# US 2013/0155182 A1 · Methods and apparatus to compensate for overshoot of a desired field of vision by a remotely-controlled image capture device

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- Number: US 2013/0155182 A1
- Document ID: US20130155182A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/331,308
- Filed: 2011-12-20
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-20
- Assignees: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
- Inventors: TYRONE D. BEKIARES; ISAAC B. BLATTER; MATTHEW C. KELLER; STEVEN D. TINE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155182A1

## CPC

- H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Embodiments include apparatus and methods to compensate for overshoot of a desired field of vision (FOV) by a remotely-controlled image capture device. The image capture device produces images associated with a plurality of FOVs, and transmits the images to a remote viewer terminal along with image identifiers (or FOV definitions for the images). The terminal receives and displays the images to a viewer. In response to viewer indications to pan or stop panning, the terminal sends pan and regress commands, respectively, to the image capture device. A regress command includes a reference to a selected FOV (e.g., an image identifier or an FOV definition). In response to receiving a regress command, the image capture device regresses to the selected FOV, and transmits additional images associated with the selected FOV to the terminal. The system also may include an intermediary device, which performs some of the functions associated with overshoot compensation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method performed in a system that includes a remote viewer terminal and an image capture device that is controllable to change a field of vision (FOV), with respect to a fixed coordinate system, of images produced by the image capture device, the method comprising:
producing, by the image capture device, a plurality of images associated with a plurality of FOVs;
transmitting, over a data path, the plurality of images produced by the image capture device;
receiving, over the data path, a regress command that includes a reference to a selected FOV of the plurality of FOVs; and
in response to receiving the regress command, producing, by the image capture device, additional images associated with the selected FOV.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device includes a drive system that is capable of physically moving a camera of the image capture device to various orientations in order to change the FOVs of the images produced by the image capture device, and wherein:
producing the plurality of images comprises controlling the drive system to pan, tilt or zoom the camera through a plurality of camera orientations while capturing the plurality of images; and
producing the additional images comprises controlling the drive system to pan, tilt or zoom the camera to an orientation associated with the selected FOV, and to produce the additional images while the camera is in the orientation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising:
when the drive system has moved the camera to the orientation, transmitting a message, over the data path that indicates that the camera is aligned with the orientation associated with the selected FOV.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
producing the plurality of images comprises capturing wide-angle images, and selecting sub-images associated with different FOVs within at least one of the wide-angle images as the plurality of images; and
producing the additional images comprises capturing additional wide-angle images and selecting sub-images associated with the selected FOV from at least one of the additional wide-angle images.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
when the sub-images associated with the selected FOV are selected, transmitting a message, over the data path that indicates that the camera is producing images associated with the selected FOV.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device system also includes data storage, and the method further comprises:
assigning a plurality of image identifiers to the plurality of images, wherein each of the plurality of image identifiers corresponds to one of the plurality of images;
storing, in the data storage, the plurality of image identifiers and a plurality of FOV definitions, wherein for each image identifier, an FOV definition defines an FOV of an image corresponding to the image identifier;
transmitting the plurality of image identifiers over the data path in conjunction with the plurality of images; and
wherein the regress command includes a selected image identifier of the plurality of image identifiers as the reference to the selected FOV, and in response to receiving the regress command, the image capture device retrieves an FOV definition corresponding to the selected image identifier from the data storage.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of FOV definitions includes information selected from at least one of the following: a pan angle of the camera when an image was captured, a tilt angle of the camera when the image was captured, a magnification level of the camera when the image was captured, or a boundary of a sub-image within a wide-angle image captured by the image capture device.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the image capture device transmits the plurality of images to an intermediary device, and the method further comprises:
receiving a plurality of FOV queries from the intermediary device; and
in response to receiving each of the plurality of FOV queries, transmitting an FOV definition indicating a current FOV of images captured by the image capture device to the intermediary device, and
wherein the regress command includes the FOV definition corresponding to a selected image of the plurality of images as the reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
in conjunction with transmitting an image of the plurality of images captured by the image capture device, transmitting an FOV definition that defines an FOV at a time when the image was captured,
wherein the regress command includes the FOV definition as the reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 10

