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, the method comprising:
 emitting a signal via a beacon that is associated with the object;   detecting the signal via a first tracking mechanism at a first location,
 the first tracking mechanism comprising:
 a first wide angle antenna, 
 a second wide angle antenna, 
 a camera, and 
 a microcontroller, and 
 
 the signal is detected by each of the first wide angle antenna and the second wide angle antenna; 
   comparing, via the microcontroller, an intensity of the signal detected by the first wide angle antenna and an intensity of the signal detected by the second wide angle antenna; and   controlling, via the microcontroller, the first tracking mechanism to turn the first tracking mechanism such that a difference between the intensity of the signal detected by the first wide angle antenna and the intensity of the signal detected by the second wide angle antenna is diminished;   recording and saving a pointing direction of the camera based on the difference, between the intensity of the signal detected by the first wide angle antenna and the intensity of the signal detected by the second wide angle antenna, being substantially zero; and   recording footage of the object via the camera.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating a plurality of tracking mechanisms based on control of the first tracking mechanism, wherein the plurality of tracking mechanisms include a plurality of cameras;   recording and saving pointing directions of the plurality of cameras, wherein
 each of the plurality of tracking mechanisms is located at a different location, 
 distances between the plurality of different locations are pre-defined, 
 directions between the plurality of different locations are pre-defined, 
 each of the plurality of tracking mechanisms is substantially similar to the first tracking mechanism, 
 the pointing directions are recorded and saved based on a difference, between signal intensities detected by antennas of the plurality of tracking mechanisms, being substantially zero; 
   calculating locations of the object based on:
 the pointing directions, 
 the distances between the plurality of different locations, and 
 the directions between the plurality of different locations; and 
   recording footage of the object via the plurality of cameras.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, based on a circularly polarized radiation, the signal emitted by the beacon; and   detecting the circularly polarized radiation based on patch antennas that correspond to the first wide angle antenna and the second wide angle antenna.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 starting or stopping a video recording process; and   capturing still photographs based on a remote control.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 analyzing the recorded footage of the object by executing an image recognition software;   executing image recognition of the object based on machine learning methods; and   tracking the object based on the execution of the image recognition of the object.