GB2339925A

GB2339925A - Camera with housing mounted on pole

Info

Publication number: GB2339925A
Application number: GB9910596A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Mercer
Original assignee: MARK MERCER ELECTRONICS LIMITE
Current assignee: MARK MERCER ELECTRONICS LIMITE
Priority date: 1998-05-08
Filing date: 1999-05-07
Publication date: 2000-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 2019-05-07
Also published as: GB2339925B; GB9910596D0; GB9809689D0

Description

2339925 CAMERA MOUNTING APPARATUS The present invention relates in general

to a camera mounting apparatus for mounting a camera to a support pole.

A preferred application of the present invention relates to the field of surveillance cameras such as for security or other purposes. Here, it is desired to mount a surveillance camera in a position having a good field of view and where the camera itself is not readily accessible. Typically, a surveillance camera is mounted to the side a building, or on a freestanding support pole. It is desired to mount the camera within an outer housing which protects the camera from assault by thrown objects and reduces exposure of the camera to natural elements. To this- end it is known to mount a camera within a dome housing, which is typically hemispherical or spherical in shape. Further, it is desired to obscure the movements of a camera within the housing from the view of a casual observer and suitably the dome is semi-transparent or has a reflective coating.

In order to maintain a wide field of view, the camera is typically suspended from a support arrangement, and the dome housing suspended around the camera. One example of a prior art support arrangement is a swan-necked support as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A substantially U-shaped support arm is provided having one end located at the top of. a support pole, and the other end for supporting the camera and the dome housing. However, as shown in Figure 2 the support pole, being relatively close to the camera, blocks a significant portion of the potential field of view of the camera. In a typical situation, the vertical pole blocks around 36' of the field of view, i.e. 10% of a potential 360' field of view. This leads to a significant blind spot and, for example in a town centre surveillance system, such a blind spot significantly affects the ability of the 5 camera to continuously follow a moving subject.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a camera mounting apparatus which addresses at least some of the problems discussed above. It is an aim of preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a camera mounting apparatus for mounting a camera to a support pole minimising and preferably avoiding any blind spot in the desired field of view.

According to the present invention there is provided a camera mounting apparatus for mounting a camera to a support pole, comprising housing support means for supporting a housing around a came-ra, the housing being arranged at one end of a generally linear support pole.

Preferably, the support pole is received substantially centrally with respect to the camera mounting apparatus. That is, the camera mounting apparatus is locatable along the longitudinal axis of the support pole, directly adjacent one end of the support pole.

Preferably, the housing extends to substantially enclose the camera mounting apparatus. The housing may take any suitable form, but is preferably spherical. Preferably, the housing is supported centrally above the support pole. Preferably, the spherical dome housing is supported such that an axis of rotational symmetry of the dome housing is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the support pole.

Preferably, the housing extends from above the means for supporting the camera down to the means for receiving the pole. Ideally, a spherical dome housing is provided with a central axial aperture in a lower portion thereof for receiving the support pole. Preferably, the housing is fixedly mounted with respect to the means for receiving the pole. In use, the housing is preferably supported so as to inhibit rotation thereof with respect to the support pole.

Preferably, the camera mounting apparatus comprises a pan arrangement for performing a pan movement of the camera in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support pole and about a pan axis coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the support pole.

Preferably, the pan arrangement comprises a lower bearing provided between the camera support and the pole, such that the camera is arranged to rotate in a substantially horizontal plane supported by the lower bearing. Pan rotation may occur over any desired range although preferably a complete 360' pan movement is provided.

Preferably, the housing comprises plastics material such as ABS, and preferably is at least partially transparent in a lower portion thereof corresponding to a field of view of the camera.

Preferably, the camera support means comprises a tilt arrangement for performing a tilt movement of the camera. The tilt movement is preferably performed in a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support pole about a tilt axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, and the 4 plane of the tilt movement is suitably offset from the longitudinal axis of the support pole. Preferably the tilt movement is in a substantially vertical plane and ideally such that the camera may look along the support pole, suitably vertically downward. The tilt movement may occur over any suitable range, preferably 900.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how embodiments of the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show a prior art swan-necked support arrangement;

Figure 3 is a sectional side view of a first preferred embodiment of a camera mounting apparatus; Figure 4 is a second sectional side view of the camera mounting apparatus of Figure 3; Figure 5 shows a sectional side view of a second preferred embodiment of a camera mounting apparatus; Figure 6 is a sectional plan view of the camera mounting apparatus of Figure 5; and Figure 7 is a second sectional side view of the camera mounting apparatus of Figure 5.

