U.S. patent application number 15/164787 was filed with the patent office on 2016-12-01 for multi camera mount.
The applicant listed for this patent is GoPro, Inc.. Invention is credited to Ihab A. Ali, Timothy Macmillan.
Application Number | 20160349600 15/164787 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 57397015 |
Filed Date | 2016-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160349600 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Macmillan; Timothy ; et
al. |
December 1, 2016 |
Multi Camera Mount
Abstract
A camera mounting assembly is disclosed for a plurality of
cameras. The camera mounting structure may have a substantially
circular configuration. The camera mounting structure may include a
unibody base cage. One or more lens openings may be configured
along the circumference of the unibody base cage. The lens openings
may allow a camera lens to have an unobstructed view outside of the
unibody base cage to capture an image or a video. The assembly
further may include one or more sub-cages that are releasably
attached to the unibody base cage. Each sub-cage may be configured
to securely hold a camera via a securing mechanism such as a clamp
or interlocking pin. Each sub-cage further may include an aligning
pin that is configured to align the center of the camera with the
center of the lens opening.
Inventors: |
Macmillan; Timothy; (La
Honda, CA) ; Ali; Ihab A.; (Cupertino, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
GoPro, Inc. |
San Mateo |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
57397015 |
Appl. No.: |
15/164787 |
Filed: |
May 25, 2016 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
62166584 |
May 26, 2015 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G03B 17/561 20130101;
G03B 37/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G03B 17/56 20060101
G03B017/56; G03B 17/12 20060101 G03B017/12 |
Claims
1. A camera mounting assembly for a plurality of cameras, the
camera mounting assembly comprising: a camera mounting structure
including a circular unibody base cage; one or more lens openings
within the circular unibody base cage, configured along the
circumference of the circular unibody base cage, each lens opening
structured to provide a lens of the camera to have an unobstructed
view outside the circular unibody base cage; and one or more
sub-cage structures releasably attachable to the circular unibody
base cage via a securing mechanism each sub-cage structure
including a securing mechanism configured to securely hold a
camera, the sub-cage structure further including an aligning pin
configured to position a center of the lens of the camera in
alignment with a center of the lens opening.
2. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 1, further
comprising a detachable top plate secured to the circular unibody
base cage by a securing mechanism.
3. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 1, further
comprising a detachable bottom plate secured to the circular
unibody base cage by a securing mechanism.
4. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 1, further
comprising a mechanical lever positioned at a back portion of the
sub-cage, and attached within the circular unibody base cage
structure via a securing mechanism, the mechanical lever configured
to apply force along an axis of a lens of a camera to allow
positioning of the lens within the lens opening.
5. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 4, wherein the
mechanical lever is releasable.
6. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 4, wherein the
lens opening is positioned at a precision point corresponding to a
center point of the lens of the camera. The multiple camera
mounting assembly of claim 1, further comprising an enclosed box
structure coupled to the sub-cage via a securing mechanism, the box
structure configured to house one or more electronic elements for
distributing power within the sub-cage.
8. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the
box structure is configured to house one or more processing and
communication elements to synchronize the plurality of cameras
secured within the sub-cages.
9. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the
box structure is rectangular prism.
10. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the
box structure is cubic prism.
11. The multiple camera mounting assembly of claim 7, wherein the
box structure further includes a connector that can plug in to a
power source.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 62/166,584, filed May 26, 2015, the content of
which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The disclosure generally relates to the field of camera
mounts, and more particularly, a mount for securing a plurality of
cameras within a releasable openable encasement.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A camera may be mounted on or within structures, for example
to ensure that the camera is still while capturing images, thus
trying to avoid out-of-focus images, leading to capture of high
quality images. Most of the mounts available today are to mount a
single camera. To accommodate multiple views of an object, multiple
camera mounts are used to capture images from different views. Some
conventional mounts that can accommodate multiple cameras. However,
a problem with these conventional mounts is that they do not allow
cameras to remain in specifically fixed positions resulting in
misalignment of the cameras relative to images that are captured.
