JP2000050245A - Underwater photographing device, and underwater photographing and recording system for swimming race using the underwater photographing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an underwater photographing device that is no hindrance to swimmers and the underwater photographing and recording system, that can easily discriminate a touch or a relay transfer. SOLUTION: This system has underwater camera heads 3a-3h of a waterproof structure and a camera controller 6 installed on the ground, and also the underwater photographing device, ground cameras 9a, 9b that photograph leaving states of legs of swimmers from start stands, a display device 12 that displays images from the underwater camera heads and the ground cameras, and an image recorder 11, and the part of the camera head to be sunk in water is minimized and a clear touch image is obtained from the underwater, and a leaving state of legs from the start stand required for discriminating propriety of a relay transfer can be also photographed at the some time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an underwater photographing apparatus and an underwater photographing recording system for swimming using the underwater photographing apparatus. It belongs to the technical field of capturing an image of an object such as a finger or a toe of each competitor from underwater.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 11 shows a high-speed video photographing system conventionally used for judging the ranking of a swimming competition and determining whether to take over a relay. In the same figure, a pole 102 having a height of 4 to 5 m is set up near the start table 101, and a video camera 103 is attached to the tip of the pole 102. When the video camera 103 allows a swimmer to finish, the pole 102 is placed on the end wall of the swimming pool. An image of a hand touch on the installed touch plate 104 is captured. In the relay competition, the previous swimmer touches the touch panel 10
4 and an image at the moment when the foot separates from the start table 101 when the next swimmer jumps in.

[0003] These images are synchronized with timing information of a timing circuit (not shown) activated by a signal from a start device such as a start pistol (not shown), for example, 100 times.
Photographs are taken every 1 / second and recorded in a recording device (not shown). The competition operator appropriately reproduces these recorded images to determine the goal time of each swimmer and the quality of the relay takeover.

[0004] In addition to the underwater photographing apparatus used in the above-mentioned competition management, for example, a system for photographing an underwater image for the purpose of analyzing underwater movement in order to improve a swimmer's competitiveness, There is a system for photographing a specific lane from underwater for TV broadcasting.

[0005]

Since most swimmers touch the underwater part of the touch panel at the time of goal, the method of shooting with a video camera attached to a pole hides the image of the fingertip in the It was difficult to judge at the moment. In particular, in the case of a swimming style in which the water surface is hit like a freestyle or a butterfly, the effect of the splash was remarkable.

[0006] In addition, when taking over the relay, since the touch of the previous swimmer and the separation of the foot of the next swimmer are simultaneously photographed by one video camera, the touch of the previous swimmer is hidden by a part of the body of the next swimmer. Judgment sometimes became difficult. Furthermore, since the camera for motion analysis and TV broadcasting is a large-scale system, there is a problem that a great deal of cost is required for the configuration of a system that uniformly captures images of all eight lanes and appropriately reproduces the images.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to an underwater photographing device which is a waterproof structure and which is installed underwater as a underwater photographing device, and which is electrically connected to the underwater camera head. It has a configuration having a camera control device connected thereto. According to this configuration, the camera head portion submerged in the water can be configured to be a minimum, so that it does not hinder the swimmer. Further, since the underwater camera head can be arranged in close contact with the end wall of the pool, it is possible to clearly capture the moment when the fingertip comes into contact with the touch plate.

Further, as an underwater photographing apparatus, an underwater camera head which has a waterproof structure and is installed underwater, and a reflecting mirror is arranged on a lens optical axis of the underwater camera head.
With this configuration, it is possible to photograph two adjacent lanes with one underwater camera. Therefore, when a system is constructed using this underwater photographing device, the scale of the entire system can be minimized, and the system can be provided at a relatively low price.

