Granted Patent B2

US 12,731,433 · App. 17/898,742 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventor: Jong Min Kim (Seongnam-si, KR)

Assignee: THINKWARE CORPORATION

G06V40/174G06V40/166G06V40/168

Abstract

Claims (61)

1 . A target tracking method comprising:

displaying, by at least one processor of a target tracking apparatus, an image that is received through a camera of the target tracking apparatus on a display of the target tracking apparatus;

registering, by the at least one processor, a face of a person to provide a registered face;

setting, by the at least one processor, a plurality of points on the displayed image based on user input received via the target tracking apparatus; and

tracking, by the at least one processor, a path determined according to the plurality of points, by controlling rotation of the camera via a driving unit included in the target tracking apparatus, such that the camera captures images while its field of view sequentially aligns with each of the plurality of points in a predetermined sequences, thereby tracking each of the plurality of points in the predetermined sequence,

wherein the camera moves said its field of view between the plurality of points to track a target,

wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring, by the at least one processor, whether the registered face appears in the image while the camera is tracking the path; and

in response to detecting the registered face in the image, prioritizing tracking of the registered face over tracking of the path by terminating the tracking of the path and controlling the rotation of the camera to track the registered face, and

wherein the tracking of the path is terminated upon detection of the registered face even if the field of view of the camera has not yet sequentially aligned with all of the plurality of points in the predetermined sequence.

2 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising further indicating, by the at least one processor, identifiers indicative of the plurality of points and a mark indicative of path progress information for the plurality of points in an image that is being displayed on the display.

3 . The target tracking method of claim 2 , wherein the mark comprises at least one of a first mark for indicating a path along which the camera has already moved, a second mark for indicating a path along which the camera is currently moving, and a third mark for indicating a path to which the camera has not entered.

4 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the at least one processor, a photographing duration setting function for setting photographing duration in response to the user input received via the target tracking apparatus,

wherein tracking the path comprises controlling the rotation of the camera so that the camera moves along the path for photographing duration that is set by using the photographing duration setting function.

5 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, by the at least one processor, a repetition setting function for setting whether to repeatedly track the path in response to the user input received via the target tracking apparatus,

wherein tracking the path comprises controlling the rotation of the camera so that the camera repeatedly tracks the path when the path is set to be repeatedly tracked through the repetition setting function.

6 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the at least one processor, information that is generated by a terminal device based on a movement of a gyro sensor included in the terminal device owned by a user; and

tracking, by the at least one processor, a head direction of the user by controlling the rotation of the camera through the driving unit based on the received information.

7 . The target tracking method of claim 6 , wherein the received information comprises information on target virtual coordinates that are set based on the movement of the gyro sensor in a virtual coordinate system of the terminal device.

8 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising:

recognizing, by the at least one processor, a gaze direction of a user in the received image; and

tracking, by the at least one processor, a head direction of the user by controlling the rotation of the camera through the driving unit based on the recognized gaze direction.

9 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , wherein the prioritizing tracking of the registered face comprises:

executing a face tracking mode in which the registered face is tracked, the face tracking mode having been set to override a path tracking mode for tracking the path, and terminating the path tracking mode; and

tracking the registered face through the face tracking mode.

10 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , wherein:

the target tracking apparatus comprises a trigger button, and

the target tracking method further comprises:

setting, by the at least one processor, a plurality of gimbal control modes by sequentially selecting the plurality of gimbal control mode whenever the trigger button is pressed; and

activating, by the at least one processor, a gimbal control mode that has been currently set among the plurality of gimbal control modes when the trigger button is held in a state in which the trigger button has been pressed.

11 . The target tracking method of claim 10 , wherein:

the driving unit comprises a pan axis, a roll axis, and a tilt axis, and

the plurality of gimbal control modes comprises at least two gimbal control modes of (1) a pan mode in which the roll axis and the tilt axis are locked except the pan axis, (2) a Fallow mode in which the roll axis is locked except the pan axis and the tilt axis, (3) a first person view (FPV) mode in which all of the pan axis, the roll axis, and the tilt axis are capable of operating, (4) a lock mode in which all of the pan axis, the roll axis, and the tilt axis are locked, and (5) a non mode in which any gimbal control mode is not activated in a state in which the trigger button has been held.

12 . The target tracking method of claim 10 , further comprising further displaying, by the at least one processor, information on the activated gimbal control mode on the display.

13 . The target tracking method of claim 1 , further comprising changing, by the at least one processor, a mode of the camera to a longitudinal mode by rotating a roll axis motor included in the driving unit by 90 degrees and fixing the rotated roll axis motor when the mode of the camera is changed from a transverse mode to the longitudinal mode.

14 . The target tracking method of claim 13 , wherein:

the driving unit comprises a pan axis motor, a roll axis motor, and a tilt axis motor, and

the roll axis motor is counterclockwise rotated so that the tilt axis motor disposed on a left of the camera is disposed downward from the camera in the transverse mode based on a state in which a front of the target tracking apparatus is viewed.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium on which a computer program is recorded in order to execute the method according to claim 1 in a computer device.

16 . A target tracking apparatus comprising:

at least one processor implemented to execute a computer-readable instruction;

a camera receiving an image;

a display displaying the received image; and

a driving unit rotating the camera,

wherein the at least one processor is implemented to:

display, on a display, an image that is received through the camera;

register a face of a person to provide a registered face;

set a plurality of points on the displayed image based on user input received via the target tracking apparatus; and

track a path determined according to the plurality of points, by controlling rotation of the camera via a driving unit included in the target tracking apparatus, such that the camera captures images while its field of view sequentially aligns with each of the plurality of points in a predetermined sequences, thereby tracking each of the plurality of points in the predetermined sequence,

wherein the camera moves said its field of view between the plurality of points to track a target,

wherein the at least one processor is implemented to

monitor whether the registered face appears in the image while the camera is tracking the path; and

in response to detecting the registered face in the image, prioritize tracking of the registered face over tracking of the path by terminating the tracking of the path and controlling the rotation of the camera to track the registered face, and

wherein the tracking of the path is terminated upon detection of the registered face even if the field of view of the camera has not yet sequentially aligned with all of the plurality of points in the predetermined sequence.

17 . The target tracking apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the at least one processor provides a photographing duration setting function for setting photographing duration in response to the user input received via the target tracking apparatus, and

in order to track the path, the at least one processor controls the rotation of the camera so that the camera moves along the path for photographing duration that is set by using the photographing duration setting function.

18 . The target tracking apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:

the at least one processor provides a repetition setting function for setting whether to repeatedly track the path in response to the user input received via the target tracking apparatus, and

in order to track the path, the at least one processor controls the rotation of the camera so that the camera repeatedly tracks the path when the path is set to be repeatedly tracked through the repetition setting function.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (18)