Tracking Control Device for Automatic Imaging Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Automatic tracking imaging systems face issues with irregular control delays and frequent small shaking due to communication state and CPU processing loads, leading to suboptimal tracking performance and low-quality moving images.

Innovation Solution

A tracking control device that estimates control delays and predicts target positions based on communication and operation states, sets a dead zone to prevent unnecessary camera movements, and adjusts control amounts and dead zones dynamically to ensure accurate tracking and high-quality image capture.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If motion prediction is performed to improve tracking response, then following performance is improved, but irregular control delay occurs due to communication state and CPU processing load

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking response speedVSAvoidcontrol delay stability

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting target position based on past movement patterns before the actual tracking control is executed. This allows the system to prepare control commands in advance, compensating for communication delays and CPU processing loads, thereby maintaining reliable and stable tracking performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the prediction algorithm based on the current communication state and CPU processing load. By making the prediction process adaptive and flexible, the system can optimize tracking response speed while accounting for varying control delay conditions, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If frequent small corrections are applied to correct prediction errors, then tracking accuracy is improved, but frequent small shaking occurs in the captured image

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking accuracyVSAvoidimage stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different quality levels to different regions of the imaging screen by defining a dead zone around the target position. Within this dead zone, no corrections are applied even if prediction errors occur, preventing small shaking. Outside the dead zone, full correction accuracy is applied, maintaining tracking precision. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between accuracy and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of applying full correction for all prediction errors, the system selectively applies corrections only when the target position moves outside the dead zone. This partial action approach prevents unnecessary small corrections that would cause shaking, while still maintaining adequate tracking accuracy for significant movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Stability of the object's composition

If low pass filter processing is applied to attenuate high frequency motion, then image stability is improved, but low-frequency motion with small amplitude cannot be effectively prevented

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage stabilityVSAvoidtracking precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter approach by replacing frequency-based filtering with a spatial-based dead zone approach. Instead of attenuating signals based on frequency characteristics, the system uses a fixed spatial threshold (dead zone radius) to determine when corrections should be applied. This parameter change allows effective prevention of small shaking while maintaining tracking precision for significant movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Speed

If target position is predicted based on past movement, then following performance is improved, but error occurs due to prediction assumptions not matching actual target behavior

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefollowing performanceVSAvoidposition prediction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system incorporates feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring actual target position and comparing it with predicted position. When deviations occur, the prediction algorithm is adjusted based on this feedback, improving both following performance and prediction accuracy over time while compensating for initial prediction errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10451705B2Tracking control device, tracking control method, tracking control program, and automatic tracking imaging system

Publication Date: 2019.10.22 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

An automatic tracking imaging system that remotely controls a camera in a control terminal and images a target while automatically tracking the target, the control terminal includes a target position detection unit that detects a position of the target, a control delay time estimation unit that estimates a time T at which a control delay occurs, a target position prediction unit that predicts a position of the target after the time T, a control amount calculation unit that calculates a control amount of pan and/or tilt of the camera required to move a center of an imaging screen to a predicted position of target, a determination unit that determines whether or not the target prediction position belongs to a dead zone, and an instruction unit that instructs the camera to execute the pan and/or tilt, and the camera is instructed to execute pan and tilt from the instruction unit.