Camera aiming using an electronic positioning system for the target

• US 8,125,529 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trimble Navigation Limited (Trimble Inc.)
• Inventors: Skoskiewicz, Andrzej, Zimmerman, Kurt R., Matsuoka, Masayoshi, Hedtke, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): VILLECCO, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US12/368,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 348/113, 348/116, 348/118, 348/119, 348/120, 348/148, 348/159, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.7, 382/104, 701/50, 701/213
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/04 using optical or ultrasonic detectors

Abstract

Vehicles, such as vehicles in an open-pit mine, are visually tracked. The location of a vehicle is determined using radio frequency signals, such as pseudolite transmissions of ranging signals. The camera is steered based on the location. For example, multiple cameras are directed automatically on a vehicle based on the vehicle position. Images from a plurality of perspectives are provided to resolve or prevent a problem. The directing may include zooming for better viewing of vehicles at different distances from the camera. The directing may be incorporated into a vehicle management system, such as a dispatch system. For example, a user selects a vehicle from a list of managed vehicles or a displayed map, and the cameras are steered to view the selected vehicle based on the position of the vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for using positioning information to image vehicles in an open-pit mine, the system comprising:

a plurality of land-based transmitters at different known locations in or by the open-pit mine;

a plurality of cameras each steerable along at least two axes, the cameras positioned at or by respective land-based transmitters such that updates for the known locations of the land-based transmitters correspond to camera locations, the cameras operable to zoom;

a management processor operable to determine locations of a plurality of vehicles in or by the open-pit mine as a function of signals transmitted from the land-based transmitters at the known locations and received at the vehicles; and

a display operable to display a graphical representation of the locations of the vehicles;

wherein the management processor is operable to steer the plurality of cameras to a first one of the vehicles and to zoom the plurality of cameras as a function of distances from the cameras to the first one of the vehicles, and wherein the display is operable to display images from the plurality of cameras, the images showing the first one of the vehicles from different angles such that four sides of the first one of the vehicles are shown in the images.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of land-based transmitters connects with a respective plurality of masts, one of the cameras connected to each of the masts.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of land-based transmitters and cameras are distributed around or within the open pit mine such that at least four cameras and land-based transmitters have line of sight to all possible locations for the vehicles.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is part of a graphical dispatch system having a user input, wherein the management processor is operable to steer in response to user selection of a first one of the graphical representations corresponding to the first one of the vehicles.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is operable to steer the plurality of cameras to scan along one or more roads in a road scan mode and to substantially continuously switch between views of different ones of the vehicles in a vehicle hopping mode, the road scan and vehicle hopping modes corresponding to the cameras viewing different areas of the open-pit mine at a same time, wherein the management processor being operable to steer the plurality of cameras to the first one of the vehicles and to zoom the plurality of cameras corresponds to multiple cameras viewing the first one of the vehicles at a same time in response to a trigger in a trigger mode.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is operable to steer and zoom the plurality of cameras to the first one of the vehicles in response to automatic detection of the first one of the vehicles being in proximity to an obstruction, another vehicle, a feature of the open pit mine, road condition, or combinations thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first one of the vehicles is operable, at least in part, autonomously, the management processor operable to steer and zoom the plurality of cameras to the first one of the vehicles in response to a safety stop of the first one of the vehicles, and the management processor operable to receive an indication of a manual override of the safety stop and output the indication to the first one of the vehicles.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the cameras comprise thermal cameras, infrared cameras, night vision cameras, or combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is operable to steer and zoom at least one of the cameras to view at least one of the land-based transmitters, a reference station for location determination, fixed open-pit mine facilities, communications infrastructure, or combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a wireless communications network, the cameras operable to transmit the images over the wireless communications network to the management processor and the vehicles operable to transmit position information to the management processor over the wireless communications network.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is operable to update the steering and zooming of the cameras as a function of changes in the location of the first one of the vehicles.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein a second one of the vehicles comprises a in-vehicle display and a vehicle user input, the management processor operable to steer and zoom at least one of the cameras to view the second one of the vehicles in response to a request from the vehicle user input and transmit an image of the view of the second one of the vehicles to the in-vehicle display.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the management processor is operable to steer and zoom the cameras to the first one of the vehicles in response to a detected deviation in operating parameters of the first one of the vehicles.

