Photographing method for intelligent flight device and intelligent flight device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10419662-B2
Application number	US-201815864790-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2018
Priority date	Jan 23, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

A photographing method for an intelligent flight device and an intelligent flight device are provided in the technical field of electronic devices. The method includes: determining a light source angle, where the light source angle is an angle between a current beam direction of a target light source and a vertical direction, the target light source is a light source capable of generating a shadow of the intelligent flight device, and the vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane; according to the light source angle, determining a position of a shadow on the horizontal plane; and shooting a picture or a video based on a current photographing angle of the intelligent flight device and the position of the shadow.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for photographing by an intelligent flight device, comprising:
determining a light source angle between a current beam direction from a target light source and a vertical direction, the target light source is a light source capable of generating a shadow of the intelligent flight device, and the vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane;
according to the light source angle, determining a position of the shadow of the intelligent flight device on the horizontal plane; and
shooting a picture or a video based on a current photographing angle of the intelligent flight device and the position of the shadow so that the shadow is outside of the picture or the video,
wherein determining the position of the shadow on the horizontal plane comprises:
when the light source angle is equal to zero, determining that the shadow on the horizontal plane is right below a current position of the intelligent flight device; and
when the light source angle is not equal to zero, determining a flight height, and according to the light source angle and the flight height, determining the position of the shadow on the horizontal plane, wherein the flight height is a current height of the intelligent flight device from the horizontal plane.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the light source angle comprises:
determining, based on a plurality of first preset angles, a plurality of light intensities by use of a configured light sensor and determining a first preset angle corresponding to a maximum light intensity as the light source angle, wherein the plurality of first preset angles correspond to the plurality of light intensities one to one.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein determining the light source angle comprises:
determining, based on a plurality of second preset angles, a plurality of exposures, and determining a second preset angle corresponding to a maximum exposure as the light source angle, wherein the plurality of second preset angles correspond to the plurality of exposures one to one.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein shooting the picture or the video based on the current photographing angle of the intelligent flight device and the position of the shadow, comprises:
based on the current photographing angle and the position of the shadow, determining whether the position of the shadow is within a photographing range;
when the position of the shadow is within the photographing range and is right below the current position of the intelligent flight device, shooting a picture or a video downwards in the vertical direction to obtain a photographed picture;
by performing a preset image process on the photographed picture, determining a size of the intelligent flight device in the photographed picture;
based on the size of the intelligent flight device in the photographed picture and the flight height, determining a rotation angle which is an angle for avoiding the shadow; and shooting the picture or the video based on the rotation angle.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein determining whether the position of the shadow is within the photographing range based on the current photographing angle and the position of the shadow, comprises:
when the position of the shadow is within the photographing range and the light source angle is not equal to zero, determining a target direction according to the position of the shadow, wherein the target direction is any direction other than an direction in which the position of the shadow is;
determining, from a plurality of preset shadow ranges, a preset shadow range corresponding to a shadow distance, wherein the shadow distance is a horizontal distance between the position of the shadow and the intelligent flight device;
determining, from a plurality of preset rotation angles, a preset rotation angel corresponding to the preset shadow range, wherein the plurality of preset rotation angles correspond to the plurality of preset shadow ranges one to one;
wherein shooting a picture or a video based on the current photographing angle and the position of the shadow comprises:
shooting the picture or the video based on the target direction and the preset rotation angle corresponding to the preset shadow range with the shadow distance.

6. An intelligent flight device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory for storing instructions executable by the processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
determine a light source angle, wherein the light source angle is an angle between a current beam direction of a target light source and a vertical direction, the target light source is a light source capable of generating a shadow of the intelligent flight device, and the vertical direction is a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane;
according to the light source angle, determine a position of the shadow on the horizontal plane;
perform photographing based on a current photographing angle of the intelligent flight device and the position of the shadow;
when the light source angle is equal to zero, determine that the shadow on the horizontal plane is right below a current position of the intelligent flight device; and
when the light source angle is not equal to zero, determine a flight height, and according to the light source angle and the flight height, determine the position of the shadow on the horizontal plane, wherein the flight height is a current height of the intelligent flight device from the horizontal plane.

7. The intelligent flight device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to perform one of the following:
determining, based on a plurality of first preset angles, a plurality of light intensities by use of a configured light sensor and determining a first preset angle corresponding to a maximum light intensity as the light source angle, wherein the plurality of first preset angles correspond to the plurality of light intensities one to one.

8. The intelligent flight device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to perform one of the following:
determining, based on a plurality of second preset angles, a plurality of exposures, and determining a second preset angle corresponding to a maximum exposure as the light source angle, wherein the plurality of second preset angles correspond to the plurality of exposures one to one.

9. The intelligent flight device according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to:
based on the current photographing angle and the position of the shadow, determine whether the position of the shadow is within a photographing range;
when the position of the shadow is within the photographing range and is right below the current position of the intelligent flight device, perform photographing downwards in the vertical direction to obtain a photographed picture;
by perform a preset image process on the photographed picture, determine a size of the intelligent flight device in the photographed picture;
based on the size of the intelligent flight device in the photographed picture and the flight height, determine a rotation angle which is an angle for avoiding the shadow; and perform photographing based on the rotation angle.

10. The intelligent flight device according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to:
when the position of the shadow is within the photographing range and the light source angle is not equal to zero, determine a target direction according to the position of the shadow, wherein the target direction is any direction other than a direction in which the position of the shadow is;
determine, from a plurality of preset shadow ranges, a preset sha

Assignees

• Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co Ltd

Inventors

• Chen Tao
• Wu Ke
• Han Jin
• Liu Huayijun

Classifications

• H04N23/695

  Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects · CPC title

• H04N23/64 Primary

  Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/661 Primary

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title