Smart tracking system

An apparatus intelligently and automatically tracking a moving subject with a camera comprising:

• a. circuitry determining an error direction representing the present orientation of the subject relative to the camera;
• b. a sensor for sensing a last direction in which the camera moved about an axis;
• c. a calculator calculating an elapsed time value representing the elapsed time interval since the camera last moved;
• d. a comparator comparing the last direction with the error direction, and for-comparing the elapsed time value with a predetermined value if the error direction and the last direction are not equal;
• and
• e. a drive unit, responsive to said circuitry determining an error and said comparator moving the camera in the error direction about said one axis if the elapsed time value at least equals the predetermined value or the last direction equals the error direction.

An apparatus permitting a camera to maintain a moving subject within the frame of a camera in a manner which is visually pleasing to a viewer, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a memory storing a plurality of predetermined limits for the angular velocity and angular acceleration of the camera about an axis;
• b. a drive unit, responsive to the memory moving the camera about the axis at rates not in excess of the predetermined limits to maintain the subject within the zone;
• c. a mechanism defining a central zone within the camera frame and substantially symmetrical about the center of the subject;
• d. a first calculator calculating a first percentage representing the total time the subject was outside the central zone during a given time interval;
• e. a second calculator calculating the maximum angular velocity and maximum angular acceleration of the subject within the given time interval;
• and
• f. circuitry, responsive to said first and said second calculators, selecting new predetermined limits from the memory storing the angular acceleration and angular velocity of the camera in anticipation of future motion of the subject.

An apparatus for intelligently and automatically tracking a moving subject within the frame of a camera comprising:

• a. a mechanism defining a central zone within the camera frame by a pair of angular coordinates along one axis and substantially symmetric about the center of the subject at a first time;
• b. circuitry determining an angular error along said one axis between the subject and the camera at a second time;
• c. circuitry determining whether the angular error is within the central zone;
• d. circuitry determining an error direction representing the direction in which the camera must move to reduce the angular error at the second time, if the angular error is not within the central zone;
• e. a drive unit moving the camera about said one axis in the error direction;
• and
• f. circuitry redefining the angular coordinates of the central zone so that the central zone is shifted in a direction which is opposite the error direction.

An apparatus for intelligently and automatically tracking a moving subject within the frame of a camera comprising:

• a. a receiver receiving signals from the subject and generating relative orientation data therefrom in the form of control signals, said orientation data being a continuous function of the relative angular position of the subject;
• b. a mechanism defining a central zone within the camera frame with a pair of angular coordinates along one axis;
• c. circuitry determining, from the control signals, whether the subject is within the central zone;
• d. a processor processing the control signals if the subject is not within the central zone;
• e. circuitry redefining the angular coordinates describing the central zone to reorient the central zone within the camera frame;
• and
• f. a drive unit, responsive to the processor, moving the camera about an axis to maintain the subject within the central zone.

An apparatus for permitting a camera to maintain a moving subject within the camera frame in a manner that is visually pleasing to a viewer, the system comprising:

• a. a subject generating signals which can be tracked;
• b. a controller receiving signals from the subject and continuously generating relative orientation data therefrom in the form of control signals, said control signals representing the angular error between the position of the subject and the camera along at least one plane;
• c. a mechanism anticipating future relative motion of the subject based on past motion of the subject;
• d. a processor responsive to said control signals, for determining whether the angular error represented by the control signals is within an acceptable range given anticipated motion by the subject, and processing said control signals if said angular error is not within the acceptable range;
• and
• e. a drive unit, responsive to said processed control signals, selectively moving the camera about an axis to maintain the subject within the camera frame.

An apparatus for tracking the motion of a subject comprising:

• a. a memory storing a plurality of predetermined limits for each of the angular acceleration and angular velocity of the apparatus about an axis;
• b. a controller storing periodic values for each of the angular speed and angular acceleration of the subject during a given time interval and determining the motion characteristics of the subject during the given time interval from said periodic values;
• c. a selector, responsive to the controller, selecting one of said plurality of predetermined limits for each of the angular acceleration and angular velocity of the apparatus in accordance with the motion characteristics of the subject;
• and
• d. a drive unit, responsive to the selector and the memory, moving the apparatus about the axis at rates not in excess of the selected predetermined limits.