A first preferred embodiment of the camera mounting apparatus is shown in Figures 3 and 4. To provide a wide field of view and to place the camera out of reach of passers by, the camera mounting apparatus is suitably mounted to a vertical support pole 1 of similar design and dimensions to a lamp post. However, any suitable type of support pole may be used and the support pole may be mounted in any suitable orientation. Most commonly a substantially vertical orientation is preferred, giving a generally downwardly directed field of view. As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment the field of view is generally hemi-spherical.

Referring to Figure 3, a camera unit 50 is shown mounted within a dome housing 20 at the top of a support pole 1. The dome housing 20 is mounted substantially centrally to the pole 1. Advantageously, such position gives an attractive overall appearance to the surveillance camera, and minimises visual impact.

The lower portion 21 of the dome housing 20 is transparent or semitransparent over a range corresponding to the field of view of the 'Camera 50. The camera is shown in a horizontal position 50a and, in dotted lines, in a vertical position SOb. A tilt arrangement is provided for moving the camera between these two positions. A pan arrangement is provided for rotating the camera in a horizontal plane about a pan axis which is preferably co-axial with the longitudinal axis of the support pole 1.

A camera support arrangement 30 is provided between a lower bearing 31 and an upper bearing 32. The bearings 31 and 32 allow the support arrangement 30 to rotate with respect to the support pole 1 and the dome housing 20, in order to achieve the desired pan motion.

6 As shown in Figure 3, the vertical axis of rotational symmetry of the generally spherical dome housing 20 is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the support pole 1.

The dome housing 20 comprises a cap portion 23 having support means 24 coupled to the upper bearing 32, a substantially opaque upper hemispherical portion 22 and a transparent lower portion 21. The lower portion 21 extends to the vertical pole 1 and is coupled thereto by an annular ring 10, preferably non-rotatably. Advantageously, the dome 20 is of relatively lightweight construction and is required to have only minimal structural strength. Suitably, the dome is plastics material such as ABS. The dome does however provide a stationary reaction force through bearing 32 enabling rotation of the camera support 30. Conveniently, a pan motor is held within the cap portion 23 of the dome housing 20 for rotating the camera support 30 in a pan notion.

Referring now to Figure 4, the camera support 30 of the first preferred embodiment will now be described in more detail.

The camera support 30 comprises a main frame 45 having a top portion and a bottom portion connected to the upper and lower bearings 32 and 31 respectively, and two parallel side panels. The frame 45 suitably defines a space for movement of the camera 50.

In use the camera 50 is coupled to a camera tray 47. The tray 47 is pivotable about a pivot axis 48 by means of a tilt arrangement. The tilt arrangement operates to tilt the camera 50 about the pivot axis 48, which is offset from the longitudinal axis of the vertical pole 1. In the illustrated embodiment the tilt arrangement comprises a connecting rod 46 coupled to a tension wheel 41 via a crank 49. The wheel 41 is driven by a tilt motor (not shown) thereby moving the camera tray 47 between a substantially horizontal position (as shown with dotted lines shown in Figure 4) to a substantially vertical position (as shown with dotted lines in Figure 3).

Movement of the wheel 41 is assisted by a counterpoise spring means 43, suitably a tension spring. The tension spring 43 is coupled to the wheel 41 by a tension cable 42. The tension of the spring 43 is altered by appropriately positioning the spring on a tension adjustment plate 44, which is conveniently coupled to or formed integral with one side of the main frame 45.

As the camera 50 returns from the vertical position toward the horizontal position, the tension spring 43 is stretched to counteract the weight of the camera 50. Therefore, a relatively small tilt motor can be used to minimise the overall size, weight and cost of the camera mounting apparatus.

In the vertical position shown by camera 50b in Figure 3, the camera 50 looks directly down the support pole 1, due to the offset position of the tilt pivot point 48. By panning the camera in this vertical tilt position, the camera may look down any point of the pole. Therefore, there is no blind spot in the desired field of view.

