GB2275801A

GB2275801A - Camera control system

Info

Publication number: GB2275801A
Application number: GB9404033A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bong-Goo Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Aerospace Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Hanwha Aerospace Co Ltd
Priority date: 1993-03-03
Filing date: 1994-03-02
Publication date: 1994-09-07
Also published as: GB9404033D0; CA2116807A1; JPH077649A; KR940023187A

Abstract

A control system for controlling a camera includes a transmitter 5 for providing a plurality of function signals, respective control functions of the camera, a signal transmission path, for serially transmitting any of the plurality of function signals, and a receiver 7 for executing the control function of the camera in accordance with the transmitted function signal. A plurality of cameras may be controlled selectively over the same path by including a camera selection signal in the transmitted signal. <IMAGE>

Description

CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING A CAMERA AND METHOD THEREOF BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of The Invention The present invention relates generally to a control system for controlling a camera and method thereof, and more particularly to a control system for controlling one or more video cameras.

B. Description of Related Art Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a control system utilized for a conventional video camera. Referring to Fig. 1, the control system includes a transmitter 1 and a receiver 2. The transmitter 1 includes a switch block 11 with a plurality of switches each switch producing a signal corresponding to a respective control function of the camera, and a transmitting block 12 connected to an output terminal of the switch block 11 for transmitting the signal to the receiver 2 through a respective transmission line (i.e., wire). For example, for zooming control such as telephoto and wide angle zooming functions, and focus adjustment control such as near and far functions, "tele", "wide", "near", and "far" wires are individually provided in parallel to one another to transmit respective signals from the transmitter 1.

The receiver 2 includes a receiving block 2 connected to the transmission lines and a motor driving block 2 connected to an output terminal of the receiving block 21. The motor driving block 32 includes a zooming adjustment motor M1 associated with the "tele" and "wide" control functions and a focus adjusting motor M2 associated with the "near" and "far" control functions.

The operation of the "wire"control system of Fig. 1 is described as follows. To provide a control associated with zooming or focus adjustment of the video camera, the user of the system presses a switch in the switch block 11 in the transmitter 1 corresponding to a selected control function. The switch block 11 produces a signal in that the signal corresponding to the selected control.

function is set to a "high" state and the signals corresponding to the non-selected functions to a "low" state.

After processing the signal produced from the switch block 11, the transmitting block 12 transmits the signal to the receiver 2 through a respective one of the transmission (wire) lines (i.e., tele, wide, near and far transmission lines as shown in Figure 1) to provide the selected control function associated with focus adjustment, zooming and so forth of the camera.

The transmitted signal is provided to the receiving block 21 of the receiver 2 in the video camera to be controlled. The receiving block 31 processes the transmitted signal from each transmission line, and pass the processed control information on to the motor driving block 22 via a signal line corresponding to each of the processed signals.

For example, if the user activates a switch in the switch block 11 corresponding to a "wide" angle zooming control function, the switch block 11 sets only the signal corresponding to the wide angle zooming control function to the high state, and all the other control function signals to the low state. This causes the motor driving block 2 to activate the zooming adjustment motor Ml to a wide angle position. This is because among the transmitted signals only the signal corresponding to the wide control function is set high, and the signals corresponding the other control functions are set low.

The conventional wire control system described above has drawbacks in that the signal corresponding to each control function of the camera must be transmitted through a different transmission wire. Therefore, when the number of control functions of the camera increases, the number of transmission wires correspondingly increases, increasing the cost of manufacture. Further, in the conventional system, the number of cameras to be controlled by a single transmitter is limited to one.

Therefore, when a plurality of video cameras need be controlled, each video camera must provide a control system of its own, complicating installation and increasing overall costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to overcome the problems and disadvantages of the conventional system. To achieve this and other objects the control system for controlling a camera of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, includes transmitter means including means for providing a plurality of function signals, each function signal representing a respective one of a plurality of control functions of the camera, channel means for transmitting the plurality of function signals serially on a single signal transmission path, and receiver means for executing the control function of the camera in accordance with a transmitted plurality of function signals.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the control system for controlling a plurality of cameras, includes transmitter means including means for providing a plurality of function signals, each function signal representing a respective one of control functions of the camera and means for providing a selection signal representing a selected one of the plurality of cameras, channel means for transmitting the plurality of function signals and the selection signal serially on a single signal transmission path, and receiver means for executing the control function of the selected camera in accordance with a transmitted plurality of function signals and selection signal.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the method for controlling a plurality of video cameras includes providing a selection signal representing a selected one of the plurality of cameras to be controlled and a function signal representing a selected control function of the video camera to be executed, serially transmitting the selection signal and the function signal on a communication channel, and producing a control signal to execute the selected control function of the selected camera in response to the transmitted selection and function signals.

The objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram of a control system adapted for a conventional video camera.

