Ball with camera and trajectory control for reconnaissance or recreation
AssigneeSteven J. Hollinger
InventorSteven J. Hollinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thrown or projected ball-shaped camera for capturing images over the arc of its airborne trajectory is disclosed. Improvements include a position sensor for determining the camera's perspective in flight. An embedded processor for normalizing multiple captured images to a single ground plane, stitching multiple images into a panoramic image, and compiling multiple images into a smooth, continuous fly-by video. Also disclosed is a plurality of camera apertures facing outwardly from the sphere for capture of images to be stitched into a larger panoramic image.
Claims24
An image capture apparatus comprising:
- a substantially spherical housing suitable for being projected into an airborne trajectory;
- a camera positioned in the housing with a lens having at least a partial view to the exterior environment;
- at least one position sensor positioned in the housing that determines the position of the camera along the airborne trajectory;
- at least one orientation sensor positioned in the housing that determines the orientation of the camera along the airborne trajectory;
- a memory unit positioned in the housing that stores at least one of image data, camera position, and camera orientation;
- and
- a processing unit having inputs electrically connected to the camera, the at least one position sensor, and the at least one orientation sensor, the processing unit instructing the camera to capture an image in response to an electrical signal generated by the at least one position sensor and the at least one orientation sensor.
An image capture apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising a geometry suitable for being projected into an airborne trajectory;
- a camera positioned in the housing with a lens having at least a partial view to the exterior environment;
- a ground-based target;
- at least one position sensor positioned in the housing that determines the position of the camera along the airborne trajectory;
- at least one orientation sensor positioned in the housing that determines the orientation of the camera along the airborne trajectory;
- a memory unit positioned in the housing that stores at least one of image data, camera position, and camera orientation;
- and
- a processing unit having inputs electrically connected to the camera, the at least one position sensor, and the at least one orientation sensor, the processing unit instructing the camera to capture and store in the memory unit a succession of images of the ground-based target along with respective tags indicating the position and orientation of the camera in its trajectory at the moment of image capture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.