Abstract:
A dynamic tracking device is provided. The aforementioned dynamic tracking device includes a video recording module, a plurality of sensors, a rotating module, and a controller in an embedded system. The controller compares the video image to determine the rotation direction of the camera without an aid from remote computers, making it a standalone tracking device. The controller configures the rotation direction according to the sensing results provided by the sensors. If the sensors detect activities, detection information will be provided to the controller to steer the rotating module to the location of the sensor. Therefore, the tracking device is able to dynamically monitor environment with the sensor feedback and automatically record activities without having to implement multiple recording devices. Unlike conventional tracking systems that require multiple cameras linked to remote super computers to perform tracking algorithm to steer cameras. The proposed tracking device is a complete standalone tracking device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention is related to a standalone video tracking device. More particularly, the present invention is related to a standalone video tracking device with embedded operation systems and computation power to perform tracking objects by analyzing the changes of the image pixel changes and the detection results of the associated sensors without an aid of remote computers. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Conventional video tracking systems mainly use the following technical methods to monitor real-time moving objects: 
         [0005]    Method 1: The most common solution is to install as many cameras as needed to cover the entire area ensuing no blind spot. This is well seen in most commercial buildings, public facilities, public transportation, private offices, and some residential houses, etc. The issue with this simple solution is the high cost and tedious effort to set up a large number of cameras. Furthermore, because large video contents are recorded, a huge video storage and complicated wiring is needed. A central control room with human operators may be needed if real-time tracking is required. 
         [0006]    Method 2: A better solution is to connect the above cameras to a super computer to compare video image frame-by-frame to see if there is any movement or change on the video pixels of each camera. If there is any pixel change, super computer will analyze and provide directional instructions to guide the camera to track the moving objects. The issue with this solution is that the super computer will become more and more expensive as the number of the cameras is increased to the point that the surveillance system is too expensive to be afforded. In no cases, this type of auto-tracking system, which requires a supercomputer to work with multiple remote cameras, is suitable for residential application where cost is the main factor. 
         [0007]    In summary, conventional video tracking systems demands a lot of human resources and equipment expenses to achieve the purpose of real-time tracking operations. Accordingly, an affordable tracking device which can automatically execute real-time tracking operation is a technical issue needed to be solved in this technical field. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    To solve the previous technical problems, one objective of the present application is to provide a real-time tracking device with embedded operation systems and computation power to execute live tracking operations. 
         [0009]    To achieve the aforementioned objective, the present application provides a dynamic tracking device. The device comprises of a video recording module, a plurality of sensors and a controller. The controller is connected with the video recording module and the sensors. The controller further analyzes and provides directional instructions to guide the motors of the cameras to the desired direction where the movement was found based on the detection data of the sensors. The detection data of the sensors could be the results of audio, light, body temperature, smoke, chemical components, etc. The device may be equipped with infrared (IR) LED lights such that it can continue performing real-time night-vision tracking. The sensors which are located on the sides or back of the device further provides detection information to the controller so the camera can turn to the back if the back sensors detect movement or audio. 
         [0010]    In summary, comparing against conventional tracking techniques which adjust the camera direction either by manual operations or by image recognition of super computers, the dynamic tracking device of present application automatically adjusts the camera direction by the detection results of the sensors as to achieve the purpose of real-time dynamic tracking operation. It significantly saves the cost of having the human eye monitor the videos, which is unreliable. It also saves a huge hardware cost to build up a super computer to analyze possible multiple cameras pixel changes simultaneously. In other words, the proposed solution not only avoids the error-prone human operations but also reduces the equipment cost of super-fast computers to perform real-time video monitoring. By adding multiple sensors around the device, a low-cost camera with associated sensors will be able to perform real-time 360-degree tracking even the found area is on the back of the camera. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    For a better understanding of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention as well as additional embodiments thereof, reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below in conjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the corresponding parts throughout the figures. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the first embodiment of present application. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective left view of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective right view of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  shows a sensing range and sensing direction of the sensors of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  shows an operation schematic diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the second embodiment of present application. 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  shows a monitored environment diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the third embodiment of present application. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  shows a camera image diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the forth embodiment of present application. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  shows a camera image diagram of the dynamic tracking device of the fifth embodiment of present application. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    The following description is about embodiments of the present invention; however it is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. 
         [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a block diagram of the first embodiment of present application. The dynamic tracking device  1  comprises a body  10 , a video recording module  11 , a plurality of sensors, and a controller  13 . The controller  13  configured a standalone embedded operation system with computation power and connected with the video recording module  11  and sensors  12 . The controller  13  performs tracking task according to sensing results fed by at least one of the sensors  12  to configure a rotation direction of the video recording module. The controller can be implemented by programmable digital circuit or microprocessor. The video recording module comprises a camera and driver thereof. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present application. The second embodiment is similar with the first embodiment; however the difference is that the second embodiment further comprises a rotating module  14 . The rotating module  14  is connected with controller  13  and provides the controller configured thereof rotating according to the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the video recording module  11  is fixedly connected with body  10 , and the rotating module  14  is actively connected with the body  10  so as to provide the rotating module  14  to rotate the body  10  and video recording module  11 . 
         [0025]    Present application further provides another one embodiment. Present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment; however the difference is that the present embodiment further comprises a rotor which is electrically connected with controller  11 , fixedly connected with the body  10 , and actively connected with the video recording module  11  so as to provide the controller  13  enabling the video recording module to rotate according to the rotation direction. 
         [0026]    Present application further provides another embodiment. Present embodiment is similar to the first embodiment; however the difference is that present embodiment further comprises a rotor which is electrically connected with controller  13 , fixedly connected with the video recording module  11  and actively connected with the body  10  so as to provide controller  13  based on the rotation direction to enable the video recording module  11  rotating with respect to the body  10 . 
         [0027]    The aforementioned sensors  12  can be selected from infrared sensor, ultrasonic sensor, smoke sensor, sonic receiving sensor (e.g. microphone), radio signal sensor, thermal sensor . . . etc. However the type of the sensor is not limited by aforementioned examples. The structure of body  10  can be selected from sphere structure, approximate sphere structure, cylinder structure, approximate cylinder structure, or multi plane structure to provide at least one setting surface. The setting surface faces to at least one direction so as to provide at least one sensing range having at least one dimension. The structure of the body  10  is not limited by aforementioned description. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of the dynamic tracking device  1  of the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the aforementioned sensors  12  are embedded on body  10 . Wherein portion of the body  10  is approximate sphere structure, and rotating module  14  is configured at one end of the body  10  (bottom end) to provide at least one dimension rotation (turning left, turning right, turning up, and turning down). The one portion of the body  10  is formed on a plane, and the video recording module  11  is embedded on the plane. The sensors  12  can be embedded on the curved surface of the approximate sphere or the plane according to the sensing requirement. The aforementioned rotating module  14  is a motor device. 
         [0029]    Please refer to  FIG. 4  to  FIG. 6 .  FIG. 4  shows a perspective left view of the dynamic tracking device  1 ;  FIG. 5  shows a perspective right view of the dynamic tracking device  1 . In the second embodiment, sensors  12  are respectively set on the first side  101  (shown in  FIG. 4 ) and second side  102  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) of video recording module  11 . The sensors  12  are sequentially arranged as the S 3 , S 4 , S 5  (shown in  FIGS. 3 ), S 1 , and S 2  (shown in  FIG. 4 ).  FIG. 6  shows a schematic diagram of sensing coverage and sensing direction of sensors  12 . The sensing coverage is arranged as R 1 , R 12 , R 2 , R 23 , R 3 , R 34 , R 4 , R 45 , R 5 , R 56 , R 6 , and R 16 , respectively. Each sensing coverage is corresponding to the direction of D 1 , D 12 , D 2 , D 23 , D 3 , D 34 , D 4 , D 45 , D 5 , D 56 , D 6 , and D 16 , respectively. Once a detection signal is found, controller  13  will rotate itself to one of the directions between D 1  and D 16  based on the corresponding sensing coverage between R 1  and R 6 . 
         [0030]    The aforementioned operations can be tabulated in Table 1: 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 the sensor which 
                 corresponding sensing 
                 corresponding camera 
               