Images captured from misaligned camera are very difficult, if not
impossible, to cleanly stitch together once images are
captured.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] The disclosed embodiments have advantages and features which
will be more readily apparent from the detailed description, the
appended claims, and the accompanying figures (or drawings). A
brief introduction of the figures is below.
[0005] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a camera mounting
assembly for a plurality of cameras, the structure having a
substantially circular configuration, according to an example
embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 illustrates a planar view of the camera mounting
assembly for the plurality of cameras, according to an example
embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the camera mounting
assembly for the plurality of cameras, according to an example
embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 4 illustrates a bottom view of the camera mounting
assembly for the plurality of cameras, according to an example
embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross sectional view of the camera
mounting assembly for the plurality of cameras, according to an
example embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 6 illustrates example camera architecture for use with
the camera mounting assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] The Figures (FIGS.) and the following description relate to
preferred embodiments by way of illustration only. It should be
noted that from the following discussion, alternative embodiments
of the structures and methods disclosed herein will be readily
recognized as viable alternatives that may be employed without
departing from the principles of what is claimed.
[0012] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments,
examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. It
is noted that wherever practicable similar or like reference
numbers may be used in the figures and may indicate similar or like
functionality. The figures depict embodiments of the disclosed
system (or method) for purposes of illustration only. One skilled
in the art will readily recognize from the following description
that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods
illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the
principles described herein.
Configuration Overview
[0013] Described are embodiments of a camera mounting assembly. The
camera mounting assembly may have a substantially circular
configuration. The camera mounting assembly may include N cameras
used to capture a 4 pi steradian image. Each camera may be mounted
within the camera mounting assembly such that each camera may
capture a portion of the 4 pi steradian image. Additionally, the
camera mounting assembly may include a structure to house
electronics and processing elements. The processing elements may be
configured to stitch the images from each camera to obtain the 4 pi
steradian image.
[0014] The camera mounting assembly may include a circular unibody
base cage that may include camera mounts for more than one camera.
The unibody base cage may have lens openings along the
circumference of the unibody base cage. A lens of a camera may be
fitter within each lens opening such that the lens of the camera
has an unobstructed view outside the unibody base cage to capture
images. Within the unibody base cage, one or more sub-cage
structures may be releasably attached to the unibody base cage.
Each sub-cage structure includes a securing mechanism such as a
locking gear, or screws to securely hold a camera such that the
center of the camera lens aligns with the center of the lens
opening. The camera mounting assembly optionally may include a top
plate and a bottom plate to withstand high impact or different
weather conditions. Additionally, the circular configuration may
have vents and openings between the sub-cages in order to reduce
thermal convection that may be caused due to mounting of more than
one camera within the camera mounting assembly.
Example Multiple Camera Mount Configuration
[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an example of a
camera mounting assembly 100 for a plurality of cameras 120, the
structure of the assembly having a substantially circular
configuration. The example embodiment of a camera mounting assembly
100 may be configured to attach two or more high definition video
cameras within a high tolerance juxtaposition relative to each
other. This configuration may allow performing image stitching from
images captured across two or more cameras with minimal computation
intensity to achieve single composite image. In one example
embodiment, the camera mounting assembly 100 may be a substantially
circular configuration configured to hold N number of cameras 120,
where N cameras may be two or more cameras and may provide for
image capture in a panoramic field. For example, N may be three
cameras 120 or N may be six cameras 120 or N may be twelve cameras
120. Each field of view may provide for capture of an equal quality
of a field of view (FOV). Each camera 120 may be positioned within
a sub-cage 110 coupled to a base circular camera mounting structure
105 (which also may be referenced as base cage 105) so that the
lens of the camera 120 fits into a lens opening 150. The lens
opening 150 is typically positioned on the circumference of the
base cage 105.
