US 11,231,639 B2 · Motorized camera mobile device stand for panorama and virtual reality applications

Abstract

A motorized camera mobile device stand that includes a motorized component and an alignment component. The motorized component is configured to receive a command signal from a camera mobile device, and place, in response to the command signal, the camera mobile device in multiple positions for capturing images. The positions include multiple rotation angles with respect to a rotation axis and multiple tilting angles with respect to a tilting axis. The alignment component is configured to substantially align, prior to receiving the command signal and based on a laser beam, the rotation axis with a camera lens of the camera mobile device, substantially align, prior to receive the command signal and based on the laser beam, the tilting axis with the camera lens, and constrain the camera mobile device such that the camera lens substantially overlaps an intersection of the rotation axis and the tilting axis in each position.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A motorized camera mobile device stand, comprising:

a motorized component configured to:
receive a command signal from a camera mobile device;
and
place, in response to the command signal, the camera mobile device in a plurality of positions for capturing a plurality of images,
wherein the plurality of positions comprise a plurality of rotation angles with respect to a rotation axis and a plurality of tilting angles with respect to a tilting axis, wherein the rotation axis intersects the tilting axis;
and
an alignment component configured to:
substantially align, prior to receiving the command signal and based on a laser beam, the rotation axis with a camera lens of the camera mobile device;
substantially align, prior to receiving the command signal and based on the laser beam, the tilting axis with the camera lens;
and
constrain the camera mobile device such that the camera lens substantially overlaps an intersection of the rotation axis and the tilting axis in each of the plurality of positions.

8 more elements

A method for generating a panorama, comprising:

substantially aligning, based on a laser beam of a motorized camera mobile device stand, a rotation axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand with a camera lens of a camera mobile device;
substantially aligning, based on the laser beam, a tilting axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand with the camera lens;
receiving, by the motorized camera mobile device stand, a command signal from the camera mobile device;
placing, by the motorized camera mobile device stand in response to the command signal, the camera mobile device in a plurality of positions for capturing a plurality of images of the panorama;
and
constraining, by the motorized camera mobile device stand, the camera mobile device such that the camera lens substantially overlaps an intersection of the rotation axis and the tilting axis in each of the plurality of positions,
wherein the plurality of positions comprise a plurality of rotation angles with respect to the rotation axis and a plurality of tilting angles with respect to the tilting axis, wherein the rotation axis intersects the tilting axis.

4 more elements

A method for generating a panorama, comprising:

sending, by a camera mobile device, a command signal to a motorized camera mobile device stand to place the camera mobile device in a plurality of positions, wherein the plurality of positions comprise a plurality of rotation angles with respect to a rotation axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand and a plurality of tilting angles with respect to a tilting axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand;
capturing, using a camera lens of the camera mobile device at each of the plurality of positions, one of a plurality of images of the panorama;
and
exchanging, with the motorized camera mobile device stand by the camera mobile device at each of the plurality of positions, communication signals to synchronize the capturing the plurality of images and the placing the camera mobile device in the plurality of positions,
wherein the command signal causes the motorized camera mobile device stand to constrain the camera mobile device such that the camera lens substantially overlaps, in each of the plurality of positions, an intersection of the rotation axis and the tilting axis.

2 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for generating a panorama, the instructions, when executed by a computer processor, comprising functionality for:

substantially aligning, based on a laser beam of a motorized camera mobile device stand, a rotation axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand with a camera lens of a camera mobile device;
substantially aligning, based on the laser beam, a tilting axis of the motorized camera mobile device stand with the camera lens;
receiving, by the motorized camera mobile device stand, a command signal from the camera mobile device;
placing, by the motorized camera mobile device stand in response to the command signal, the camera mobile device in a plurality of positions for capturing a plurality of images of the panorama;
and
constraining, by the motorized camera mobile device stand, the camera mobile device such that the camera lens substantially overlaps an intersection of the rotation axis and the tilting axis in each of the plurality of positions,
wherein the plurality of positions comprise a plurality of rotation angles with respect to the rotation axis and a plurality of tilting angles with respect to the tilting axis, wherein the rotation axis intersects the tilting axis.