Passive Positioning Information Of a Camera In large Studio Environment

• US 20100110181A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Wang, Yong, Mathur, Saurabh, Ramaswamy, Kumar, Guo, Yang
• Application Number:
  US12/451,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110181A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/140
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/16 using difference in transit time between electrical and acoustic signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/30 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• 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 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes locating at least one transmitter on at least one movable camera for transmitting a signal detectable by receivers located in fixed positions for distance measurements of the camera with respect to the receivers for location processing of the distance measurements. The method can further include detecting out of range measurements from collected range measurements based on receivers in known locations as an indication of the movement of a transmitter responsive to signals from the transmitter.

Claims

1. A method comprising the step of:

detecting range measurements that are unacceptable as an indication of movement of a transmitter from collected range measurements based on receivers in known locations responsive to signals from the transmitter.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of filtering out the unacceptable range measurements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises looking for stability in a collected one of the range measurements based on the transmitter being stationary.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a large difference in the range measurements associated with the transmitter being stationary is indicative of an error.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises looking at one of the range measurements for spatial consistency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises looking at one of the range measurements for geometric distance constraints that the transmitter should follow when moving with respect to the receivers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting comprises looking at movement consistency, of one of the range measurements that lacks spatial consistency.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the movement consistency means that the range measurements from a certain number of the receivers should be spatially consistent.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a station for receiving collected range measurements of a transmitter and detecting which of the range measurements are unacceptable as an indication of movement of the transmitter.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured for filtering out the unacceptable range measurements.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured for looking for stability in a collected one of the range measurements based on the transmitter being stationary.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured to look for a large difference in the range measurements associated with the transmitter being stationary as indicative of an error.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured looking at one of the range measurements for spatial consistency.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured for looking at one of the range measurements for geometric distance constraints that the transmitter should follow when moving with respect to the receivers.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is configured for looking at movement consistency of one of the range measurements that lacks spatial consistency.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the movement consistency means that the range measurements from a certain number of the receivers should be spatially consistent.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is a server receiving the collected range measurements wirelessly.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the station is a computer receiving the collected range measurements from a Cricket positioning system.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the range measurements are time stamped.

20. A method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one transmitter for at least one movable camera for transmitting a signal detectable by receivers positioned for distance measurements of the camera with respect to the receivers for processing of the distance measurements.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of collecting the distance measurements periodically for transmission to a central server for location processing to attain camera positioning.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the transmitter is a beacon of a Cricket system.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the receivers are anchors of a Cricket system.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the receivers are positioned on a roof of a studio environment.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the distance measurements are collected for range estimation filtering to attain camera positioning.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one camera comprises multiple cameras movable in a studio environment.

27. An apparatus comprising:

at least one transmitter for at least one movable camera for transmitting a signal detectable by receivers positioned for distance measurements of the camera with respect to the receivers for location processing of the distance measurements.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one transmitter is multiple transmitters for respective multiple cameras movable in a studio environment.