[0016] In one embodiment the base cage 105 may be a unibody
structure that may be made of rigid material, for example, a
polycarbonate, ABS, or other material capable of withstanding high
impact. The unibody structure and rigid materials may help ensure
minimal to no deviances in alignment between cameras. The unibody
base cage 105 is a circular frame structure that may include slots
to fit in sub-cages at the outer edge of the circular frame
structure. The circular frame structure may have openings between
the sub-cage slots to allow air to flow within the base cage 105.
Towards the inner portion of the circular frame structure, locking
mechanisms, e.g., latches, clips, or gear locks, may be included
for mounting the entire camera mounting assembly 100 in a fixed
location.
[0017] Within the base cage 105, cameras 120 are positioned within
sub-cages 110 to secure the camera 120 within the base cage and to
allow for the lens to have an unobstructed view outside the base
cage 105 and the sub-cage 110. The camera 120 may be a high
definition camera (or camera). It is noted that in one embodiment
the camera may be used to capture video and/or still images. It
also is noted the camera may be an activity camera, for example, a
GOPRO camera such as a HERO 3, HERO 4, HERO 5, or other camera with
similar dimensions and functionality. In alternate embodiments, the
activity camera may be, for example, a GOPRO HERO SESSION camera or
other activity camera with similar dimensions and functionality. An
example of a camera architecture of a camera 120 for use with the
camera mounting assembly 100 is further described below, e.g., with
FIG. 6.
[0018] The sub-cage 110 may be a rectangular frame, approximately
sized to be of a similar length and height as the length and a
height of the camera 120. The width of the sub-cage 110 frame may
be at least approximately at a quarter or half of the width of the
camera 120, which may expose a portion of the camera outside of the
sub-cage 110. The camera 120 within the sub-cage 110 may be further
secured within the sub-cage 110 by a securing mechanism. Examples
of a securing mechanism may be a clamp, an interlocking pin, and/or
spring lock to keep the camera 120 from moving back towards center
of the camera mounting assembly 100. Each sub-cage 110 may be
individually detachable (or removably attachable) from the base
cage 105. The sub-cage 110 may be attached to the base cage 105 via
a mechanical securing mechanism. Examples of mechanical securing
mechanisms may be interlocking clips, pins, screws, spring clamps,
or other such securing mechanism.
[0019] Each sub-cage 110 may further include a power, processing
and communications block. These components may be embodied within a
"backpack". Additional examples of a backpack are described with
respect to FIG. 3. In one example embodiment, the backpack may be a
rectangular block structure that aligns with the size of the camera
and may be coupled to the camera 120 via mechanical locking
mechanisms. The rectangular block structure may be enclosed with
ventilation or may be an open air cage structure. In another
embodiment, the backpack may be attached to the sub-cage 110 and
include one or more connectors. The connectors may provide
electrical connectivity to access operational functionality, for
example, power, communication, processing and/or global positioning
system (GPS) functionality for the camera 120.
[0020] The opening for the lens 150 may be a precision point. The
precision point allows aligning the center point of the lens with
the center point of the lens opening 150. The lens opening 150
positions the lens of the camera along the horizontal plane, e.g.,
the X-Y axis. Aligning and positioning the lens accurately within
the lens opening ensures that the stitching lines for an image are
aligned for each field of view. In addition, optionally, there may
be aligning pins within each sub-cage 110 to help ensure that the
lenses are aligned in a precise juxtaposition relative to other
lenses of other cameras secured with the sub-cages 110 of the base
cage 105. The aligning pins within each sub-cage 110 may be coupled
to an inner back wall of the rectangular frame of the sub-cage 110.
Once the sub-cage 110 is aligned with the inner back wall of the
rectangular frame and secured in place, the back of a lens of the
camera 120 is aligned in an appropriate position relative to the
lens opening 150. In particular, the aligning pin may apply
pressure towards on the back of the camera 120 to force the lens of
the camera 120 to position within the lens opening of the base cage
105. In another embodiment, the aligning pins within the sub-cage
110 may be coupled towards the outer edges of the rectangular frame
of the sub-cage 110. In this configuration, the aligning pins lock
the back of the camera within the aligning pins to prevent any
movement of the camera 120 and keep the lens of the camera 120
within the lens opening 150.