A second preferred embodiment of the camera mounting apparatus will now be described with reference to Figures 5, 6 and 7. Like or equivalent components have been given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Referring firstly to Figure 5, a camera 50 is shown within a dome housing 20 at the top of a support pole 1. The dome housing is coupled to the support pole 1 at a lower fixing point 26 which suitably holds the dome 20 non-rotatably with respect to the pole.

The camera support arrangement 30 comprises a pan arrangement 60 and a tilt arrangement 70 for operatively moving the camera 50 in pan and tilt motions over the desired field of view which in this example corresponds to a transparent lower portion 21 of the dome 20.

The pan arrangement 60 comprises a,pan gear 61 fixedly located with respect to the support pole 1 and/or the dome housing 20. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the support pole 1 extends into the dome housing 20 at least as far as the pan arrangement 60 to support the pan gear 61. Further, in the illustrated embodiment the pole 61 extends all the way through the housing 20 to an upper dome fixing point 25.

The pan arrangement 60 comprises a pan motor 62 operatively engaging the pan gear 61. The pan motor 62 is carried by a pan support frame 63 rotatably coupled via a bearing 64 to the support pole 1 which acts as a common shaft between the pan gear 61 and the bearing 64. In use, driving the pan motor 62 in cooperation with the pan gear 61 causes rotation of the pan support frame 63.

The tilt arrangement 70 comprises a camera support tray 71 for receiving the camera 50. The tray 71 is coupled to a tilt gear 72 that co-operates with a tilt motor 73. As shown in Figure 6 the tilt motor is conveniently mounted on the pan support frame 63 and in this embodiment the tilt motor 73 and the tilt gear 72 are coupled by a tilt timing belt 74 or equivalent.

The components of the second preferred embodiment are further illustrated in Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 shows that the tilt pivot axis 48 is offset from the longitudinal axis of the support pole 1, enabling the camera 50 in use to look directly down the support pole 1 and avoiding any blind spot in the desired field of view.

The camera mounting apparatus described herein has a number of advantages. Namely, the dome housing is mounted substantially centrally above the support pole, giving an attractive appearance. The need for a separate swan-necked support arm is eliminated, thereby saving costs. Further, the camera is mounted so as to avoid any blind spot in the desired field of view. The apparatus has a compact and lightweight overall structure. Conveniently, the dome requires minimal structural strength but can suitably provide a reaction force for a panning arrangement.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which are filed concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this application and which are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all such papers and documents are incorporated herein by reference.

All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except

S combinations where at least some of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

The invention is not restricted to the details of the foregoing embodiment(s). The invention extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

Claims

1. A camera mounting apparatus for mounting a camera to a support pole, comprising:

housing support means for supporting a housing around a camera, arranged at one end of a generally linear support pole.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for receiving a generally vertical support pole such that the housing is supported above the support pole.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the support pole is received substantially centrally with respect to the camera mounting apparatus.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the housing is supported substantially centrally with respect to the support pole.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, comprising a tilt arrangement for performing a tilt movement of the camera.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the tilt movement is performed in a plane parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support pole about a tilt axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6, wherein the plane of the tilt movement is offset from the longitudinal axis of the support pole.

8. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 7, wherein the tilt arrangement in use enables the camera to look along the support pole.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 8, comprising a pan arrangement for performing a pan movement in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the support pole.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the pan arrangement performs a pan movement about a pan axis coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the support pole.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 10 wherein the tilt arrangement comprises a tilt gear cooperating with a tilt motor.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein the tilt arrangement comprises an intermediate link between the tilt gear and the tilt motor.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 or 10 wherein the pan arrangement comprises a pan gear co-operating with a pan motor.

14. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 13 wherein the tilt arrangement and the pan arrangement form a combined pan and tilt arrangement.

15. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 14, wherein the housing is supported in use to enclose the camera.

13 -

16. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 15 wherein the housing in use surrounds the tilt arrangement.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 to 16 wherein the housing in use surrounds the pan arrangement.

18. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the housing is supported in use such that an axis of rotational symmetry thereof is coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the support pole.

19. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 18 wherein the housing is substantially spherical.

20. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 2 to 19, wherein the camera in use is arranged with a generally downwardly directed field of view.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 20, wherein the camera in use looks through the housing.

22. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 9 to 21, wherein the pan movement is made through substantially 3600.

23. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 5 to 22, wherein the tilt movement is made through substantially 0

24. A camera mounting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.

25. A camera mounting apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 5 to 7 of the accompanying drawings.