Method, control apparatus and control system for controlling an image capture of movable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12328499-B2
Application number	US-202318398918-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2023
Priority date	Jul 30, 2015
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A system for controlling image capture includes a control apparatus including a main body, a dial located in a slot of a sidewall of the main body with a portion of a cylindrical sidewall of the dial being exposed to be turned by a finger of a user, a memory storing a computer program code, and a processor configured to execute the computer program code to: receive, from a movable device, an image of a target imaging area, control a motion attitude of the movable device according to an operation on a joystick of the control apparatus by the user holding the control apparatus, and adjust an attitude of a gimbal device configured on the movable device according to an operation on the dial configured on the control apparatus by the user while controlling the motion attitude of the movable device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for controlling image capture, comprising:
a control apparatus including:
a main body;
a dial located in a slot of a sidewall of the main body with a portion of the dial being exposed to be turned by a finger of a user, wherein the dial is exposed on a rear surface of the main body away from a front side of the main body, a distance between the dial and an edge formed by joining of the rear surface and a lateral surface of the main body is less than a distance between the dial and a center of the rear surface, and the front side of the main body faces the user during operation of the control apparatus;
a memory storing a computer program code; and
a processor configured to execute the computer program code to:
receive, from a movable device, an image of a target imaging area;
control a motion attitude of the movable device according to an operation on a joystick of the control apparatus by the user holding the control apparatus, the joystick being located on a top surface of the main body; and
adjust an attitude of a gimbal device configured on the movable device according to an operation on the dial configured on the control apparatus by the user while controlling the motion attitude of the movable device, the gimbal device carrying an imaging device for imaging the target imaging area.

2. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control apparatus is a first control apparatus, the memory is a first memory, the processor is a first processor, and the computer program code is a first computer program code;
the system further comprising:
a second control apparatus including:
an interactive interface;
a second memory storing a second computer program code; and
a second processor configured to execute the second computer program code to:
adjust one or more imaging parameters for imaging the target imaging area based at least in part on the image to obtain one or more adjusted imaging parameters, the interactive interface being configured to receive user interaction to control the attitude of the gimbal device.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the interactive interface includes a gimbal control icon projected onto the image of the target imaging area, the gimbal control icon including a scrollbar and being configured to receive user interaction to control the attitude of the gimbal device.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the control apparatus further includes a button; and
the processor of the control apparatus is further configured execute the computer program code to select a target adjustable mode in response to at least one of the dial being turned, the button being pressed, or the joystick being operated.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein:
the target adjustable mode includes one of a program control mode, an aperture priority mode, a shutter priority mode, and a manual mode; and
the processor of the control apparatus is further configured to execute the computer program code to, after the target adjustable mode is selected, adjust at least one of an ISO sensitivity value, a shutter value, an aperture value, or an exposure value in response to the dial being turned.

6. The system of claim 4 ,
wherein the control apparatus is a first control apparatus, the memory is a first memory, the processor is a first processor, and the computer program code is a first computer program code;
the system further comprising:
a second control apparatus including:
an interactive interface;
a second memory storing a second computer program code; and
a second processor;

wherein:
the target adjustable mode is a manual focus mode;
the first processor of the first control apparatus is further configured to execute the first computer program code to, after the manual focus mode is selected, perform a focusing operation on the image in response to the dial being turned; and
the second processor of the second apparatus is configured to execute the second computer program code to perform the focusing operation in response to an operation on a scrollbar or a function menu in the interactive interface of the second control apparatus that corresponds to a focus parameter.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the second processor of the second control apparatus is further configured to:
magnify an area in the image on which the focusing operation is performed;
determine whether the area is in focus as a result of the focusing operation; and
in response to the area being not in focus:
continue the focusing operation on the target imaging area according to the dial being turned; and
adjust a light metering parameter according to an operation on the interactive interface.

8. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control apparatus is a first control apparatus, the memory is a first memory, the processor is a first processor, and the computer program code is a first computer program code;
the system further comprising:
a second control apparatus including:
an interactive interface;
a second memory storing a second computer program code; and
a second processor;

wherein:
the first processor of the first control apparatus is further configured to execute the first computer program code to enable at least one of a light metering operation, an automatic focusing operation, or a manual focusing operation in response to an operation on the first control apparatus; or
the second processor of the second control apparatus is configured to execute the second computer program code to, according to a received touching signal with respect to the interactive interface, enable at least one of:
the light metering operation and/or the automatic focusing operation;
the light metering operation and/or the manual focusing operation;
the automatic focusing operation or an automatic focusing lock operation;
an automatic exposure operation or an automatic exposure lock operation; or
a spot light metering operation or a global light metering operation.

9. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the control apparatus is a first control apparatus, the memory is a first memory, the processor is a first processor, and the computer program code is a first computer program code;
the system further comprising:
a second control apparatus including:
an interactive interface;
a button;
a second memory storing a second computer program code; and
a second processor;

wherein:
the interactive interface of the second control apparatus is configured to display a scrollbar corresponding to shooting modes and a function menu corresponding to the shooting modes;
the shooting modes include a program automatic mode, an aperture priority mode, a shutter priority mode, and a manual mode; and
the second processor of the second control apparatus is configured to execute the second computer program code to switch among the shooting modes in response to at least one of:
the button being pressed,
the scrollbar being touched, or
the function menu being touched.

10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an interactive interface, the interactive interface being above and oblique to the top surface of the main body during operation of the control apparatus.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more antennas are disposed on the rear surface of the main body, and the dial is closer to the lateral surface of the main body than the one or more antennas.

12. A method for controlling image capture, comprising:
receiving, from a movable device, an image of a target imaging area;
controlling a motion attitude of the movable device according to an operation on a joystick of a control apparatus by a user holding the control a

Assignees

• Sz Dji Technology Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhong Heli
• Yang Bingzhen
• Yu Lifu
• Zhang Zhiyuan

Classifications

• H04N23/62

  Control of parameters via user interfaces · CPC title

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/64

  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

• H04N23/695

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

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title