[0021] It is noted that the base cage 105 is shown with panels,
e.g., the sub-cage 110 that enclose the cameras 120 within a
substantially enclosed assembly. There may be openings between
sub-cages 110 along the sides where the cameras 120 are securely
mounted. The substantially enclosed assembly of the base cage 105
allows for withstanding elements such as wind and moisture. Cooling
can be achieved using heat sinks and/or vents between and/or around
the sub-cages 110 as needed. In one embodiment, the base cage 105
may be made of a material that allows cooling. The material may be,
for example, aluminum, copper, and/or composite material.
[0022] In alternate example embodiments, the top 160 or bottom may
be comprised of just an open frame so that air can circulate
through the assembly. In the example embodiment, the base cage 105
may have a more open structural cage configuration. An open
structural configuration may include a physical opening between
sub-cages 110 so that a camera 120 within a sub-cage 110 is exposed
to air. The openings between sub-cages 110 are structured such that
they may airflow between the cameras 120 allows for cooling. In
some embodiments, a top 160 and a bottom of the base cage 105 can
be a substantially molded unibody piece that is, for example, a
plate.
[0023] FIG. 2 illustrates a planar view of the camera mounting
assembly 100 for the plurality of cameras 120. Here, the lens
openings 150 are illustrated as lined up along the circumference
205 of the base cage 105 so that the lens have an unobstructed
field of view, yet have some overlap with a field of view of
adjacent cameras 120 that have their lenses positioned within their
respective openings 150.
[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross sectional view of the camera
mounting assembly 100 for the plurality of cameras 120. The base
cage 105 of the camera mounting assembly 100 includes the lens
opening 150. In one embodiment, the lens opening 150 may integrate
a heat sink. The heat sink dissipates heat generated from the
camera 120. An example heat sink is in U.S. Pat. No. 9,025,080,
which is incorporated by reference. In addition, the heat sink
structure may allow for accommodating FOV pointing tolerances by
keeping the lens of the camera 120 properly aligned within the lens
opening 150.
[0025] A mechanical lever 370 such as a nova center cam is
illustrated in the cross section. The lever 370 is attached within
the base cage 105 via a securing mechanism or may be held to the
base cage via a bonding chemical. The mechanical lever may be
structured to include a pivot point which can allow for securing a
camera 120 in place within the sub-cage 110 by pushing against the
back of the camera or allow for release of the camera 120 by
releasing pressure off of the back of the camera. Examples of
releasable mechanisms include a gear lock system, a spring
tensioned system or other such mechanical lock systems that allow
release of the camera. The mechanical lever 370 may be positioned
at the back of each sub-cage 110 that secures a camera 120 between
the front of a sub-cage 110 and a center portion of the camera
mounting assembly 100. The center portion of the camera mounting
assembly 100 may form a back against which the mechanical lever 370
may be secured. Placing the mechanical lever 370 in this position
allows the lens of the camera to be aligned with the lens opening
150 and remain secured in this position. In particular, the
mechanical lever 370 exerts force on the camera 120 in the secured
position. The force allows the lens of the camera 120 to be
appropriately positioned within the lens opening 150 of the base
cage 105, specifically along the vertical plane, i.e., the Z-axis.
The lever 370 may be releasable. Examples of mechanical levers
include a nova center cam, clamp or any other such levers.
