Motion capture calibration using drones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11600022-B2
Application number	US-202017120024-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2020
Priority date	Aug 28, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

Embodiments facilitate the calibration of cameras in a live action scene using drones. In some embodiments, a method configures a plurality of reference cameras to observe at least one portion of the live action scene. The method further configures one or more moving cameras having unconstrained motion to observe one or more moving objects in the live action scene and to observe at least three known reference points associated with the plurality of reference cameras. The method further receives reference point data in association with the one or more moving cameras, where the reference point data is based on the at least three known reference points. The method further computes a location and an orientation of each moving camera of the one or more moving cameras based on one or more of the reference point data and one or more locations of one or more reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras.

First claim

We claim:

1. A computer-implemented method for calibrating cameras in a live action scene, the method comprising:
configuring a plurality of reference cameras to observe at least one portion of the live action scene;
configuring one or more moving cameras having unconstrained motion to observe one or more moving objects in the live action scene and to observe at least three known reference points associated with the plurality of reference cameras, wherein the at least three known reference points are attached to different respective reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras, and wherein the at least three known reference points are in fixed locations in the live action scene;
receiving reference point data in association with the one or more moving cameras, wherein the reference point data is based on the at least three known reference points in their respective fixed locations; and
computing a location and an orientation of the one or more moving cameras based on the reference point data and the fixed locations of the known reference points attached to their respective reference cameras.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras is at a known location relative to at least a second reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of reference cameras is mounted on one or more rigid structures.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one moving camera is mounted on a mobile apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising computing the location of the one or more moving cameras based at least in part on one or more of global positioning system data, position sensor data, and inertial guide sensor data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one moving object of the one or more moving objects is a person.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more known reference points are coupled to one or more reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras.

8. A system for calibrating cameras in a live action scene, the system comprising:
one or more processors; and
logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
configuring a plurality of reference cameras to observe at least one portion of the live action scene;
configuring one or more moving cameras having unconstrained motion to observe one or more moving objects in the live action scene and to observe at least three known reference points associated with the plurality of reference cameras, wherein the at least three known reference points are attached to different respective reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras, and wherein the at least three known reference points are in fixed locations in the live action scene;
receiving reference point data in association with the one or more moving cameras, wherein the reference point data is based on the at least three known reference points in their respective fixed locations; and
computing a location and an orientation of the one or more moving cameras based on the reference point data and the fixed locations of the known reference points attached to their respective reference cameras.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras is at a known location relative to at least a second reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of reference cameras is mounted on one or more rigid structures.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one moving camera is mounted on a mobile apparatus.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the logic when executed is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising computing the location of the one or more moving cameras based at least in part on one or more of global positioning system data, position sensor data, and inertial guide sensor data.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least one moving object of the one or more moving objects is a person.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein at least a portion of the one or more known reference points are coupled to one or more reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with program instructions stored thereon, the program instructions when executed by one or more processors are operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
configuring a plurality of reference cameras to observe at least one portion of the live action scene;
configuring one or more moving cameras having unconstrained motion to observe one or more moving objects in the live action scene and to observe at least three known reference points associated with the plurality of reference cameras, wherein the at least three known reference points are attached to different respective reference cameras of the plurality of reference cameras, and wherein the at least three known reference points are in fixed locations in the live action scene;
receiving reference point data in association with the one or more moving cameras, wherein the reference point data is based on the at least three known reference points in their respective fixed locations; and
computing a location and an orientation of the one or more moving cameras based on the reference point data and the fixed locations of the known reference points attached to their respective reference cameras.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras is at a known location relative to at least a second reference camera of the plurality of reference cameras.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of reference cameras is mounted on one or more rigid structures.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one moving camera is mounted on a mobile apparatus.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions when executed are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising computing the location of the one or more moving cameras based at least in part on one or more of global positioning system data, position sensor data, and inertial guide sensor data.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein at least one moving object of the one or more moving objects is a person.

Assignees

• Weta Digital Ltd
• Unity Tech Sf

Inventors

• Momcilovic Dejan
• Botting Jake

Classifications

• G05D1/0094 Primary

  involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target · CPC title

• H04N17/002

  for television cameras · CPC title

• H04N7/185

  from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control · CPC title

• G06T7/80 Primary

  Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration · CPC title

• G06T2207/10032

  Satellite or aerial image; Remote sensing · CPC title