System and method for gyroscope-synchronized PTZ camera system

1 . A camera system on a rotorcraft, the camera system comprising:

a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera; and

an electronics control unit configured to provide adjustment data to the PTZ camera for adjusting roll, pitch, and yaw orientation angles of the PTZ camera, the electronics control unit comprising a controller configured to:

receive rotorcraft orientation angles comprising a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a yaw angle from one or more gyroscope(s) on the rotorcraft;

receive PTZ camera orientation angles comprising a PTZ camera roll angle, a PTZ camera pitch angle, and a PTZ camera yaw angle from the PTZ camera;

calculate an error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles;

generate PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data based on the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles, wherein to generate PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data the controller is configured to use a feedback control algorithm to generate PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data based on the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles; and

provide the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data to the PTZ camera for use by the PTZ camera to adjust PTZ camera orientation angles;

wherein the PTZ camera is configured to adjust the PTZ camera orientation angles based on the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data.

2 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles comprises a roll angle error measurement, a pitch angle error measurement, and a yaw angle error measurement.

3 . The camera system of claim 2 , wherein:

the roll angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope roll angle minus the PTZ camera roll angle;

the pitch angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope pitch angle minus the PTZ camera pitch angle; and

the yaw angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope yaw angle minus the PTZ camera yaw angle.

4 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein a PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment is equal to a proportional gain times the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles.

5 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein a PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment comprises a roll angle adjustment, a pitch angle adjustment, and a yaw angle adjustment.

6 . The camera system of claim 5 , wherein:

the roll angle adjustment is equal to a first proportional gain component K p1 times a roll angle error measurement;

the pitch angle adjustment is equal to a second proportional gain component K p2 times a pitch angle error measurement; and

the yaw angle adjustment is equal to a third proportional gain component K p3 times a yaw angle error measurement.

7 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a change in XYZ coordinate position of the rotorcraft;

calculate PTZ coordinate adjustment data for the PTZ camera based on the change in XYZ coordinate position of the rotorcraft; and

provide the PTZ coordinate adjustment data to the PTZ camera;

wherein the PTZ camera is configured to adjust the PTZ camera orientation angles based on the PTZ coordinate adjustment data.

8 . The camera system of claim 7 , wherein the PTZ coordinate adjustment data comprises an x-direction adjustment measurement, a y-direction adjustment measurement, and a z-direction adjustment measurement.

9 . The camera system of claim 8 , wherein:

the x-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft x-direction position;

the y-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft y-direction position; and

the z-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft z-direction position.

10 . A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving rotorcraft orientation angles comprising a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a yaw angle from one or more gyroscope(s) on a rotorcraft;

receiving PTZ camera orientation angles comprising a PTZ camera roll angle, a PTZ camera pitch angle, and a PTZ camera yaw angle from a PTZ camera on the rotorcraft;

calculating an error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles;

generating PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data based on the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles, wherein said generating the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data comprises generating the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data using a feedback control algorithm; and

providing the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data to the PTZ camera for use by the PTZ camera to adjust PTZ camera orientation angles;

wherein the PTZ camera adjusts the PTZ camera orientation angles based on the PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment data.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles comprises a roll angle error measurement, a pitch angle error measurement, and a yaw angle error measurement.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein:

the roll angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope roll angle minus the PTZ camera roll angle;

the pitch angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope pitch angle minus the PTZ camera pitch angle; and

the yaw angle error measurement is equal to rotorcraft gyroscope yaw angle minus the PTZ camera yaw angle.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein a PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment is equal to a proportional gain times the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein:

a PTZ camera orientation angle adjustment comprises a roll angle adjustment, a pitch angle adjustment, and a yaw angle adjustment;

the roll angle adjustment is equal to a first proportional gain component K p1 times a roll angle error measurement;

the pitch angle adjustment is equal to a second proportional gain component K p2 times a pitch angle error measurement; and

the yaw angle adjustment is equal to a third proportional gain component K p3 times a yaw angle error measurement.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further comprising:

receiving a change in XYZ coordinate position of the rotorcraft;

calculating PTZ coordinate adjustment data for the PTZ camera based on the change in XYZ coordinate position of the rotorcraft; and

providing the PTZ coordinate adjustment data to the PTZ camera;

wherein the PTZ camera adjusts the PTZ camera orientation angles based on the PTZ coordinate adjustment data.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the PTZ coordinate adjustment data comprises an x-direction adjustment measurement, a y-direction adjustment measurement, and a z-direction adjustment measurement.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein:

the x-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft x-direction position;

the y-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft y-direction position; and

the z-direction adjustment measurement is equal to a change in rotorcraft z-direction position.

18 . A camera system on a rotorcraft, the camera system comprising:

a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera; and

an electronics control unit configured to provide adjustment data to the rotorcraft for aligning the rotorcraft to an intended path, the electronics control unit comprising a controller configured to:

receive rotorcraft orientation angles comprising a roll angle, a pitch angle, and a yaw angle from one or more gyroscope(s) on the rotorcraft while the rotorcraft is moving toward a target;

receive PTZ camera orientation angles comprising a PTZ camera roll angle, a PTZ camera pitch angle, and a PTZ camera yaw angle from the PTZ camera while the PTZ camera is locked onto the target;

calculate an error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles;

generate rotorcraft orientation angle correction data for correcting rotorcraft orientation angles for landing at a target;

generate rotorcraft lateral distance correction data for correcting a lateral distance required for vertical landing at the target; and

provide the rotorcraft orientation angle correction data and the rotorcraft lateral distance correction data to the rotorcraft for use by the rotorcraft to align the rotorcraft to a path to the target.

19 . The camera system of claim 18 , wherein the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles comprises a roll angle error measurement, a pitch angle error measurement, and a yaw angle error measurement.

20 . The camera system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to:

generate the rotorcraft orientation angle correction data using a feedback control algorithm based on the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles; and

generate the rotorcraft lateral distance correction data using the feedback control algorithm based on the error between the rotorcraft orientation angles and the PTZ camera orientation angles.