               
                 provided sensing result 
                 coverage 
                 rotation direction 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 S1 
                 R1  
                 D1  
               
               
                 S1 + S2 
                 R12 
                 D12 
               
               
                 S2 
                 R2  
                 D2  
               
               
                 S2 + S3 
                 R23 
                 D23 
               
               
                 S3 
                 R3  
                 D3  
               
               
                 S3 + S4 
                 R34 
                 D34 
               
               
                 S4 
                 R4  
                 D4  
               
               
                 S4 + S5 
                 R45 
                 D45 
               
               
                 S5 
                 R5  
                 D5  
               
               
                 S5 + S6 
                 R56 
                 D56 
               
               
                 S6 
                 R6  
                 D6  
               
               
                 S6 + S1 
                 R16 
                 D16 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0031]    Sensors  12  can also be configured to spread on various surface locations of the dynamic tracking device  1  so as to form a three-dimensional sensing coverage. However the sensor positions, dimensions, sizes, and coverages are not limited by aforementioned description. 
         [0032]    Controller  13  further comprises of a communications interface, and transmits sensing data provided by the sensor  23  and shooting image to the management-end device by the communications interface. Aforementioned communications interface can be wireline communications interface (e.g. coaxial cable interface, telephone cable interface, network cable interface, fiber cable interface) or wireless communications interface (e.g. all kind of mobile communications interface). 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  shows an operating schematic diagram of the second embodiment. Assuming the default rotation direction of video recording module  11  of the dynamic tracking device  1  is D 3 , and when target  2  enters sensing range of the dynamic tracking device  1 , the controller determines target  2 &#39;s location at the direction of D 45  by analyzing the sensing result provided by the sensor S 4  and S 5 . Meanwhile, the controller  13  commands the rotating module  13  to rotate so as to position the rotation direction of the video recording module  11  to the D 45 , and enables the video recording module  13  to track target  2 . In another embodiment, when there have a plurality of target  2  in the sensing range, the controller can prioritize tracking the first appearing target  2 . 
         [0034]    Controller  12  now guides the video recording module  11  to track target  2  by following its movement until either target  2  stops or target  2  disappears. Once target  2  shows no movement, controller  13  will guide the rotating module  14  to position the video recording module  11  to a new location where the second target  2  is found by the feedback of the sensor  12 . 
         [0035]    The present application further provides a third embodiment. The third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment; however the difference is that controller  13  of the third embodiment further executes a characteristic recognition operation to the selected portion of the shooting image so as to identify the type (e.g. people, pet, or shaking background) of the target  2 . With the acquired type, controller  13  determines whether to take the dynamic tracking action on target  2  according to the recognition results. Illustrated by  FIG. 8 , when there is a person  21 , pet  22 , and tree  23  moved by wind in the monitored environment, the highest priority of tracking target parameter is set to a person if a face characteristic can be recognized. Controller  13  executes a face image recognition operation (person face characteristic  211 , pet face characteristic  221 , tree characteristic: do not match face characteristic) after acquiring their images to determine person  21  satisfying a person face characteristic. Controller  13  executes a dynamic tracking operation on person  21  to avoid interferences caused by the background noise (pet  22 , moving tree  23 ) 
         [0036]    Present application further provides fourth embodiment. The fourth embodiment is similar to the third embodiment; however the difference is that controller  13  of the fourth embodiment further transmits the selected images to a local database system or a remote database system to perform recognition process and later acquires a feedback identification information. Controller  13  analyzes the feedback identification information from data systems and determines if a tracking operation is needed. This is useful as the device will not track owners but only possible intruders or unrecognized persons. 
         [0037]    Controller  13  may have a local controlling interface or a remote controlling interface so as to provide configurations of the tracking priority and rules thereof. The tracking priority rules are shown in Table 2. The managing rule is not limited by aforementioned description. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 ID information 
                 Stephen Curry 
                 David Lee 
                 unknown person 
               
