Hosted camera remote control

• US 9,100,587 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Naturalpoint Incorporated (Leyard Optoelectronic Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Richardson, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang, Frank
• Application Number:
  US13/189,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20130021486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/E7.085, 348/159, 348/240.99, 348/153, 709/205
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10012 Stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/282 for generating image signals corresponding to three or more geometrical viewpoints, e.g. multi-view systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2224 related to virtual studio applications

Abstract

A motion capture system includes motion capture cameras positioned in various locations and orientations with respect to a motion capture volume. The motion capture system includes a host computing device that is operatively coupled with the motion capture cameras. The host computing device remotely controls operation of the motion capture cameras to record movement within the motion capture volume. At least one of the motion capture cameras includes a user-interface that is operable by a user to remotely initiate a control operation of the host computing device.

Claims

1. A motion capture system comprising:

a plurality of motion capture cameras positioned in various locations and orientations with respect to a motion capture volume, the plurality of motion capture cameras including a first motion capture camera and a second motion capture camera;

a host computing device, operatively coupled with the plurality of motion capture cameras, to remotely control operation of the plurality of motion capture cameras to record movement within the motion capture volume, the host computing device including a display device operative to simultaneously display each view of the motion capture volume for each motion capture camera; and

each of the plurality of motion capture cameras including a user-interface operable by a user to remotely initiate one or more control operations that change operation of the host computing device or the plurality of motion capture cameras, where one such control operation includes the first motion capture camera issuing a command which causes the host computing device to change content displayed on the display device, such change in content including changing one or both of a position and size of the first motion capture camera'"'"'s view of the motion capture volume relative to that of the second motion capture camera, wherein the view of each of the motion capture cameras is the image captured by that motion capture camera and displayed on the display device by the host computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, where the control operation prompts the host computing device to control the first motion capture camera to provide a user-perceivable indication that the first motion capture camera'"'"'s view of the motion capture volume is selected for display.

3. The system of claim 1, where changing the content displayed on the display device includes enlarging the first motion capture camera'"'"'s view of the motion capture volume relative to the views of the motion capture volume from the other motion capture cameras.

4. The system of claim 1, where the control operation prompts the host computing device to adjust a state of the first motion capture camera.

5. The system of claim 4, where adjusting the state includes adjusting a focus of the first motion capture camera.

6. The system of claim 4, where adjusting the state includes adjusting a frame rate of the first motion capture camera.

7. The system of claim 4, where adjusting the state includes changing an operating mode of the first motion capture camera.

8. The system of claim 7, where changing the operating mode includes physically interchanging an optical component positioned in a light path upstream of an image sensor of the motion capture camera that initiated the control operation.

9. The system of claim 7, where the control operation that prompts the host computing device to change the operating mode of the first motion capture camera also prompts the host computing device to change an operating mode of the other motion capture cameras differently than the operating mode of the first motion capture camera.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the host computing device and display device are housed in a shared enclosure.

10. A motion capture camera apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configured to receive incident light from a capture volume and thereby generate an image of the capture volume;

a controller, operable to receive a control operation from a host computing device to record movement within the capture volume; and

a user interface operable by a user to remotely initiate a control operation of the host computing device, where the control operation includes causing the host computing device to change one or both of a size and position of a view of the capture volume from the motion capture camera apparatus on an operatively coupled display device relative to views from other motion capture camera apparatuses also simultaneously presented on the display device, wherein the view of each of the motion capture cameras is the image captured by that motion capture camera and displayed on the display device by the host computing device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, where the control operation prompts the host computing device to adjust a state of the motion capture camera apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, where adjusting the state includes at least one of adjusting a focus of the motion capture camera apparatus, adjusting a frame rate of the motion capture camera apparatus, and changing an operating mode of the motion capture camera apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, where the user interface includes a multi-state actuator, the multi-state actuator adjustable to a first state to remotely initiate a first control operation of the host computing device and adjustable to a second state to remotely initiate a second control operation of the host computing device different from the first control operation.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, where the multi-state actuator includes a depressible button, where the first state includes a single tap of the depressible button, and where the second state includes a double tap of the depressible button.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, where the multi-state actuator includes a selector wheel, where the first state includes rotating the selector wheel to a first position, and where the second state includes rotating the selector wheel to a second position different from the first position.

16. A method for controlling a host computing device operatively coupled to a plurality of motion capture cameras, comprising:

at the host computing device, receiving a first control operation through a communication link, where the first control operation is remotely initiated by user input to a user interface of a first motion capture camera of the plurality of motion capture cameras, where the host computing device is operatively coupled to a display device configured to simultaneously present a view of a motion capture volume from each of the plurality of motion capture cameras, and where the first control operation includes changing one or both of a size and position of the view of the motion capture volume from the first motion capture camera on the display device relative to the views from the other motion capture cameras, wherein the view of each of the motion capture cameras is the image captured by that motion capture camera and displayed on the display device by the host computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second control operation remotely initiated by user input to a user interface of a second motion capture camera of the plurality of motion capture cameras; and

adjusting a state of the second motion capture camera in accordance with the second control operation differently than a state of the first motion capture camera.

18. The method of claim 17, where adjusting the state of the first motion capture camera includes placing the first motion capture camera in a tracking view mode and adjusting the state of the second motion capture camera includes placing the second motion capture camera in a scene mode, where in the tracking view mode, the first motion capture camera is configured to detect the view of the motion capture volume at a first signal-to-noise ratio, and where in the scene mode, the second motion capture camera is configured to detect the view of the motion capture volume at a second, different signal-to-noise ratio.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second control operation remotely initiated by user input to the user interface of the first motion capture camera of the plurality of motion capture cameras; and

displaying the view of the motion capture volume from the first motion capture camera.