A method performed in a system that includes an image capture device and a viewing system, which communicate with each other over a data path, the method performed by the viewing system and comprising:
receiving, over the data path, a plurality of images captured by the image capture device as the image capture device pans through a plurality of fields of vision (FOVs);
causing the plurality of images to be displayed on a display device of the viewing system in a sequential manner;
receiving an indication to stop panning at a selected field of vision (FOV) of the plurality of FOVs, wherein the selected FOV corresponds to a selected image of the displayed images;
transmitting, to the image capture device over the data path, a regress command intended to cause the image capture device to regress to the selected FOV; and
causing the plurality of images to be displayed on the display device in an altered manner.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving from the image capture device over the data path, a subsequent plurality of images captured by the image capture device after the image capture device has overshot the selected FOV, and
wherein causing the plurality of images to be displayed in the altered manner comprises continuing to display the selected image instead of displaying the subsequent plurality of images.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving from the image capture device over the data path, a subsequent plurality of images captured by the image capture device after image capture device has overshot the selected FOV, and
wherein causing the plurality of images to be displayed in the altered manner comprises displaying the subsequent plurality of images in a manner in which a displayed FOV appears to be fixed at the selected FOV.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving, over the data path, a message that indicates that the image capture device is aligned to capture additional images with the selected FOV;
receiving, over the data path, a subsequent plurality of images captured by the image capture device after the image capture device is aligned to capture the additional images; and
causing the subsequent plurality of images to be displayed on the display device in the sequential manner.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving, from the image capture device over the data path, a plurality of image identifiers in conjunction with the plurality of images, and
wherein the at least one regress command includes a selected image identifier of the plurality of image identifiers as a reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving, over the data path, an FOV definition that defines the selected FOV, and
wherein the at least one regress command includes the FOV definition as a reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the viewing system includes a remote viewer terminal and an intermediary device that is between the remote viewer terminal and the image capture device, and wherein:
the intermediary device receives the plurality of images from the image capture device and communicates the plurality of images to the remote viewer terminal;
the intermediary device receives a plurality of image identifiers from the image capture device in conjunction with the plurality of images;
the intermediary device stores the plurality of image identifiers in a manner that the plurality of image identifiers are correlated with the plurality of images;
the remote viewer terminal causes the plurality of images to be displayed on the display device;
the remote viewer terminal receives the indication to stop the panning;
the remote viewer terminal transmits a stop panning command to the intermediary device in response to receiving the indication;
the intermediary device identifies, in response to receiving the stop panning command, a selected image of the plurality of images that was being displayed when the indication to stop the panning was received;
the intermediary device identifies a selected image identifier from the plurality of image identifiers, wherein the selected image identifier corresponds to the selected image; and
the intermediary device transmits the regress command to the image capture device with the selected image identifier as a reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the viewing system includes a remote viewer terminal and an intermediary device that is between the remote viewer terminal and the image capture device, and wherein:
the intermediary device receives the plurality of images from the image capture device and communicates the plurality of images to the remote viewer terminal;
the intermediary device receives, from the image capture device, a plurality of FOV definitions, each of which defines an FOV associated with an image;
the intermediary device stores the FOV definitions in a manner that the FOV definitions are correlated with the plurality of images;
the remote viewer terminal causes the plurality of images to be displayed on the display device;
the remote viewer terminal receives the indication to stop the camera panning;
the remote viewer terminal transmits a stop panning command to the intermediary device in response to receiving the indication;
the intermediary device identifies, in response to receiving the stop panning command, a selected image of the plurality of images that was being displayed when the indication to stop the camera panning was received;
the intermediary device identifies a selected FOV definition from the plurality of FOV definitions, wherein the selected FOV definition corresponds to the selected image; and
the intermediary device transmits the regress command to the image capture device with the selected FOV definition as a reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining a set of forward panning commands that have been transmitted to the image capture device after the image capture device captured the selected image; and
structuring the regress command as a reverse panning command intended to reverse the camera panning performed by the image capture device in response to having executed the set of forward panning commands.

### Claim 19

An image capture device comprising:
a camera configured to produce a plurality of images associated with a plurality of fields of vision (FOVs);
a data path interface; and
a processing system configured to
transmit, via the data path interface, the plurality of images produced by the camera,
receive, via the data path interface, a regress command that includes a reference to a selected FOV of the plurality of FOVs, and
control the camera to produce additional images associated with the selected FOV.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The image capture device of claim 19, further comprising:
one or more drive motors coupled to the camera, which are capable of physically moving the camera to various orientations in order to change the FOVs of the images produced by the camera.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The image capture device of claim 19, wherein the camera is configured to produce the plurality of images by capturing wide-angle images, and selecting sub-images associated with different FOVs within at least one of the wide-angle images as the plurality of images.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The image capture device of claim 19, further comprising:
data storage; and
wherein the processing system is further configured to:
assign a plurality of image identifiers to the plurality of images, wherein each of the plurality of image identifiers corresponds to one of the plurality of images,
store, in the data storage, the plurality of image identifiers and a plurality of FOV definitions, wherein for each image identifier, an FOV definition defines an FOV of the camera when an image corresponding to the image identifier was captured,
transmit the plurality of image identifiers via the data path interface in conjunction with the plurality of images, and
wherein the regress command includes a selected image identifier of the plurality of image identifiers as the reference to the selected FOV, and in response to receiving the regress command, the processing system retrieves an FOV definition corresponding to the selected image identifier from the data storage.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The image capture device of claim 19, wherein the processing system is further configured to:
in conjunction with transmitting each of the plurality of images produced by the camera, transmit an FOV definition that defines an FOV at a time when the image was captured,
wherein the regress command includes the FOV definition as the reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 24

An image viewing system comprising:
a remote viewer terminal that includes a display device and a data path interface, wherein the remote viewer terminal is configured to
receive, via the data path interface, a plurality of images captured by the image capture device as the image capture device pans through a plurality of FOVs,
cause the plurality of images to be displayed on the display device in a sequential manner,
receive an indication to stop panning at a selected FOV of the plurality of FOVs, wherein the selected FOV corresponds to a selected image of the displayed images,
transmit, to the image capture device via the data path interface, a regress command intended to cause the image capture device to regress to the selected FOV, and
cause the plurality of images to be displayed on the display device in an altered manner.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The image viewing system of claim 24, wherein the remote viewer terminal is further configured to:
receive, from the image capture device via the data path interface, a plurality of image identifiers in conjunction with the plurality of images, and
wherein the regress command includes a selected image identifier of the plurality of image identifiers as a reference to the selected FOV.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The image viewing system of claim 24, wherein the remote viewer terminal is further configured to:
receive, via the data path interface, an FOV definition that defines the selected FOV, and
wherein the regress command includes the FOV definition as a reference to the selected FOV.