Following apparatus and following system

• US 10,362,277 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd. (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hanwha Defense Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chae, Hee Seo, Jung, Jik Han, Choe, Yun Geun
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mohammad J
• Application Number:
  US15/440,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146168A1
• Time in Patent Office: 880 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/12 Target-seeking control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A following apparatus which follows a target object while photographing the target object includes a driving apparatus configured to move a main body, a photographing portion configured to continuously photograph the target object, and a controller configured to obtain an area value of the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion, obtain a distance value according to the obtained area value, and control the driving apparatus to maintain a distance between the photographing portion and the target object at a reference distance value according to the obtained distance value.

Claims

1. A following apparatus which follows a target object while photographing the target object, the following apparatus comprising:

a driving apparatus configured to move a main body;

a photographing portion configured to continuously photograph the target object; and

a controller configured to;

obtain an area size value of an identification window of the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion,

obtain a distance value according to the obtained area size value,

obtain a sharpness value of the target object in the live-view motion picture from the photographing portion,

set a first threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object,

when the sharpness value of the target object is not less than the first threshold value, control the driving apparatus to maintain a distance between the photographing portion and the target object at a reference distance value using one method that is based on the obtained distance value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value, control the driving apparatus using another method that is different from the one method,

wherein the other method is based on at least one of a movement distance value of a focus lens and a direction of change of the area size value of the identification window of the target object.

2. The following apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the driving apparatus to move the main body at a reference speed when the obtained distance value is equal to the reference distance value, at a speed lower than the reference speed when the obtained distance value is less than the reference distance value, and at a speed higher than the reference speed when the obtained distance value is greater than the reference distance value.

3. The following apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller sets a second threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value:

the photographing portion performs autofocusing until the sharpness value of the target object is equal to the second threshold value and provides position information of a focus lens to the controller, and

the controller obtains a movement distance value of the focus lens when the sharpness value of the target object is equal to the second threshold value, corrects the obtained distance value between the photographing portion and the target object according to an obtained movement distance value of the focus lens, and controls the driving apparatus according to a corrected distance value.

4. The following apparatus of claim 3, wherein, in the correction of the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens,

the controller determines whether the area size value of the identification window the target object is changed, decreases the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens when the area size value of the target object increases, and increases the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens when the area size value of the target object decreases.

5. The following apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller corrects the obtained distance value according to an increase/decrease distance value corresponding to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens using a look-up table.

6. The following apparatus of claim 1, wherein,

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value, the controller determines whether an area of the target object is changed, controls the driving apparatus to decelerate when the area size value of the identification window of the target object increases, and controls the driving apparatus to accelerate when the area size value of the identification window of the target object decreases.

7. The following apparatus of claim 6, wherein the photographing portion does not perform autofocusing when photographing the target object.

8. The following apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller obtains the distance value corresponding to the obtained area size value using a look-up table, and

the controller controls the driving apparatus according to a moving speed corresponding to the obtained distance value using the look-up table.

9. The following apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller controls panning and tilting of the photographing portion so that the identification window of the target object is located at a center of a screen.

10. The following apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when there is an overlapping object that overlaps the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion, the controller identifies the target object in an overlapping area along a recent movement direction of the target object.

11. The following apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller forms an identification window only on the target object while disregarding the overlapping object.

12. The following apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when a zoom ratio of the photographing portion is changed, the controller controls zooming of the photographing portion and resets a center coordinate value of the target object so that the identification window of the target object is located at the center of the screen.

13. A following system comprising:

a following apparatus configured to follow a target object while photographing the target object; and

a remote control apparatus comprising a display, and configured to remotely control an operation of the following apparatus according to a user input while displaying a motion picture from the following apparatus on the display,

wherein the following apparatus;

obtains an area size value of an identification window of the target object from a live-view motion picture generated by the photographing, and

obtains a sharpness value of the target object in the live-view motion picture,

sets a threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object,

when the sharpness value of the target object is not less than the threshold value, controls a following speed to maintain a distance with respect to the target object at a reference distance value using one method that is based on the obtained area size value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the threshold value, control the driving apparatus using another method that is different from the one method,

wherein the other method is based on at least one of a movement distance value of a focus lens and a direction of change of the area size value of the identification window of the target object.

14. The following system of claim 13, wherein, when a position is selected from a displayed live-view motion picture, the remote control apparatus transmits a coordinate value of a selected position, and

the following apparatus sets an object corresponding to the coordinate value of the selected position from the remote control apparatus to be the target object.

15. The following system of claim 13, wherein the following apparatus controls panning and tilting of the photographing so that an identification window of the target object is located at a center of the display of the remote control apparatus.

16. The following system of claim 13, wherein, when a zoom ratio is received from the remote control apparatus by the following apparatus, the following apparatus controls zooming of the photographing and resets a center coordinate value of the target object so that an identification window of the target object is located at a center of the display of the remote control apparatus.