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a control system for controlling one or more cameras according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a flow chart representing the operational flow of the transmitting portion of the system of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a flow chart representing the operational flow of the receiving portion of the system of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a timing chart associated with the operation of system of Figure 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Figure 2, the control system of the present invention, as embodied herein, can be adapted to one or more cameras. For the purpose of illustration, the control system of the present invention embodied herein is adapted to a plurality of cameras (1, ..., n).

The camera may preferably include a video camera. The control system, as embodied herein, includes a transmitter 5 and a receiver 7. Each camera includes a receiver 7 (these receivers referred to as 1, ..., n in Figure 2 corresponding to the cameras 1, ..., n to be controlled by the transmitter 5, respectively.).

The transmitter 5 includes a first switch block 51 and a transmitting micro controller 52 connected to the output terminal of the first switch block 51. The receiver 7 includes a receiving micro controller 71, a motor driving block 72 connected to the output terminal of the receiving micro controller 71, and a second switch block 73. A "strobe" transmission path for transmitting a "start" signal, a "sync" path for a synchronizing signal, and a "data" path for an information signal are provided between the transmitter 5 and receiver 7. Each transmission path can be a wire or wireless transmission.

line. For the purpose of illustration, a wire transmission line is assumed. The motor driving block 72 of the receiver 7 is provided with a zooming adjustment motor M1 connected to an output terminal of the motor driving block 72 and a focus adjustment motor M2.

Referring to Figure 3, the control method for the transmitting portion of the wire control system for controlling a plurality of cameras includes initiating (Step 100), sensing the switch in the first switch block 51 (Step 110), determining whether input is made to the first switch block 51, that is, whether any switch, which corresponds to a camera control function or a camera selection, is activated (Step 120), transmitting a "start" signal representing that there is information to be transmitted when it is determined that input is made to the first switch block 51 (Step 130), processing the information representing camera selection and or control function provided by the first switch block 51 (Step 140), transmitting a information signal representing the processed information along with a synchronizing signal (Step 150), and determining when the information transmission to be terminated (Step 160).

Referring to Figure 4, a control method for the receiving portion of the control system for controlling a plurality of video cameras includes initiating (Step 200), sensing the second switch block 73 to detect a receiver number representing the camera associated with the receiver 7 (Step 210), checking whether the start signal is transmitted (Step 220), monitoring whether the start signal is received (Step 230), detecting the transmitted synchronizing signal and information signal when the start signal is received (Step 240), determining whether the camera selection information from the detected information signal corresponds to the receiver number detected from the second switch block 73 (Step 250), and carrying out the control function by activating the motor driving block 72 according to the received control function information contained in the received information signal when the received camera selection signal matches the receiver number (Step 260).

More specifically, the operation of the control system of the present invention, as embodied hereinabove, is as follows. A plurality of cameras are collectively connected to a single transmitter 5. After power is applied, if the user wants to control a specified one of these cameras, the user activates a switch in the first switch block 51 corresponding to the receiver in the specified camera, and activates a switch corresponding to a specific control function to be executed such as zooming, focus adjusting, and so forth of the camera.

The first switch block 51 produces a signal representing the selected receiver and a signal representing the selected control function, and provide these signals to.

the transmitting micro controller 52 in the transmitter 5.

The transmitting micro controller 52 first determines whether any of the switch in the first switch block 51 has been activated, that is, whether the first switch block 51 has produced a signal representing the activation of a switch. If it is determined that the switch has been activated (Step 120 in figure 3), the transmitting microcontroller 52 detects a transition from the high state to the low state of the start signal (See (a) in Figure 5), and transmits to the receiver 7 through the "strobe" transmission path the start signal with the low state representing that there exists information to.

be transmitted (Step 130). If it is determined that no switch has been activated in the first switch block 51, the transmitting micro controller 52 stands idle continuously checking the first switch block 51.

After informing the receiver 7 that there is information to be transmitted by transmitting the start signal having the low state to the receiver 7, the transmitting micro controller 52 provides information representing the receiver selection and the control function selection in bit information form. (Step 140).

Such bit information (See (c) in Figure 5) in a signal form is transmitted along with the synchronizing signal (See (b) in Figure 5) to the receiver 7. The synchronizing signal is transmitted through the "sync" and the information signal through the "data" transmission path to the receiver 7 (Step 150).

Here, for example, the control signal can be transmitted through a single line, instead of the "strobe", the "sync" and the "data" transmission paths (See (b) in Figure 2). That is, after the stobe signal (a) is transmitted, the data signal (c) along with the synchronizing signal (b) can be transmitted (See (d) in Figure 5).

More specifically, the transmitting micro controller 52 transmits the receiver selection and the synchronizing signal together, and then transmits the information signal representing the selected control function. The transmitting micro controller 52 determines whether the transmission of the information signal is completed (Step 160). If it is completed, the transmitting micro controller 52 monitors whether the switch in the first switch block 51 has been activated, and if it is not completed, it repeats the above step of providing information signals representing the receiver selection and the control function selected.