Further, as a swimming underwater photographing recording system using the underwater photographing device as described above, a plurality of swimming underwater recording systems for photographing a touch of a swimmer's finger on the swimming pool wall surface are provided. An underwater camera head, a camera controller electrically connected to the plurality of underwater camera heads, and electrically connected to the camera controller,
A ground camera for photographing the state of the foot's separation from the end of the start platform when the swimmer jumps from the start platform, a display device for displaying images taken by the plurality of underwater camera heads and the ground camera, and a plurality of An underwater camera head and an image recording device for recording an image captured by a ground camera were provided. With this configuration, a clear touch image can be obtained from underwater, and at the same time, it is possible to simultaneously photograph the degree of separation of the foot from the start base required for determining the success or failure of relay takeover.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention has a waterproof structure and includes an underwater camera head installed underwater and a camera control device electrically connected to the underwater camera head. In addition, an underwater camera relay unit is provided between the underwater camera head and the camera control device,
The underwater camera relay unit includes a signal relay unit for transferring an image signal from an image pickup device built in the underwater camera head to a camera control device, and a power supply unit for supplying DC low voltage power to the image pickup device. It is also possible to provide a configuration provided.

[0011] The underwater photographing apparatus configured as described above,
The camera head to be immersed in the water can be minimized so that it does not hinder the swimmer. Further, since the underwater camera head is small, it can be disposed in close contact with the end wall of the pool, so that the moment when the fingertip contacts the touch plate can be clearly grasped. As an underwater photographing device, an underwater camera head having a waterproof structure and installed underwater, and a reflecting mirror disposed on the optical axis of the lens of the underwater camera head were adopted.

The reflecting mirror uses a convex mirror to enlarge the angle of view. Alternatively, the reflecting mirror may form part of an aspherical surface having a partially different curvature so that the peripheral portion of the screen is not too small and the vicinity of the center of the most frequently touched touch plate is relatively large. You may comprise. Alternatively, the reflecting mirror may be configured such that a part thereof is a concave portion so as to enlarge the vicinity of the center of the touch plate or the traveling direction of the swimmer.

[0013] The underwater photographing apparatus configured as described above,
It is possible to photograph two adjacent lanes with one underwater camera. Further, identification of a local positional relationship such as the moment of contact between the touch plate to be determined and the fingertip, or the moment of separation of the foot from the start base, is further clarified. Therefore, when a system is constructed using this underwater photographing apparatus, the scale of the entire system can be minimized, and a system that is relatively inexpensive and that can easily determine a touch can be provided.

Further, as a swimming underwater photographing recording system using the underwater photographing apparatus as described above, a plurality of swimming underwater recording systems are installed underwater in a waterproof structure to photograph a touch of a swimmer's finger on the swimming pool wall surface. An underwater camera head, a plurality of underwater camera relay units electrically connected to the plurality of underwater camera heads and installed on the ground, a camera control device electrically connected to the plurality of underwater camera relay units, Electrically connected to the camera control device,
A ground camera for photographing the state of the foot's separation from the end of the start platform when the swimmer jumps from the start platform, a display device for displaying images taken by the plurality of underwater camera heads and the ground camera, and a plurality of An underwater camera head and an image recording device for recording an image captured by a ground camera were provided.

A signal relay section located between the plurality of underwater camera heads and the camera control device for transferring an image signal from an image pickup device built in the underwater camera head to the camera control device; It is also possible to adopt a configuration having a plurality of underwater camera relay units including a power supply unit for supplying DC low-voltage power to the element. The underwater camera head may be installed one per lane of the swimming pool.

Alternatively, one underwater camera head may be provided for every two lanes of the swimming pool.
The ground camera is installed on the pool side on the start side, and is configured to simultaneously photograph the start base and the water above the pool end wall. The display device is configured to simultaneously display images captured by a plurality of underwater camera heads and images captured by a ground camera.

The image recording apparatus is configured so that an image photographed by a plurality of underwater camera heads and an image photographed by a ground camera are AD-converted, respectively, and recorded as digital signals on a random access recording / reproducing medium. With the system configured as described above, a clear touch image can be obtained from underwater, and at the same time, it is possible to simultaneously photograph the degree of separation of the foot from the start table, which is necessary for determining the success or failure of relay takeover.

