Remotely controlled automatic camera tracking system

• US 9,294,669 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: H4 Engineering, Inc.
• Original Assignee: H4 Engineering, Inc.
• Inventors: Glover, Gordon Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US14/660,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.4, 348/211.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• 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 23/69 Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• 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

A remotely controlled automatic camera tracking system for self-photography is disclosed. The systems hereof combine the functions of remote camera operation, including closed loop automatic zoom control, and camera tracking by employing a system architecture that eliminates the requirement to have microprocessors coupled to the tracking station for the calculation of range and bearing. The system enables range and bearing information to be viewed by the operator, if desired, and conserves radio power.

Claims

1. A system for automated self-photography comprising:

a) a camera;

b) a base associated with said camera, said base configured to turn said camera according to orientation commands received from a remote control, said remote control being associated with a user;

c) said base comprising

i) at least one motor to turn said camera, and

ii) a transceiver to receive orientation commands from said remote control;

d) said remote control comprising

i) a locating device configured to periodically update the location of the remote control,

ii) a processor configured to store location information of said camera and of the remote control,

iii) said processor also configured to compute orientation commands for said base whenever the location of the remote control changes, and

iv) a transmitter configured to send said orientation commands to said base.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said base comprises two motors, one for panning said camera and one for tilting said camera.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein geo-locations of said remote control and said base are determined using at least one Global Positioning sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, said base further comprising a camera remote control interface.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein commands are also sent to said camera via said camera remote control interface.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the range between said base and said remote control is determined and sent to said camera remote control interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the camera remote control interface comprises a microprocessor and said microprocessor automatically controls the zoom function of said camera.

8. A method for automated self photography of a user, said method comprising the steps of:

a) determining the location coordinates of a reference point and of a base wherein a camera is associated with the base;

b) storing the location coordinates of the reference point and of the base;

c) orienting the camera at the reference point;

d) determining the location coordinates of a remote control associated with the user;

e) storing the location coordinates of the remote control in the remote control;

f) periodically updating the location coordinates of the remote control;

g) comparing the updated location coordinates of the remote control to immediately preceding location coordinates of the remote control;

h) determining orientation commands if a change in location coordinates is detected;

i) transmitting the orientation commands to the base wherein the camera associated with the base is oriented at the user.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of sending commands to a camera interface associated with the base from the remote unit wherein the commands cause the camera to record or to stop recording.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of iteratively adjusting the tilt of the camera according to the distance between the base and the reference point to estimate the elevation of the camera and using the estimated elevation of the camera to calculate tilt commands that are transmitted to the base.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of calibrating the zoom control setting of the camera by dividing the zoom control range between wide angle and telephoto into a finite number of stages and associating each stage with a focal length range of the camera and storing this information as zoom calibration data.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of sending base to remote control distance information to the camera interface and using the base to remote control distance to adjust the zoom of the camera automatically based on said stored zoom calibration data.