Cooperative automatic tracking

Abstract

A system and method are provided for automatic cooperative object tracking using gain comparison of antenna pairs facing different directions. In cooperative object tracking, the object is associated with a radiation source, or beacon, that emits radiation that is detected by the tracking system. The present invention makes use of antennas that are not highly oriented antennas but are characterized by having a steep drop in their gain profiles at a particular angle of incidence of the radiation that they detect.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A method of automated tracking and filming of an object, said method comprising:
 providing a beacon that emits a signal, the beacon associated with the object;   providing a first tracking mechanism equipped with a camera at a first location, wherein the first tracking mechanism comprises a first wide angle antenna and a second wide angle antenna, and the first and second wide angle antennas detect signal emitted by the beacon and the first and second wide angle antennas are paired, and the first tracking mechanism also comprises a microcontroller that compares intensities of signal detected by the first and second wide angle antennas and causes the tracking mechanism to turn such that any difference between the detected signal intensities is diminished;   recording and saving the pointing direction of the camera when the difference between the detected signal intensities is substantially zero; and   recording footage of the object.   
     
     
         2 ) The method of automated tracking and filming of an object of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 providing a multiplicity of tracking mechanisms, located at a multiplicity of different locations, each of the multiplicity of tracking mechanisms are substantially identical to the first tracking mechanism, including having a camera, and the distances and directions between the multiplicity of locations are known; 
 operating the multiplicity of tracking mechanisms substantially similar to the first tracking mechanism including recording and saving the directions of the cameras when the differences between the detected signal intensities on their paired antennas are substantially zero; 
 using the directions of the cameras combined with the known distances and directions between the multiplicity of locations to calculate locations of the object, and 
 recording footage of the object with the cameras. 
 
     
     
         3 ) The method of automated tracking and filming of an object of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 using circularly polarized radiation to carry the signal emitted by the beacon; and   detecting the circularly polarized radiation using patch antennas designed to detect circularly polarized radiation.   
     
     
         4 ) The method of automated tracking and filming of an object of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of starting and stopping video recording and taking still photographs using a remote control. 
     
     
         5 ) The method of automated tracking and filming of an object of  claim 2 , further comprising the steps of:
 using image recognition software to analyze the recorded footage of the object;   using machine learning strategies to improve image recognition of the object; and   tracking the object using the improved image recognition.