Virtual flying camera system
View Patent ↗A virtual flying camera system is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the virtual flying camera system includes a plurality of cameras disposed along a track and spaced apart from each other, a recording system configured to receive input video streams from the plurality of cameras, and a control system configured to generate an output video stream from the input video streams. The output video stream includes a view of a virtually flying camera following a target at a user-adjustable speed. The control system generates the output video stream by merging a plurality of portions of the input video streams from adjacent cameras of the plurality of cameras.
1. A camera system comprising:
a plurality of cameras disposed along a track and spaced apart from each other;
a recording system configured to receive input video streams from the plurality of cameras; and
a video stream processor configured to generate an output video stream from the input video streams,
wherein the input video streams comprise a plurality of input video frames, each of the plurality of input video frames includes at least a partial image of a moving target,
wherein the output video stream comprises a plurality of output video frames, each of the plurality of output video frames is generated by shifting a corresponding input video stream to position the moving target at a desired location within the output video frame, and
wherein the output video stream is playable at a user-adjustable speed showing a view of a virtually flying camera that follows the moving target at the desired location within each of the plurality of output video frames.
2. The camera system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of camera modules, wherein a group of the plurality of cameras are mounted to each of the plurality of camera modules.
3. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cameras are positioned at a predetermined interval.
4. The camera system of claim 3 , wherein the video stream processor determines a speed of the target based on time stamps of the input video stream and the predetermined interval between the plurality of cameras.
5. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the recording system includes a data interface configured to receive the input video streams from the plurality of cameras via a cable and a storage configured to record the input video streams.
6. The camera system of claim 5 , wherein the input video streams are recorded in the storage as compressed.
7. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the shifted input video stream is stitched with a portion of an input video frame received from a next camera or a pre-recorded background video stream.
8. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein each video frame of the output video stream includes a first portion that shifted from at least one of the input video streams and a second portion that is obtained from a background image.
9. The camera system of claim 8 , wherein the background image is obtained before the input video streams are received.
10. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the video stream processor determines a subset of the plurality of cameras and a sequence of the input video streams of the subset of the plurality of cameras to generate the output video stream.
11. A method comprising:
providing a plurality of cameras along a track and spaced apart from each other;
receiving input video streams from the plurality of cameras, wherein the input video streams comprise a plurality of input video frames, each of the plurality of input video frames includes at least a partial image of a moving target;
generating an output video stream including a plurality of output video frames from the input video streams, wherein each of the plurality of output video frames is generated by shifting a corresponding input video stream to position the moving target at a desired location within the output video frame,
wherein the output video stream is playable at a user-adjustable speed showing a view of a virtually flying camera that follows the moving target at the desired location within each of the plurality of output video frames.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a group of the plurality of cameras are mounted to a camera module, and the camera system includes a plurality of camera modules.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cameras are positioned at a predetermined interval.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising determining a speed of the target based on time stamps of the input video stream and the predetermined interval between the plurality of cameras.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the recording system includes a data interface configured to receive the input video streams from the plurality of cameras via a cable and a storage configured to record the input video streams.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising recording the input video streams in the storage as compressed.
17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising stitching the shifted input video stream with a portion of an input video frame received from a next camera or a pre-recorded background video stream.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein each video frame of the output video stream includes a first portion that shifted from at least one of the input video streams and a second portion that is obtained from a background image.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the background image is obtained before the input video streams are received.
20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining a subset of the plurality of cameras and a sequence of the input video streams of the subset of the plurality of cameras to generate the output video stream.