The information signal transmitted from the transmitter 5 is provided to the receiving micro controller 71 of the first receiver 7. After detecting the receiver number from the second switch block 73, the receiving micro controller 71 determines whether the start signal is transmitted from the transmitter 5 (Steps 200 - 230).

The receiving micro controller 71 prepares to receive the information signal when the start signal having the low state is detected through the "strobe" transmission path. If the start signal having the low state is not detected, the receiving micro controller 71 checks the content of the second switch block 73 again.

After receiving the start signal having the low state and getting ready to receive the information signal from the transmitter 5, when the synchronizing signal transmitted through the "sync" transmission path has a high state, the receiving micro controller 71 reads the information signal representing the receiver selectionsignal and then the information representing the control.

function selected that has been received most recently (Step 240).

The receiving micro controller 71 compares the receiver selection information from the transmitter 5 with the receiver number from the second switch block 73 of the receiver 7 (Step 250). If the receiver selectioninformation does not match the receiver number, the receiving micro controller 71 reads again the content of the second switch block 73. If the receiver selection information matches the receiver number, the receiving micro controller 71 activates the motor driving block 72 according to the selected control function.

When the information signal representing the selected control function representing zooming of camera to a wide angle position, the motor driving block 72 activates the zooming adjustment motor Ml to such a wide angle position.

As described above, the control system of the present invention has an advantage in that the number of transmission paths may remain constant even when the number of cameras (or receivers) connected to the transmitter of the control system increases, resulting in significant cost savings. Further, since the information representing the selection of the receiver and the control function to be executed can be provided as bit information, such bit information can be transmitted serially by using only one transmission path, reducing the number of transmission paths required. Yet further,.

since a particular camera (or receiver) to be controlled can be designated by activating a switch in the transmitter, a plurality of receivers can be controlled by using only a single transmitter.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to the skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

CLAIM5

1. A control system for controlling a plurality of cameras, comprising: transmitter means for providing a selection signal representing a selected one of said plurality of cameras to be controlled and a function signal representing d selected control function of the video camera to be executed; channel means for serially transmitting said selection signal and said function signal; and receiver means for producing a control signal to execute the selected control function of the selected camera in response to a transmitted selection and function signals.

2. The control system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means includes switch means for manually selecting by the user of the system one of said plurality of cameras to be controlled and one of a plurality of control functions of the camera to be executed.

3. The control system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means includes means for detecting whether said switch means has been activated and means for activating said channel means based on the result of the detection.

4. The control system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter means include means for producing a bit information signal corresponding to each of the selection signal and the control function signal before being transmitted.

5. The control system of claim 1, wherein said receiver means further includes means for storing an identity information representing said selected camera to be controlled.

6. The control system of claim 5, wherein said receiver means includes means for comparing the content of said selection signal with said identify information, and means for producing said control signal based on the result of the comparison.

7. A method for controlling a plurality of cameras, comprising: providing a selection signal representing a selected one of said plurality of cameras to be controlled and a function signal representing a selected control function of the video camera to be executed; serially transmitting said selection signal and said function signal on a communication channel; and producing a control signal to execute the selected control function of the selected camera in response to said transmitted selection and function signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection signal providing step includes manually selecting said camera to be controlled and said control function of the camera to be executed.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection signal providing step include producing a bit information signal corresponding to each of the selection signal and the control function signal before being serially transmitted.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said control signal producing step includes storing an identity information representing said selected camera to be controlled, comparing the content of said selection signal with said identity information; and executing the selected control function based on the result of the comparison.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said selection signal providing step includes detecting whether said camera and control function selection has been made and transmitting said select-ion and function signals based on the result of the detection.

12. A control system for controlling a camera, comprising: transmitter means including means for providing a plurality of function signals, each function signal representing a respective one of a plurality of control functions of the camera; channel means for transmitting said plurality of function signals serially on a single signal transmission path; and receiver means for executing the control function of the camera in accordance with a transmitted plurality of function signals.

13. A control system for controlling a plurality of cameras, comprising: transmitter means including means for providing a.

plurality of function signals, each function signal representing a respective one of control functions of the camera and means for providing a selection signal representing a selected one of said plurality of cameras; channel means for transmitting said plurality of function signals and said selection signal serially on a single signal transmission path; and receiver means for executing the control function of the selected camera in accordance with a transmitted plurality of function signals and selection signal.

14. The control system of claim 12, wherein said transmitter means further includes switching means for manually selecting by the user of the system one of said plurality of control functions to be executed.

15. The control system of claim 13, wherein said transmitter means further includes switching means for selecting by the user of the system one of said plurality of cameras to be controlled and one of said plurality of control functions to be executed.

16. The control system of claim 13, wherein said receiver means is integral in said selected one of said plurality of cameras.

17. The control system of claim 13, wherein said receiving means includes means for storing an identity information representing said selected camera and means for determining whether said transmitted selection signal corresponds to said identity information.

18. The control system of claim 17, wherein said receiver means includes means for executing the control function of the result of the camera based on the determination.