IMAGE ORIENTATION CONTROL FOR A PORTABLE DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA

• US 20170078533A1
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Published: 03/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Contour IP Holding, LLC (iON Contour)
• Original Assignee: Contour IP Holding, LLC (iON Contour)
• Inventors: Kettenring, Peter, Green, Jason, Barros, Marc, Thorpe, David, Kim, Chunshik, Ballerstedt, Felix, Knaub, David Randall, Valadez, Oved, Novotny, Margaret, O'Donnell, Laura, Howard, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 10,477,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/875 for determining attitude
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30244 Camera pose
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

An integrated hands-free, point of view, action-sports, digital video camera (or camcorder) (10) includes: a rotary horizon adjustment controller (14) for adjusting the orientation of a horizontal image plane (16) recorded by an image sensor with respect to the orientation of a camera housing (22); a laser alignment system with laser sources (48) capable of projecting light to define a horizontal projection axis (52) that is coordinated with orientation of the horizontal image plane (16); a manually operable switch (80), which covers a microphone (90) whenever the switch (80) is in the OFF position, for controlling video data capture; and a “quick-release” mounting system (120) that retains a desired orientation of the camera (10).

Claims

1. An integrated point of view digital video camera operable for mounting to a person, a vehicle, or equipment and operable for capturing video during motion of the person, the vehicle, or the equipment, comprising:

a camera housing containing a lens and an image sensor, the camera housing defining a housing plane and the image sensor operable for capturing light propagating through the lens and representing a scene during motion of the person, the vehicle, or the equipment, the image sensor producing image data representing an image of the scene that is oriented with respect to a horizontal image plane, and the lens and the image sensor having an orientation that is adjustable with respect to the housing plane;

a mounting mechanism adaptable for secure mounting of the camera housing to the person, the vehicle, or the equipment;

a horizon adjustment control for adjusting with respect to the housing plane an orientation of the horizontal image plane of the image of the scene, the horizon adjustment control forming part of the housing but operationally independent of the mounting mechanism to enable adjustment of the orientation of the horizontal image plane when the camera housing is securely mounted to the person, the vehicle, or the equipment; and

a control axis that extends through the camera housing and the horizon adjustment control including a rotary controller that is operable for rotation about the control axis to rotate the lens and the image sensor which are supported in rotational congruence with the rotary controller and thereby change the orientation of the horizontal image plane with respect to the housing plane such that the image sensor is operable to produce image data with respect to the orientation of the horizontal image plane.

2. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the lens and the image sensor are operable for rotation about the control axis.

3. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which:

the scene has a level orientation;

the housing plane includes the control axis;

the image sensor and the lens are mounted along an optical axis that is collinear with the control axis; and

the rotary controller adjusts the horizontal image plane with respect to the level

4. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism includes a slidably engageable mounting feature on the camera housing.

5. The digital video camera of claim 1, wherein:

the scene has a level orientation;

the person, the vehicle, or the equipment has a mounting surface with an off-axis orientation with respect to the level orientation of the scene;

the mounting mechanism provides positioning adjustment of the camera housing with respect to the level orientation of the scene;

and cooperative adjustment of the mounting mechanism and the rotary controller facilitate adjustments of the horizontal image plane for pitch, yaw, and roll with respect to the level orientation of the scene and permit orientation of the horizontal image plane to be parallel to the level orientation of the scene despite the off-axis orientation of the mounting surface.

6. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism includes first and second mounting pieces configured for coupling to, respectively, the camera housing and the person, the vehicle, or the equipment, and in which the first and second mounting pieces are rotationally coupled to assume an adjustable orientation relative to each other and thereby provide rotational positioning adjustment of the camera housing.

7. The digital video camera of claim 6, in which:

the camera housing has a length;

the first mounting piece comprises a plug mount that has a circumferential edge and is matable to the camera housing to provide for linear positioning adjustment of the first mounting piece along the length of the camera housing; and

the second mounting piece comprises a base mount that has a base mount cavity into which the plug mount fits, the base mount cavity having an inside edge to which the circumferential edge of the plug mount is matable, the matable fit of the base mount and the plug mount providing the rotational positioning adjustment of the camera housing about a mount rotation axis that is transverse to the length of the camera housing to enable setting of the digital video camera to a desired viewing angle.

8. The digital video camera of claim 6, in which the person, the vehicle, or the equipment includes a strap, and in which the second mounting piece includes a strap mount opening through which the strap can pass to facilitate the secure mounting of the camera housing to the person, the vehicle, or the equipment.

9. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the image sensor has an orientation with respect to the horizontal image plane, and the digital video camera further comprises:

one or more laser sources being capable of projecting a light emission indicative of a horizontal projection plane, the horizontal projection plane being coordinated with the horizontal image plane such that rotation of the rotary controller changes orientation of the horizontal projection plane and such that the image data is oriented with respect to the horizontal projection plane.

10. The digital video camera of claim 9, in which one or more laser sources include two laser sources that establish a laser mounting axis that bisects the lens.

11. The digital video camera of claim 10, in which the laser sources are operable for rotation about the control axis.

12. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the horizon adjustment control is a manual horizon adjustment control.

13. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism has two or more housing rail cavities and two or more interleaved housing rails on each side of the camera housing for engaging the housing rail cavities of the mounting mechanism.

14. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism has a rail plug containing one or more mount rails that are adapted to mate with housing rail cavities on the camera housing.

15. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism has a rail plug attachable to or integrated with a base mount.

16. The digital video camera of claim 1, in which the mounting mechanism has a rail plug operable for attachment to the digital video camera, and the mounting mechanism has a base mount, wherein the rail plug can be rotated from zero to 360 degrees within a plane perpendicular to the base mount to capture a desired viewing angle with the digital video camera.

17. The digital video camera of claim 1, further comprising:

a data storage medium for receiving image data directly or indirectly from the image sensor;

a video encoder that cooperates with the image sensor;

a microprocessor that provides instructions to the video encoder;

a microphone for capturing audio data and directly or indirectly providing the audio data to the data storage medium or to a second data storage medium; and

a manually operable switch for controlling operation of the image sensor and the video encoder and/or the microphone.

18. The digital video camera of claim 17, further comprising:

a switch activator for the manually operable switch, wherein the switch activator is movable over a slidably engageable surface of the camera housing.

19-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method for employing the digital video camera, comprising:

mounting a first mounting piece to a camera housing of the digital video camera;

mounting a second mounting piece to a person, vehicle, or equipment;

coupling the first and second mounting pieces to assume an adjustable orientation relative to each other to provide rotational positioning adjustment of the camera housing within a housing plane and with respect to the person, the vehicle, or the equipment;

rotating a rotary controller about the control axis that extends through the camera housing, wherein the control axis is coplanar with the housing plane, the rotary controller supporting an image sensor in rotational congruence with rotation of the rotary controller, the image sensor producing image data representing an image of a scene that is oriented with respect to a horizontal image plane, the rotary controller and the image sensor having an orientation that is adjustable with respect to a housing plane such that rotation of the rotary controller adjusts the orientation of the horizontal image plane of the image of the scene with respect to the housing plane, and the rotary controller is operationally independent of the first and second mounting pieces to enable adjustment of the orientation of the horizontal image plane when the camera housing is securely mounted to the person, the vehicle, or the equipment.

34. A mounting system for securely mounting a camera housing of a video camera to a support, comprising:

a mounting mechanism including a rail plug containing one or more mount rails that are adapted to mate with housing rail cavities on the camera housing of the video camera; and

a base mount, wherein the rail plug can be rotated from zero to 360 degrees within a plane perpendicular to the base mount to capture a desired viewing angle with the video camera.