Controlling robotic motion of camera

• US 9,300,852 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Co Ltd (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Lucasfilm Entertainment Co Ltd (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Porcino, Domenico
• Primary Examiner(s): Dagnew, Mekonnen
• Application Number:
  US14/188,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20140168455A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• 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 5/2228 Video assist systems used in motion picture production, e.g. video cameras connected to viewfinders of motion picture cameras or related video signal processing

Abstract

Among other disclosed subject matter, a system includes a first camera generating a live image of a scene, the first camera configured for being placed in a plurality of locations by robotic motion. The system includes a handheld device that includes a display device for continuously presenting the live image, wherein movement of the handheld device causes the handheld device to generate an output that controls the robotic motion.

Claims

1. A system for recording live images, the system comprising:

a camera configured to generate a live image of a scene, the camera including a robotic movement device configured to move the camera;

a handheld device having a display for presenting the live image;

one or more sensors configured to determine movement of the handheld device within a motion capture area and generate tracking data that represents the movement of the handheld device;

a controller communicably coupled to the camera, the handheld device and the one or more sensors, the controller configured to convert the tracking data to camera movement commands, and transmit the camera movement commands to the robotic movement device;

wherein the robotic movement device moves the camera in response to the camera movement commands and the display of the handheld device provides a real time view of the live images generated by the camera as the camera is moved.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld device comprises a tablet device having a generally flat configuration with the display device located on a main face of the tablet device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least some of the one or more sensors are incorporated into the tablet device.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein at least some of the one or more sensors includes a plurality of sensors mounted in a fixed arrangement around the motion capture area in which the handheld device can be used to control the camera, the plurality of sensors generating tracking data by registering the movement of the handheld device.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the plurality of sensors include a motion-detecting camera configured to optically register movement of the tablet device within the motion capture area.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein further comprising:

a plurality of second cameras mounted in a fixed arrangement around the motion capture area where the handheld device is to be used, the second cameras registering the movement of the handheld device, wherein the output controlling the robotic motion of the first camera is generated using the second cameras.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the robotic movement device comprises an automated crane on which the camera is mounted.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller converts the tracking data to the camera movement commands in part by scaling the tracking data by a predefined parameter.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a second camera configured to generate a second live image of the scene, the second camera including a second robotic movement device configured to move the second camera;

wherein the controller applies the movement commands to both the first and the second cameras such that each camera moves in real time according to the movements of the handheld device by the user and the display provides the user a real time view of the live images captured by both the first and second cameras.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to, before applying the camera movement commands to the robotic movement device, identify an obstruction that would interfere with the camera if the movement commands were applied to the robotic movement device, take the obstruction into account in converting the tracking data to the camera movement commands so that the obstruction does not interfere with the camera.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld device can be used to control forward and backward, upward and downward and rotational movement of the camera.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the handheld device can be used to control panning, tilting and rolling of the camera.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller can be configured to restrict one or more movement commands the handheld device is capable of generating from being applied to the robotic movement device to move the camera.

14. A method of recording a video sequence, the method comprising:

generating live images with a camera operatively coupled to a robotic movement device configured to move the camera;

controlling the camera with a handheld device that is communicably coupled to the camera and the robotic movement device while the live images are generated by;

determining movement of the handheld device within a motion capture area by one or more sensors;

generating tracking data that represents the tracked movement of the handheld device;

converting the tracking data to camera movement commands;

transmitting the camera movement commands to the robotic movement device to move the camera in real time according to the tracked movement of the handheld device; and

displaying a real time view of at least portions of the live images from the camera on a display of the handheld device while the camera is moved by the robotic movement device; and

recording the portions of the live images as the video sequence.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the handheld device comprises a tablet device having a generally flat configuration with a display located on a main face of the tablet device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the tracking data is generated by the one or more sensors mounted in a fixed arrangement around the motion capture area, the sensors generating the tracking data by registering the movement of the handheld device.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the tracking data is converted to the camera movement data in part by scaling the tracking data by a predefined parameter.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein a controller, before applying the movement commands to the robotic movement device, identifies an obstruction that would interfere with the camera if the movement commands were applied to the robotic movement device, and takes the obstruction into account in converting the tracking data to the movement commands so that the obstruction does not interfere with the camera.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the sensors are incorporated into the tablet device.

19. A non-transitory computer readable memory having a plurality of instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, carry out a method of using a handheld device to control a camera operatively coupled to a robotic movement device configured to move the camera, the method comprising:

determining movement of the handheld device within a motion capture area by one or more sensors;

generating tracking data that represents the tracked movement of the handheld device;

converting the tracking data to camera movement commands;

transmitting the camera movement commands to the robotic movement device to move the camera in real time according to the tracked movement of the handheld device; and

displaying a real time view of at least portions of live images from the camera on a display of the handheld device while the camera is moved by the robotic movement device.