Patent ID: 8488841

Claim:
A computerized method for controlling a searchlight using a control apparatus that electronically communicates with an image capturing device and an actuating device, the method comprising: capturing images of a target area in real-time using the image capturing device when the searchlight is powered on; analyzing the captured images to detect whether a moving object is in the target area; calculating position information of the moving object in a current image of the target area when the moving object is detected; controlling the searchlight to aim at and illuminate the moving object using the actuating device according to the position information of the moving object; wherein the searchlight is initially located at a predetermined position when the searchlight is powered on, and detecting whether the moving object disappears from the images of the target area that are captured by the image capturing device in real-time; and controlling the searchlight to return to the predetermined position using the actuating device when the moving object disappears from the images of the target area.