substantially perpendicular.

16. 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 information indicating a range of motion of a camera on a device;

providing an interface on the computing device, wherein the interface is configured to receive an input indicating a command for an orientation of the camera on the device;

based on the information indicating the range of motion of the camera, providing an artificial horizon at a position on the interface that indicates the range of motion of the camera on either side of the artificial horizon, wherein the position of the artificial horizon is associated with an orientation of the camera having a tilt value of about zero or having a pan value of about zero with respect to a plane associated with a field of view of the camera;

receiving information indicating a change to the range of motion of the camera on the device; and

based on the information indicating the change to the range of motion of the camera, updating the position of the artificial horizon to a different position on the interface, wherein the different position of the artificial horizon is associated with the orientation of the camera having the tilt value of about zero or having the pan value of about zero with respect to the plane associated with the field of view of the camera.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising

instructions executable by the computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

providing on the interface an indicator representing a current orientation of the camera on the device, wherein the interface is configured to change a position of the indicator on the interface corresponding to movement of the camera on the device; and

providing on the interface an indicator representing a location of the input.

18. A device comprising:

a processor; and

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

receiving information indicating a range of motion of a camera on a device;

providing an interface, wherein the interface is configured to receive an input indicating a command for an orientation of the camera on the device;

based on the information indicating the range of motion of the camera, providing an artificial horizon at a position on the interface that indicates the range of motion of the camera on either side of the artificial horizon, wherein the position of the artificial horizon is associated with an orientation of the camera having a tilt value of about zero or having a pan value of about zero with respect to a plane associated with a field of view of the camera;

receiving information indicating a change to the range of motion of the camera on the device; and

based on the information indicating the change to the range of motion of the camera, updating the position of the artificial horizon to a different position on the interface, wherein the different position of the artificial horizon is associated with the orientation of the camera having the tilt value of about zero or having the pan value of about zero with respect to the plane associated with the field of view of the camera.

19. The device of claim 18, 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 device and the y-axis is configured to represent a tilt value for the orientation of the camera on the device, and

wherein the artificial horizon overlays a portion of the interface from the position of the artificial horizon to about a perimeter of the interface.