Method of automatically tracking and photographing celestial objects, and camera employing this method
US9509920B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 27, 2011 |
| Grant date | Nov 29, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N23/61
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of automatically tracking and photographing celestial objects which captures a still image of a celestial object(s) where each celestial object appears stationary simply by making an exposure with a camera directed toward an arbitrary-selected celestial object and fixed with respect to the ground and without using an equatorial, and also a camera that employs this method. The method includes inputting latitude information at a photographic site, photographing azimuth angle information, photographing elevation angle information, attitude information of a photographic apparatus and focal length information of a photographing optical system; calculating movement amounts of the celestial object image relative to the photographic apparatus, for fixing the celestial object image with respect to the predetermined imaging area of an image pickup device, using all of the input information; and obtaining a photographic image by moving at least one of the predetermined imaging area and the celestial object image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.