14. A system for imaging with a camera, the system comprising:

a camera steerable along at least a first axis;

a user input operable to receive a user indication of selection of at least a first one of a plurality of mobile vehicles;

a display operable to display a representation for at least the first one of the mobile vehicles on a map, the first one of the mobile vehicles having a dynamically determined position; and

a processor operable to steer the camera to view the first one of the mobile vehicles in response to the user indication, the camera steered as a function of the dynamically determined position of the first one of the mobile vehicles, wherein the processor is further operable to steer the camera to scan along one or more roads when in a road scan mode, to steer the camera to substantially continuously switch between views of different ones of the mobile vehicles when in a vehicle hopping mode, and to steer the camera to view infrastructure.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the dynamically determined position is a satellite-based radio frequency determined position, and wherein the map corresponds to a local region for the determined position.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the display and the processor are part of a dispatch system, wherein the mobile vehicles comprise fleet vehicles having wireless communications with the dispatch system, and wherein the camera is one of a plurality of cameras and wherein the processor is operable to steer and zoom the plurality of cameras to view the first one of the mobile vehicles.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

land-based transmitters, wherein the camera is positioned on a mast with one of the land-based transmitters, the dynamically determined position being a function of signals from the land-based transmitter.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the dynamically determined position comprises a position determined from radio communications.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the dynamically determined position comprises a position determined from radio frequency ranging signals.

20. A method for imaging with a camera, the method comprising:

determining locations of a plurality of managed vehicles with radio frequency ranging;

displaying a graphical representation of the locations and types of the plurality of managed vehicles;

focusing, steering, and zooming, automatically, a plurality of cameras on a first one of the plurality of managed vehicles as a function of the location of the first one of the managed vehicles, wherein steering includes providing a plurality of camera steering modes, including steering the plurality of cameras to scan along one or more roads, steering the plurality of cameras to view different ones of the managed vehicles at a same time and switching the different ones of the managed vehicles being viewed, and steering the plurality of cameras to view infrastructure; and

displaying images from the cameras of the first one of the managed vehicles.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the cameras are positioned adjacent to land-based transmitters having known locations, the focusing, steering, zooming, or combinations thereof being a function of the known location associated with the camera and the location of the first one of the managed vehicles, and wherein determining comprising determining as a function of signals from the land-based transmitters.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein focusing, steering, zooming, or combinations thereof comprises steering and zooming, and wherein displaying the images comprises displaying the images from different angles such that four sides of the first one of the managed vehicles are shown in the images.

23. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving user input of a selection of the graphical representation of the first one of the managed vehicles,

wherein focusing, steering, zooming, or combinations thereof is performed in response to receiving the user input.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a proximity alert or safety stop associated with the first one of the managed vehicles;

wherein focusing, steering, zooming, and combinations thereof is performed in response to the receipt of the proximity alert.

25. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a request for in-vehicle display of a view of the first one of the managed vehicles; and

transmitting at least one of the images to the first one of the managed vehicles.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein managed vehicles comprise dispatched vehicles, each of the dispatched vehicles having an assigned task.

27. A system for imaging with a camera, the system comprising:

a plurality of land-based transmitters at different known locations, each of the land-based transmitters on a respective mast;

a plurality of steerable cameras, the cameras positioned on the masts; and

a processor operable to determine a location of a vehicle as a function of signals transmitted from the land-based transmitters to the vehicle, and operable to steer the cameras to view a vehicle as a function of the location, wherein the processor is further operable to update camera locations of the steerable cameras, the camera locations being laterally determined along three axes, wherein the processor determines distances and angles of the vehicle location relative to the camera locations, and wherein the processor steers and focuses the cameras as a function of the distances and angles.

28. The system of claim 27 further comprising a display operable to display an icon for the vehicle on a map, and wherein the processor is operable to steer in response to user selection of the icon.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein determining the location of the vehicle comprises determining as a function of radio frequency ranging signals.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor is operable to update by determining the camera locations as a function of radio frequency ranging signals.

31. The system of claim 27 wherein the processor is with one of the cameras.

32. A method for imaging with a camera, the method comprising:

determining locations of a plurality of managed vehicles with radio frequency ranging;

displaying a graphical representation of the locations and types of the plurality of managed vehicles;

focusing, steering, zooming, or combinations thereof, automatically, a plurality of cameras on a first one of the plurality of managed vehicles as a function of the location of the first one of the managed vehicles;

displaying images from the cameras of the first one of the managed vehicles;

receiving a request for in-vehicle display of a view of the first one of the managed vehicles; and

transmitting at least one of the images to the first one of the managed vehicles.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the plurality of cameras includes a vehicle-mounted camera.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first one of the managed vehicles operates autonomously or semi-autonomously.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein displaying images from the cameras further includes displaying images showing the first one of the managed vehicles from different angles such that four sides of the first one of the vehicles are shown in the images.