Method and device for automatic camera control

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a sequence of pictures from a camera associated with a video conferencing endpoint;

determining a presence of a target point coinciding with an optical source within a field of view of said camera, wherein the optical source emits pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a rate that causes the camera to capture some frames with a pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and some frames without the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source;

determining a location of said target point within one or more of said pictures by comparing a first frame from the camera that includes the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and a second frame from the camera that does not include the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source;

moving said camera so that a center of one or more subsequent pictures obtained by said camera coincides with said target point; and

zooming said camera until receipt of an instruction to stop zooming is received, or until maximal zoom is achieved.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

placing the optical source on or near a spatial point of interest, such that the optical source is captured in the field of view of said camera; and

activating said optical source by pressing an activation button.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises:

sending an indication to a controller that the target point has been detected in the field of view of the camera;

monitoring for a second indication that the target point has been provided; and

determining said location of the target point in response to said second indication.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:

illuminating a point on or near an object using the optical source, such that an illuminated point is within the field of view of said camera; and

sending an indication to a control device that the target point, coinciding with the illuminated point, has been provided.

5. The method according to one of claim 1 , wherein said optical source is one of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), a Laser diode, or a laser.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating an amount of at least one of pan and tilt needed to move a center of the one or more subsequent pictures obtained by said camera to coincide with said target point; and

instructing the camera to at least one of pan and tilt by said calculated amount.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said zooming further comprises:

instructing the camera to start zooming, panning and tilting simultaneously.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein if the camera is finished panning and tilting, and zooming is still ongoing, rerun the determining the location and the moving.

9. A video conferencing endpoint comprising:

a video conferencing unit configured to obtain a sequence of pictures from a camera, wherein said camera is configured to pan, tilt, and zoom;

a targeting device including a optical source that emits electromagnetic radiation;

a first controller configured to determine a presence of a target point coinciding with the optical source within a field of view of said camera, wherein the optical source emits pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a rate that causes the camera to capture some frames with a pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and some frames without the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source, to determine a location of said target point within one or more of said pictures by comparing a first frame from the camera that includes the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and a second frame from the camera that does not include the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source, to cause said camera to move so that a center of one or more subsequent pictures obtained by said camera coincides with said target point, and to cause said camera to zoom until receipt of an instruction to stop zooming is received, or until maximal zoom is achieved.

10. The video conferencing endpoint according to claim 9 , wherein said targeting device comprises:

an activation button; and

a second controller configured to activate said optical source and to send an indication to said first controller that a target point has been provided, when the activation button is depressed.

11. The video conferencing endpoint according to claim 9 , wherein said optical source is one of a Light Emitting Diode (LED), an Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), a Laser diode, or a laser.

12. The video conferencing endpoint according to claim 9 , wherein said targeting device is a remote control used to operate said video conference endpoint, and said optical source is the remote control IR-transmitter or a dedicated LED.

13. A video conferencing endpoint according to claim 10 , wherein

said camera is configured to capture images at a first rate N,

said targeting device is configured to emit the pulses of electromagnetic radiation a second rate M, and

said first controller is further configured to retrieve two or more consecutive pictures from said camera, and subtract one of said consecutive pictures from the others to find said target point location.

14. A video conferencing endpoint according to claim 13 , wherein M=N/2.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method comprising:

obtaining a sequence of pictures from a camera associated with a video conferencing endpoint;

determining a presence of a target point coinciding with an optical source within a field of view of said camera, wherein the optical source emits pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a rate that causes the camera to capture some frames with a pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and some frames without the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source;

determining a location of said target point within one or more of said pictures by comparing a first frame from the camera that includes the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source and a second frame from the camera that does not include the pulse of electromagnetic radiation from the optical source;

moving said camera so that a center of one or more subsequent pictures obtained by said camera coincides with said target point; and

zooming said camera until receipt of an instruction to stop zooming is received, or until maximal zoom is achieved.