               
                 type information 
                 company 
                 vendor 
                 intruder 
               
               
                   
                 management 
               
               
                 tracking priority 
                 no tracking 
                 low 
                 high 
               
               
                 tracking and 
                 rotating module 
                 rotating module 
                 rotating module 
               
               
                 recording 
                 speed setting: 
                 speed setting: 
                 speed setting: 
               
               
                 parameters 
                 stop 
                 typical 
                 high 
               
               
                   
                 video recording 
                 Video recording 
                 Video recording 
               
               
                   
                 module: low 
                 module: typical 
                 module: high 
               
               
                   
                 resolution 
                 resolution 
                 resolution 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0038]    Once controller  13  acquires ID information from local or remote systems, controller  13  will load and perform pre-programmed operations according to Table 2. 
         [0039]    As an example, in  FIG. 9 , when the tracking device detects person  21 , controller  13  transmits the person&#39;s face images or face characteristic  211  to local database systems or remote database systems to inquiry and to acquire ID information of person  21 . In this case, person  21 &#39;s ID information is unknown. Person  21 &#39;s class information is intruder, and the tracking priority is high. Furthermore, the rotating module  14  will perform high speed tracking and video tracking module  11  will execute high resolution recording. 
         [0040]    Present application further provides a fifth embodiment. The fifth embodiment is similar to the forth embodiment; however the difference is that controller  13  of the fifth embodiment can automatically configure the image focus and the position of video recording module  11  after determining the selected area (e.g. face) of target  2  (e.g. person  21 ). Please refer to  FIG. 9  the acquired initial image  40  has a broad viewing angle. The initial image  40  comprises image of person  21  and furniture  3 . To acquire clearer face characteristic of person  21 , the controller  13  recognizes the selected face after acquiring the image and then the controller  13  configures the video recording module  11  to automatically re-focus on the chosen image  41  as shown in  FIG. 10 . The re-focus and zoom-in image  41  can provide clearer face characteristic  211  to process subsequent image recognition operations. 
         [0041]    Present application further provides a sixth embodiment. The difference between sixth embodiment and aforementioned embodiment is that the sensors  12  of the dynamic tracking device  1  are audio sensors. The dynamic tracking device  1  is applied to a distance meeting environment where there are multiple persons in a local meeting environment. Controller  13  (set in the local meeting environment) acquires the ambient audio sources by analyzing the audio sensing results to determine the location of the speaking person. Controller  13  then guides rotating module  14  to turn the direction of the speaking person so as to obtain the best audio reception. The remote end persons can then see and hear the speaking person. 
         [0042]    Present application further provides seventh embodiment. The difference between seventh embodiment and aforementioned embodiment is that the sensors  12  of the seventh embodiment are smoke sensors and the dynamic tracking device  1  is applied to smoke alert. When there is a smoke detected in the monitored environment, controller  13  analyzes the sensing results to acquire the direction of smoke source of the monitored environment, and then sets to the direction of smoke source and generates an instant alert so as to provide managers to deal with the situation immediately. 
         [0043]    The aforementioned video recording module  11  further comprises a video camera device and a controlling circuit thereof. Controller  13  is an electrical device having an operating ability such as computer devices, microprocessors, and programmable digital circuits, etc. 
         [0044]    The above disclosure is related to the detailed technical contents and inventive features thereof. People skilled in this field may proceed with a variety of modifications and replacements based on the disclosures and suggestions of the invention as described without departing from the characteristics thereof. Nevertheless, although such modifications and replacements are not fully disclosed in the above descriptions, they have substantially been covered in the following claims as appended.