Portable system including motorized base controller and transmitter for tracking a moving target

Abstract

A system including a motorized base unit with a smart device mount for automatically orienting the smart device camera toward a moving target to track the moving target and take pictures or video. The target (e.g., a child playing soccer) wears a tracking tag comprising a GPS chip and transmitter packaged inside an athletic pad. The base unit includes a motorized mast for mounting a smart device. The base unit receives the transmitted GPS data, calculates updated pointing angle and angular velocity for the smart phone based on update location information from the remote tag sensor, calculates the correct angle that the smart phone should be pointed at, translates the new pointing directions to a control signal that turns the mast, which in turn causes the smart device camera to “follow” or track the target.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for photographing a moving athlete with a portable smart device having a camera, comprising:
 an athletic pad configured for protecting said athlete, said athletic pad including,
 a resilient plastic shell, 
 a foam pad attached to said plastic shell, 
 a GPS tracking module embedded in said plastic shell and covered by said foam pad, said GPS tracking module being configured for periodically transmitting GPS data; and 
   a base unit for photographing said moving athlete in motion, including,
 a housing, 
 a wireless communication transceiver mounted in said housing and in communication with said GPS tracking module and configured for periodically receiving said transmitted GPS data, 
 a motor driver circuit mounted in said housing, 
 a motor in communication with said motor driver circuit, 
 a smart device mounting bracket in operative engagement with the shaft of said motor and including a cradle extending externally of said smart device for gripping said smart device, 
 a potentiometer mounted in said housing and configured for outputting a continuously-variable signal corresponding to an orientation of said smart device mounting bracket, 
 a processor mounted in said housing and in communication with transceiver and motor driver circuit, said processor comprising software instructions for executing the steps of periodically inputting the GPS data from said GPS tracking module, periodically inputting the orientation data from said potentiometer, calculating a delta angle and delta velocity when said athletic pad moves, converting said delta angle and delta velocity to pulse-width modulated (PWM) commands, and outputting said PWM commands to said motor driver; 
 whereby the portable device camera tracks said moving athlete for imaging when said smart device is mounted in said cradle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said delta velocity increases when target movement rate increases. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said motor is a stepper motor. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said potentiometer is mounted proximate the motor shaft. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said potentiometer is connected to said motor by a rubber belt. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said processor comprises software instructions for executing a step of periodically inputting GPS data from said GPS tracking module. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the software instructions execute a step of periodically inputting orientation data from said potentiometer. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the software instructions execute a step of periodically inputting orientation data transmitted wirelessly from said smart device. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the software instructions execute a step of periodically inputting orientation data transmitted wirelessly from said smart device, and the orientation data from the both the smart device and potentiometer are used to determine said delta angle and delta velocity. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein said base unit further comprises a GPS receiver chip and said processor comprises software instructions for periodically inputting GPS data from said base unit GPS receiver. 
     
     
         11 . A system for photographing a moving target with a portable smart device having a camera, comprising:
 a GPS tracking module including a GPS receiver for periodically communicating GPS data,   
       and 
       a base unit, including,
 a housing, 
 a wireless communication transceiver mounted in said housing and in communication with said GPS tracking module and configured for periodically receiving said transmitted GPS data, 
 a motor driver circuit mounted in said housing, 
 a motor in communication with said motor driver circuit, 
 a smart device mounting bracket in operative engagement with the shaft of said motor and including a cradle extending externally of said smart device for gripping said smart device, 
 said wireless communication transceiver mounted in said housing also being in communication with said smart device for periodically receiving location data there from 
 a processor mounted in said housing an in communication with said transceiver and motor driver circuit, said processor comprising software instructions for executing the steps of periodically inputting the GPS data from said GPS tracking module, periodically inputting orientation of said smart device, calculating distance and velocity when said target moves, converting said distance and velocity to an output signal for driving said motor driver; 
 whereby the portable device camera tracks said moving target for imaging when said smart device is mounted in said cradle. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said orientation of said smart device is inputted from an orientation sensor mounted proximate the motor shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said orientation of said smart device is transmitted wirelessly from the smart device. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 11 , wherein said orientation of said smart device is inputted from an orientation sensor mounted proximate the motor shaft and is transmitted wirelessly from the smart device. 
     
     
         15 . A system for photographing a moving target, comprising:
 a GPS tracking module including a GPS receiver for periodically communicating GPS data;   a base unit, including,
 a housing, 
 a wireless communication transceiver mounted in said housing and in communication with said GPS tracking module and configured for periodically receiving said transmitted GPS data, 
 a motor driver circuit mounted in said housing, 
 a motor in communication with said motor driver circuit, 
 a smart device mounting bracket in operative engagement with the shaft of said motor and including a cradle extending externally of said housing and configured for mounting a portable smart device, and 
 a processor mounted in said housing an in communication with said transceiver, said processor comprising software instructions for executing the steps of periodically inputting the GPS data from said GPS tracking module, calculating pointing direction and velocity when said target moves, and converting said pointing direction and velocity to an output signal for driving said motor driver; and 
   a portable smart device having a camera, a processor, memory, and a software application stored in said memory, whereby the portable device camera tracks said moving target for imaging when said smart device is mounted in said base unit cradle.   
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 15 , wherein the software application stored in the smart device memory continuously buffers a sequence of video frames from said camera. 
     
     
         17 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the software application stored in the smart device memory continuously buffers a sequence of video frames from said camera on a first-in first-out (FIFO) basis. 
     
     
         18 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the software application stored in the smart device memory includes a user-selectable time preset for said sequence of buffered video frames. 
     
     
         19 . The system according to  claim 16 , wherein the software application stored in the smart device memory includes a user-selectable video capture mode. 
     
     
         20 . The system according to  claim 19 , wherein the software application stored in the smart device memory appends said buffered preset length of video from said camera to video taken in said video capture mode.