IP Library Granted Patent US 10,362,277
Granted Patent B2
US 10,362,277 · App. 15/440,087 · Granted Jul 23, 2019

Following apparatus and following system

Inventors: Hee Seo Chae (Changwon-si, KR); Jik Han Jung (Changwon-si, KR); Yun Geun Choe (Changwon-si, KR)
Assignee: HANWHA DEFENSE CO., LTD.
H04N7/185G05D1/0094G05D1/0246G05D1/12H04N5/23203H04N5/23212H04N5/232123G05D2201/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,362,277
App. No.
15/440,087
Granted
Jul 23, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

A following apparatus which follows a target object while photographing the target object includes a driving apparatus configured to move a main body, a photographing portion configured to continuously photograph the target object, and a controller configured to obtain an area value of the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion, obtain a distance value according to the obtained area value, and control the driving apparatus to maintain a distance between the photographing portion and the target object at a reference distance value according to the obtained distance value.

Claims (42)

1. A following apparatus which follows a target object while photographing the target object, the following apparatus comprising:

a driving apparatus configured to move a main body;

a photographing portion configured to continuously photograph the target object; and

a controller configured to:

obtain an area size value of an identification window of the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion,

obtain a distance value according to the obtained area size value,

obtain a sharpness value of the target object in the live-view motion picture from the photographing portion,

set a first threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object,

when the sharpness value of the target object is not less than the first threshold value, control the driving apparatus to maintain a distance between the photographing portion and the target object at a reference distance value using one method that is based on the obtained distance value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value, control the driving apparatus using another method that is different from the one method,

wherein the other method is based on at least one of a movement distance value of a focus lens and a direction of change of the area size value of the identification window of the target object.

2. The following apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the driving apparatus to move the main body at a reference speed when the obtained distance value is equal to the reference distance value, at a speed lower than the reference speed when the obtained distance value is less than the reference distance value, and at a speed higher than the reference speed when the obtained distance value is greater than the reference distance value.

3. The following apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller sets a second threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object, the second threshold value being less than the first threshold value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value:

the photographing portion performs autofocusing until the sharpness value of the target object is equal to the second threshold value and provides position information of a focus lens to the controller, and

the controller obtains a movement distance value of the focus lens when the sharpness value of the target object is equal to the second threshold value, corrects the obtained distance value between the photographing portion and the target object according to an obtained movement distance value of the focus lens, and controls the driving apparatus according to a corrected distance value.

4. The following apparatus of claim 3 , wherein, in the correction of the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens,

the controller determines whether the area size value of the identification window the target object is changed, decreases the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens when the area size value of the target object increases, and increases the obtained distance value according to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens when the area size value of the target object decreases.

5. The following apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the controller corrects the obtained distance value according to an increase/decrease distance value corresponding to the obtained movement distance value of the focus lens using a look-up table.

6. The following apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the first threshold value, the controller determines whether an area of the target object is changed, controls the driving apparatus to decelerate when the area size value of the identification window of the target object increases, and controls the driving apparatus to accelerate when the area size value of the identification window of the target object decreases.

7. The following apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the photographing portion does not perform autofocusing when photographing the target object.

8. The following apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller obtains the distance value corresponding to the obtained area size value using a look-up table, and

the controller controls the driving apparatus according to a moving speed corresponding to the obtained distance value using the look-up table.

9. The following apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls panning and tilting of the photographing portion so that the identification window of the target object is located at a center of a screen.

10. The following apparatus of claim 9 , wherein, when there is an overlapping object that overlaps the target object in a live-view motion picture from the photographing portion, the controller identifies the target object in an overlapping area along a recent movement direction of the target object.

11. The following apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller forms an identification window only on the target object while disregarding the overlapping object.

12. The following apparatus of claim 9 , wherein, when a zoom ratio of the photographing portion is changed, the controller controls zooming of the photographing portion and resets a center coordinate value of the target object so that the identification window of the target object is located at the center of the screen.

13. A following system comprising:

a following apparatus configured to follow a target object while photographing the target object; and

a remote control apparatus comprising a display, and configured to remotely control an operation of the following apparatus according to a user input while displaying a motion picture from the following apparatus on the display,

wherein the following apparatus:

obtains an area size value of an identification window of the target object from a live-view motion picture generated by the photographing, and

obtains a sharpness value of the target object in the live-view motion picture,

sets a threshold value with respect to the sharpness value of the target object,

when the sharpness value of the target object is not less than the threshold value, controls a following speed to maintain a distance with respect to the target object at a reference distance value using one method that is based on the obtained area size value, and

when the sharpness value of the target object is less than the threshold value, control the driving apparatus using another method that is different from the one method,

wherein the other method is based on at least one of a movement distance value of a focus lens and a direction of change of the area size value of the identification window of the target object.

14. The following system of claim 13 , wherein, when a position is selected from a displayed live-view motion picture, the remote control apparatus transmits a coordinate value of a selected position, and

the following apparatus sets an object corresponding to the coordinate value of the selected position from the remote control apparatus to be the target object.

15. The following system of claim 13 , wherein the following apparatus controls panning and tilting of the photographing so that an identification window of the target object is located at a center of the display of the remote control apparatus.

16. The following system of claim 13 , wherein, when a zoom ratio is received from the remote control apparatus by the following apparatus, the following apparatus controls zooming of the photographing and resets a center coordinate value of the target object so that an identification window of the target object is located at a center of the display of the remote control apparatus.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Dec 23, 2022
From: HANWHA DEFENSE CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA AEROSPACE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062213/0912 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 28, 2019
From: HANWHA LAND SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA DEFENSE CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 048473/0529 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2017
From: HANWHA TECHWIN CO., LTD.
To: HANWHA LAND SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 043838/0058 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2017
From: CHAE, HEE SEO; JUNG, JIK HAN; CHOE, YUN GEUN
To: HANWHA TECHWIN CO.. LTD.
Reel/Frame 041354/0706 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2016-0156593 · Nov 23, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180146168A1 · May 24, 2018