Automatic Tracking Camera Stabilization via Dual-Mode Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automatic tracking camera systems experience unstable tracking operations due to sudden and unnecessary changes in video images when the object to be tracked is far from the preset target position, and disturbances in image recognition and zoom control affect the relative positional relationship between the object and the target.
Innovation Solution
An automatic tracking image pickup system that includes an image pickup apparatus, a driving unit, a recognition unit, and a controller, which controls the speed of the driving unit in an initial mode until the object reaches a predetermined position and switches to a normal mode with a higher gain for stable tracking, minimizing sudden changes in the video image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If control is started immediately after the object appears in the image, then tracking response is fast, but sudden and unnecessary video image changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by switching between two control modes (initial mode and normal mode) based on the object's position. In initial mode, the camera platform is not controlled when the object is far from the center, preventing sudden image changes. When the object reaches the center, normal mode activates for precise tracking, thus dynamically adapting the control strategy to the situation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses preliminary action by waiting for the object to naturally reach the center of the image before activating the camera platform control. This preliminary waiting period allows the object to approach the target position without artificial intervention, avoiding sudden movements and unnecessary tracking operations.
2Measurement precision
If camera platform control is performed to stop the object at the set target position, then tracking precision is improved, but the system becomes unstable when the object is far from the target position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by applying different control strategies to different spatial regions. When the object is far from the center (initial mode), no control is applied. When the object is near the center (normal mode), precise control is applied. This localized approach to control ensures stability in the initial phase and precision in the final phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the tracking process into two distinct phases: initial mode and normal mode. This segmentation allows the system to use appropriate control strategies for each phase, preventing instability during object approach while ensuring precision during final positioning.
3Shape
If zoom control is performed during tracking, then object size in image is optimized, but relative positional relationship between object and target position becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making zoom control conditional on the tracking mode. During initial mode, zoom control is suspended to maintain positional stability. During normal mode, zoom control is activated to optimize object size. This dynamic adjustment of zoom based on tracking phase resolves the contradiction between shape optimization and positional stability.
Data Source
AI summary
An automatic tracking image pickup system including: an image pickup apparatus picking up an image of an object; a driving unit changing an image pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus; a recognition unit recognizing a tracking object in a picked up image; and a controller controlling a speed of the driving unit based on a difference between a position of the tracking object in the image and a target position in the image in an initial mode until the tracking object reaches a predetermined position in the image after the recognition unit recognizes the tracking object for first time, and in a normal mode after the tracking object reaches the predetermined position with a gain for obtaining the speed of the driving unit based on the difference in the normal mode being larger than a gain used in the initial mode.