Computing device and method for controlling unmanned aerial vehicle to capture images

1. A method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a camera to capture images of a target being executed by a processor of a computing device, the method comprising:

setting coordinates of the target, initial coordinates of the camera, and an initial viewing direction of the camera, and storing the coordinates of the target, the initial coordinates of the camera, and the initial viewing direction of the camera into a storage system of the computing device;

obtaining real-time coordinates of the camera and a real-time viewing direction of the camera when the UAV flies around the target;

calculating adjustment parameters of the camera according to the initial coordinates, the initial viewing direction, the real-time coordinates, and the real-time viewing direction of the camera, wherein the adjustment parameters comprise a horizontal rotation angle and a vertical rotation angle, wherein the horizontal rotation angle is calculated by projecting a first point with the initial coordinates of the camera, a second point with the coordinates of the target, and a third point with the real-time coordinates of the camera to an XY plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a first angle between a first projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a second projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the horizontal rotation angle, and the vertical rotation angle is calculated by projecting the first point, the second point, and the third point to an YZ plane of the Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a second angle between a third projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a fourth projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the vertical rotation angle; and

adjusting the camera to face the target according to the adjusting parameters by transferring the adjusting parameters of the camera to a driver system connected to the camera.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining current coordinates and a current viewing direction of the camera when the camera faces the target;

updating the initial coordinates of the camera stored in the storage system with the current coordinates of the camera; and

updating the initial viewing direction of the camera stored in the storage system with the real-time viewing direction of the camera.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coordinates of the target comprise a first longitude, a first latitude, and a first altitude, and the initial coordinates of the camera comprise a second longitude, a second latitude, and a second altitude.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver system firstly rotates the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle and secondly rotates the camera according to the vertical rotation angle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver system firstly rotate the camera according to the vertical rotation angle and secondly rotate the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle.

6. A computing device, comprising:

a storage system;

at least one processor; and

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control system comprising one or more programs that are stored in the storage system and executed by the at least one processor, the one or more programs comprising instructions to:

set coordinates of a target, initial coordinates of a camera installed in a UAV, and an initial viewing direction of the camera, and store the coordinates of the target, the initial coordinates of the camera, and the initial viewing direction of the camera into a storage system of the computing device;

obtain real-time coordinates of the camera and a real-time viewing direction of the camera when the UAV flies around the target;

calculate adjustment parameters of the camera according to the initial coordinates, the initial viewing direction, the real-time coordinates, and the real-time viewing direction of the camera, wherein the adjustment parameters comprise a horizontal rotation angle and a vertical rotation angle, wherein the horizontal rotation angle is calculated by projecting a first point with the initial coordinates of the camera, a second point with the coordinates of the target, and a third point with the real-time coordinates of the camera to an XY plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a first angle between a first projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a second projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the horizontal rotation angle, and the vertical rotation angle is calculated by projecting the first point, the second point, and the third point to an YZ plane of the Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a second angle between a third projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a fourth projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the vertical rotation angle; and

transfer the adjusting parameters of the camera to a driver system connected to the camera, such that the driver system adjusts the camera to face the target according to the adjusting parameters.

7. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions to:

obtain current coordinates and a current viewing direction of the camera when the camera faces the target;

update the initial coordinates of the camera stored in the storage system with the current coordinates of the camera; and

update the initial viewing direction of the camera stored in the storage system with the real-time viewing direction of the camera.

8. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the coordinates of the target comprise a first longitude, a first latitude, and a first altitude, and the initial coordinates of the camera comprise a second longitude, a second latitude, and a second altitude.

9. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the driver system firstly rotates the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle and secondly rotates the camera according to the vertical rotation angle.

10. The computing device of claim 6 , wherein the driver system firstly rotate the camera according to the vertical rotation angle and secondly rotate the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions capable of being executed by a processor of a computing device to implement a method for controlling an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a camera to capture images of a target, the method comprising:

setting coordinates of a target, initial coordinates of the camera, and an initial viewing direction of the camera, and storing the coordinates of the target, the initial coordinates of the camera, and the initial viewing direction of the camera into a storage system of the computing device;

obtaining real-time coordinates of the camera and a real-time viewing direction of the camera when the UAV flies around the target;

calculating adjustment parameters of the camera according to the initial coordinates, the initial viewing direction, the real-time coordinates, and the real-time viewing direction of the camera, wherein the adjustment parameters comprise a horizontal rotation angle and a vertical rotation angle, wherein the horizontal rotation angle is calculated by projecting a first point with the initial coordinates of the camera, a second point with the coordinates of the target, and a third point with the real-time coordinates of the camera to an XY plane of a Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a first angle between a first projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a second projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the horizontal rotation angle, and the vertical rotation angle is calculated by projecting the first point, the second point, and the third point to an YZ plane of the Cartesian coordinate system, and calculating a second angle between a third projection of a line from the third point to the second point and a fourth projection of a line from the first point to the second point in the XY plane as the vertical rotation angle; and

transferring the adjusting parameters of the camera to a driver system connected to the camera, such that the driver system adjusts the camera to face the target according to the adjusting parameters.

12. The storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining current coordinates and a current viewing direction of the camera when the camera faces the target;

updating the initial coordinates of the camera stored in the storage system with the current coordinates of the camera; and

updating the initial viewing direction of the camera stored in the storage system with the real-time viewing direction of the camera.

13. The storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the coordinates of the target comprise a first longitude, a first latitude, and a first altitude, and the initial coordinates of the camera comprise a second longitude, a second latitude, and a second altitude.

14. The storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the driver system firstly rotates the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle and secondly rotates the camera according to the vertical rotation angle.

15. The storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the driver system firstly rotate the camera according to the vertical rotation angle and secondly rotate the camera according to the horizontal rotation angle.