[0026] The camera mounting assembly 100 may include power
distribution electronics 280 as well as processing and
communication electronics 280, for example, for synchronization of
cameras. For example, electronics and code may be incorporated to
designate one of the cameras 120 as a master clock camera against
which the other cameras 120 will synchronize. Alternately, the
electronics may include a master clock to which all cameras 120
within the camera mounting assembly 100 may synchronize. It is
noted that although not shown, a structure that houses electronics
for communications and power may be in the form of a cubic or
rectangular box or prism. The electronics housing structure may be
referenced as a "backpack" and may allow for superseding power
sources on the camera 120 and may allow for removing such sources
from the cameras 120 in some example embodiments thereby lightening
the camera weight. Example electronics may include global
positioning system (GPS) connectors, power connectors, power and
GPS related electronics, communication protocols such as USB,
Wi-Fi, camera buses, etc., and other such electronics. In some
embodiments, a battery pack may be included within the backpack, or
alternatively, a slot for a battery pack may be provided within the
backpack.
[0027] A backpack may have a unibody enclosed rectangular or cubic
prism structure. In some embodiments, the backpack may be a
multi-bodied frame that includes a slot for a battery pack such
that a battery may be inserted within the slot as required. One of
the faces of the backpack prism may include connectors, either
mounted on the face or embedded within the face of the backpack. In
one embodiment, the backpack may be secured to the back of the
camera or sub-cage via the connectors. In another embodiment, the
backpack may be attached to the back of the camera via securing
mechanisms such as clips, gear locks, bonding chemicals, etc.
[0028] A backpack may be secured within each sub-cage 110 and
communicatively coupled with a corresponding camera 120 in the
sub-cage 110. Alternately, a backpack may be secured outside of a
sub-cage 110, e.g., secured along a center of the camera mounting
assembly 100 and communicatively coupled, e.g., via a wire (or bus)
with one or more cameras 120 in the base cage 105.
[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the camera mounting
assembly 100 for the plurality of cameras 120. In one embodiment,
the top 160 may be removably attachable. The top 160 may be a
circular plate structure similar in size of the base cage 105 and
that secures to the base cage 105. The top 160 plate protects the
electronics and communications within the camera mounting assembly
100. The top 160 may be made of a material that allows cooling, and
withstands high impact. The top 160 may be secured through a top
securing mechanism 420. The top securing mechanism 420 may be, for
example, a thumbscrew or removable locking pin. By removing the top
160, access to the internal of the camera mounting assembly 100 is
enabled to load, detach or position the cameras 120, sub-cages 110
and/or backpacks within the camera mounting assembly 100. In one
embodiment, the top 160 may be made of a material that allows
cooling, for example, aluminum.
[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates a bottom view of the camera mounting
assembly 100 for the plurality of cameras 120. The bottom 560
portion may be a circular plate structure similar in size of the
base cage 105. The bottom portion may include indicators such as
LEDs, connectors for external power or memory, vents (that may
perform a heat transfer function to allow cooling) and/or levers
570. In one embodiment, the levers 570 may be internal within the
base cage 105. In one embodiment, the bottom plate may include a
three-pin power supply connector to connect to an external power
source. The levers 570 are on the mechanical levers 370 that may
apply a force along an axis of a lens of the camera 120. The bottom
560 may be secured through a securing mechanism 580, which may be a
thumbscrew or removable locking pin. In one embodiment, the bottom
560 may be made of a material that allows cooling, for example,
aluminum.
[0031] The mechanical configuration as shown and described can
allow for securing the camera within the camera mounting assembly
100 so that the lens of each camera 120 may be properly positioned
within the assembly 100. By having the camera 120 appropriately
secured and positioned, two or more cameras capturing images in
their respective field of view can thereafter have the images from
the field of view further processed with precision. For example,
images from each field of view may be stitched along respective
edges allowing for a larger image capture with minimal distortion
and/or loss of portions of an image.
Example Camera Architecture
[0032] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of an example camera
architecture 600. The camera architecture 605 corresponds to an
architecture for the camera, e.g., 120. In one embodiment, the
camera 120 is capable of capturing spherical or substantially
spherical content. As used herein, spherical content may include
still images or video having spherical or substantially spherical
field of view. For example, in one embodiment, the camera 120
captures video having a 360.degree. field of view in the horizontal
plane and a 180.degree. field of view in the vertical plane.
