Camera triggering and multi-camera photogrammetry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11709052-B2
Application number	US-202117549788-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2021
Priority date	Dec 9, 2020
Publication date	Jul 25, 2023
Grant date	Jul 25, 2023

Abstract

A photogrammetry system includes a memory, a processor, and a geo-positioning device. The geo-positioning device outputs telemetry regarding a vehicle on which one or more cameras are mounted. The processor can receive first telemetry from the geo-positioning device characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a first time, camera specification(s) regarding the cameras, photogrammetric requirement(s) for captured images, and a last camera trigger time. The processor can determine a next trigger time for the cameras based upon the received telemetry, camera specification(s), photogrammetric requirement(s), and last trigger time. The processor can transmit a trigger signal to the camera(s) and the geo-positioning device to cause the camera(s) to acquire images of a target and the geo-positioning device to store second vehicle telemetry data characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a second time that is after the first time and during acquisition of the images. The processor can receive the acquired images from the cameras.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A photogrammetry system, comprising:
a memory; and
at least one processor in communication with the memory and configured to:
determine a next trigger time for one or more cameras mounted to a vehicle based upon at least one first vehicle telemetry characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a first time, at least one camera specification regarding the one or more cameras, at least one photogrammetric requirement for images captured by the one or more cameras, and a last trigger time of the one or more cameras;
transmit a trigger signal concurrently to the one or more cameras and a geo-positioning device configured to output telemetry regarding the vehicle, wherein the trigger signal is operative to cause, upon receipt:
acquisition of images of a target by the one or more cameras; and
storage of at least one second vehicle telemetry data acquired by the geo-positioning device in the memory, the second vehicle telemetry data characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a second time that is after the first time and during acquisition of the images; and

receive the acquired images from the one or more cameras.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
associate each of the acquired images with metadata including at least a portion of the camera specifications of the corresponding camera and at least a portion of the second vehicle telemetry data; and
output at least one of the acquired images and its associated metadata.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, the next trigger time based upon a wind speed measured at the vehicle by at least one environmental sensor.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera specification comprises at least one of a sensor size, a lens size, a shutter speed, an aperture, an ISO, a stabilization, a field of view, or a frame rate.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle telemetry comprises at least one of a location of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, or acceleration of the vehicle.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the location of the vehicle comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, or altitude.

7. The system of claim 4 , wherein orientation of the vehicle comprises at least one of heating, pitch, yaw, or roll.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one photogrammetric requirement comprises forward overlap and lateral overlap.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the trigger signal is output to the cameras by a cable configured to electrically communicate with a hardware trigger of the cameras, the hardware trigger being configured to trigger image acquisition upon receipt of the trigger signal.

10. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to associate the metadata with the acquired images immediately upon receipt of the acquired images.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera specification is received by the at least one processor from the one or more cameras.

12. A method for performing photogrammetry, comprising:
determining, by at least one processor, a next trigger time for one or more cameras mounted to a vehicle based upon at least one first vehicle telemetry characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a first time, at least one camera specification regarding the one or more cameras, at least one photogrammetric requirement for images captured by the cameras, and a last trigger time of the one or more cameras;
transmitting, by the at least one processor, a trigger signal concurrently to the one or more cameras and a geo-positioning device configured to output telemetry regarding the vehicle;
acquiring, by the one or more cameras, images in response to receipt of the trigger signal;
storing, by the geo-positioning device in response to receipt of the trigger signal, at least one second vehicle telemetry data characterizing the vehicle telemetry at a second time that is after the first time and during acquisition of the images; and
receiving, by the at least one processor from the one or more cameras, the acquired images.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
associating, by the at least one processor, each of the acquired images with metadata including at least a portion of the camera specifications of the corresponding camera and at least a portion of the second vehicle telemetry data; and
outputting, by the at least one processor, at least one of the acquired images and its associated metadata.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining, by the at least one processor, the next trigger time based upon a wind speed measured at the vehicle by at least one environmental sensor.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the camera specification comprises at least one of a sensor size, a lens size, a shutter speed, an aperture, an ISO, a stabilization, a field of view, or a frame rate.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle telemetry comprises at least one of a location of the vehicle, an orientation of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, or acceleration of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the location of the vehicle comprises at least one of latitude, longitude, or altitude.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein orientation of the vehicle comprises at least one of heating, pitch, yaw, or roll.

19. The method of claim 12 , wherein the at least one photogrammetric requirement comprises forward overlap and lateral overlap.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein the trigger signal is transmitted to the cameras via a cable coupled to a hardware trigger, and wherein image acquisition is triggered by receipt of the trigger signal at the hardware trigger.

21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor associates the metadata with the acquired images immediately upon receipt of the acquired images.

22. The method of claim 12 , further comprising receiving, by the at least one processor, the at least one camera specification from the one or more cameras.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Hunter Rick
• Chu Mars
• Hoang Thai
• Hyatt James
• Baloch Ghulam A

Classifications

• H04N23/80

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• G01C11/02 Primary

  Picture taking arrangements specially adapted for photogrammetry or photographic surveying, e.g. controlling overlapping of pictures · CPC title

• G01P5/00

  Measuring speed of fluids, e.g. of air stream; Measuring speed of bodies relative to fluids, e.g. of ship, of aircraft (application of speed-measuring devices for measuring volume of fluid G01F) · CPC title

• H04N23/66

  Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices · CPC title