Alternatively, the camera 120 may capture substantially spherical
images or video having less than 360.degree. in the horizontal
direction and less than 180.degree. in the vertical direction
(e.g., within 10% of the field of view associated with fully
spherical content). In other embodiments, the camera 120 may
capture images or video having a non-spherical wide angle field of
view.
[0033] As described in greater detail below, the camera 120 can
include sensors 640 to capture metadata associated with video data,
such as timing data, motion data, speed data, acceleration data,
altitude data, GPS data, and the like. In a particular embodiment,
location and/or time centric metadata (geographic location, time,
speed, etc.) can be incorporated into a media file together with
the captured content in order to track the location of the camera
120 over time. This metadata may be captured by the camera 120
itself or by another device (e.g., a mobile phone) communicatively
coupled with the camera 120. In one embodiment, the metadata may be
incorporated with the content stream by the camera 120 as the
spherical content is being captured. In another embodiment, a
metadata file separate from the video file may be captured (by the
same capture device or a different capture device) and the two
separate files can be combined or otherwise processed together in
post-processing. It is noted that these sensors 940 can be in
addition to other sensors.
[0034] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6, the camera 120
comprises a camera core 610 comprising a lens 612, an image sensor
614, and an image processor 616. The camera 120 additionally
includes a system controller 620 (e.g., a microcontroller or
microprocessor) that controls the operation and functionality of
the camera 120 and system memory 630 configured to store executable
computer instructions that, when executed by the system controller
620 and/or the image processors 616, perform the camera
functionalities described herein. In some embodiments, a camera 120
may include multiple camera cores 610 to capture fields of view in
different directions which may then be stitched together to form a
cohesive image. For example, in an embodiment of a spherical camera
system, the camera 120 may include two camera cores each having a
hemispherical or hyper hemispherical lens that each captures a
hemispherical or hyper hemispherical field of view which are
stitched together in post-processing to form a spherical image.
[0035] The lens 612 can be, for example, a wide angle lens,
hemispherical, or hyper hemispherical lens that focuses light
entering the lens to the image sensor 614 which captures images
and/or video frames. The image sensor 614 may capture
high-definition images having a resolution of, for example, 720p,
1080p, 4k, or higher. In one embodiment, spherical video is
captured in a resolution of 5760 pixels by 2880 pixels with a
360.degree. horizontal field of view and a 180.degree. vertical
field of view. For video, the image sensor 614 may capture video at
frame rates of, for example, 30 frames per second, 60 frames per
second, or higher. The image processor 616 performs one or more
image processing functions of the captured images or video. For
example, the image processor 616 may perform a Bayer
transformation, demosaicing, noise reduction, image sharpening,
image stabilization, rolling shutter artifact reduction, color
space conversion, compression, or other in-camera processing
functions. Processed images and video may be temporarily or
persistently stored to system memory 630 and/or to a non-volatile
storage, which may be in the form of internal storage or an
external memory card.
[0036] An input/output (I/O) interface 660 transmits and receives
data from various external devices. For example, the I/O interface
660 may facilitate the receiving or transmitting video or audio
information through an I/O port. Examples of I/O ports or
interfaces include USB ports, HDMI ports, Ethernet ports, audio
ports, and the like. Furthermore, embodiments of the I/O interface
660 may include wireless ports that can accommodate wireless
connections. Examples of wireless ports include Bluetooth, Wireless
USB, Near Field Communication (NFC), and the like. The I/O
interface 660 may also include an interface to synchronize the
camera 120 with other cameras or with other external devices, such
as a remote control, a second camera, a smartphone, a client
device, or a video server.
[0037] A control/display subsystem 670 includes various control and
display components associated with operation of the camera 120
including, for example, LED lights, a display, buttons,
microphones, speakers, and the like. The audio subsystem 650
includes, for example, one or more microphones and one or more
audio processors to capture and process audio data correlated with
video capture. In one embodiment, the audio subsystem 650 includes
a microphone array having two or microphones arranged to obtain
directional audio signals.
[0038] Sensors 640 capture various metadata concurrently with, or
separately from, video capture. For example, the sensors 640 may
capture time-stamped location information based on a global
positioning system (GPS) sensor, and/or an altimeter. Sensor data
captured from the various sensors 640 may be processed to generate
other types of metadata. For example, sensor data from the
accelerometer may be used to generate motion metadata, comprising
velocity and/or acceleration vectors representative of motion of
the camera 120. In one embodiment, the sensors 640 are rigidly
coupled to the camera 120 such that any motion, orientation or
change in location experienced by the camera 120 is also
experienced by the sensors 640. The sensors 640 furthermore may
associates a time stamp representing when the data was captured by
each sensor. In one embodiment, the sensors 640 automatically begin
collecting sensor metadata when the camera 120 begins recording a
video.
[0039] The camera 120 can be enclosed within a camera mounting
assembly 100, such as the one depicted in FIGS. 1 through 5. The
camera mounting assembly 100 can include electronic connectors
which can couple with the corresponding camera (not shown) when a
power and/or communication source is incorporated into the camera
mounting assembly 100.
Additional Considerations
[0040] By way of example, a circular array mounting structure
envelop the camera and provide for a thermal contact with one or
more heat dissipation surfaces of said camera in order to provide
for efficient thermal dissipation out of the camera into the sub
structure of the mount. The circular mount will comprise one or
more cable management structures for retaining synchronizing
connections. The system of N cameras will be identified
sequentially, synchronized and hot swappable. The data captured by
said cameras will be identified with the sequence and
synchronization such that the aggregated data can be stitched in
accordance to the cameras position within the mount and thus
accurately represent the rendering of the 4PI (caged) or less than
4Pi circular composite field of view or a full range panoramic
view.
[0041] The disclosed configurations allows for heat dissipation,
particularly when powering the cameras within it. For example, the
camera mounting assembly 100 can be configured with an open air top
or bottom. The open air designs increase airflow around the cameras
allowing for cooling.
[0042] Moreover, because the disclosed embodiments allow for an
array of cameras 120 to be run on external power from a source on
the cages, the batteries of the camera can be removed. This reduces
heat generated by the cameras and also decreases weight of the
overall assembly when cameras are mounted within the cages.
[0043] Throughout this specification, plural instances may
implement components, operations, or structures described as a
single instance. Although individual operations of one or more
methods are illustrated and described as separate operations, one
or more of the individual operations may be performed concurrently,
and nothing requires that the operations be performed in the order
illustrated. Structures and functionality presented as separate
components in example configurations may be implemented as a
combined structure or component.
[0044] Similarly, structures and functionality presented as a
single component may be implemented as separate components. These
and other variations, modifications, additions, and improvements
fall within the scope of the subject matter herein.
[0045] As used herein any reference to "one embodiment" or "an
embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or
characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is
included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase
"in one embodiment" in various places in the specification are not
necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
[0046] Some embodiments may be described using the expression
"coupled" and "connected" along with their derivatives. For
example, some embodiments may be described using the term "coupled"
to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or
electrical contact. The term "coupled," however, may also mean that
two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but
yet still co-operate or interact with each other. The embodiments
are not limited in this context.
[0047] In addition, use of the "a" or "an" are employed to describe
elements and components of the embodiments herein. This is done
merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the
invention. This description should be read to include one or at
least one and the singular also includes the plural unless it is
obvious that it is meant otherwise.
[0048] Upon reading this disclosure, those of skill in the art will
appreciate still additional alternative structural and functional
designs for a multi-camera mount. Thus, while particular
embodiments and applications have been illustrated and described,
it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are not
limited to the precise construction and components disclosed
herein. Various modifications, changes and variations, which will
be apparent to those skilled in the art, may be made in the
arrangement, operation and details of the method and apparatus
disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope
defined in the appended claims.
* * * * *