Further, if an image of two lanes can be taken by one camera, the scale of the entire system can be minimized, and the system can be provided at relatively low cost. In addition, to simultaneously display images taken by multiple underwater camera heads and images taken by ground cameras on the display device,
This makes it very easy to judge the quality of relay takeover and to compare the order of arrival between remote lanes, which has been difficult in the past.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are views showing a state in which an underwater photographing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and a swimming underwater photographing recording system using the underwater photographing apparatus are installed in a pool, and FIG. 1 is a partial front view thereof. FIG. 2 is a plan view thereof. In FIG. 1, eight touch plates 2a to 2h are usually installed on the end wall on the start side of the pool 1. At the bottom of pool 1,
Underwater camera heads 3a to 3h are submerged almost directly below a course rope (not shown). Underwater camera head 3a
The elevation angle and the angle of view are set so that the corresponding touch plates 2a to 2h are looked up diagonally from below.
The underwater camera heads 3a to 3h have a CCD as an image pickup device.
A sensor and its peripheral circuit elements are built in, and a lens having a focal length selected to obtain an optimum angle of view is mounted. The casings of the underwater camera heads 3a to 3h are configured to have a waterproof structure by themselves.

As shown in FIG. 2, underwater camera heads 3a to 3a
3h is arranged as close as possible to the end wall on the start side of the pool 1 so that the moment when the fingertip contacts the touch plates 2a to 2h can be clearly photographed. In the figure, underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h are connected to corresponding underwater camera heads 3a to 3h via underwater camera cables 5a to 5h, respectively, and each underwater camera head 3a to 3h is connected to each CCD sensor and its peripheral circuit. Supply DC low voltage power to operate the device. The underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h are connected to the camera control device 6 via camera body cables 7a to 7h, and function as signal repeaters between the underwater camera heads 3a to 3h and the camera control device 6. I have.

With the above configuration, the touch plate 2 of each lane
Since the image of the fingertip at the time of the goal in a to 2h can be clearly captured, and the underwater camera heads 3a to 3h and the underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h are configured to be separated,
It is now possible to minimize the submerged part. Of course, even if the underwater camera heads 3a to 3h and the underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h are integrally formed, the underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h can be eliminated if they are still small enough for practical use.

The underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h
Even if the function of (1) is provided in the camera control device 6, if the attenuation of the output of the CCD sensor is still within the allowable level, the underwater camera relay units 4a to 4h can be similarly removed. Images captured by the underwater camera heads 3a to 3h are input to the image recording device 11 via the camera control device 6. The image recording apparatus 11 is configured to AD-convert each of the input image signals and record the digital signals as digital signals in a random access recording / reproducing medium, such as a semiconductor memory or a high-speed hard disk memory.

The display device 12 is composed of a CRT display or a liquid crystal display, and has an underwater camera head 3a.
To display the image taken by 3h as it is,
The image recorded in the image recording device 11 is reproduced and displayed as needed. At this time, images of all lanes can be displayed on the display device 12 at one time, and images of any two lanes can be enlarged and displayed. With this enlarged display function, it was difficult to
For example, it is possible to easily determine the order of arrival between the first lane and the eighth lane on the screen of the display device 12.

3 and 4 show the underwater camera head 3 according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view and FIG. 4 is a front view. 3 and 4, a mounting bracket 21 is fixed to a metal base plate 20 by a screw 22 at a predetermined angle. A camera flange 23 is screwed and fixed to the mounting bracket 21, and a camera back cover 24 and a lens cover 25 are fixed to the camera flange 23 via waterproof packing. The camera cable 5 is introduced into the camera flange 23 via a waterproof plug 26. The elevation angle of the underwater camera head 3 can be arbitrarily set by loosening the screw 22 and moving the mounting bracket 21. The base plate 20 is formed of a metal plate such as brass or stainless steel.
But also serves as a weight so that it does not move in the water current.

Now, the system according to the present invention not only determines the contact of the fingertip with the touch board, but also determines the success or failure of the relay competition, that is, the next swimmer's foot starts after the fingertip of the previous swimmer contacts the touch board. It is also used to determine that you are away from the platform. In this case, it is necessary to capture the moment of the next swimmer's foot separation from the start tables 8a to 8h in synchronization with the image of the touch panel by the underwater camera. Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, two ground cameras 9a and 9b are arranged on both sides of the pool, respectively.
One ground camera shoots the start platform for four lanes.

The ground cameras 9a and 9b are connected to the camera controller 6 via camera body cables 7i and 7j, and the images taken by the ground cameras 9a and 9b are synchronized with the images obtained by the underwater camera head. The image is recorded on the image recording device 11. When taking over in a relay event, it is essential for the rule that the part of the body of the previous swimmer contacts the touch board and then the next swimmer's foot separates from the start platform. And the image of the start table can be taken synchronously, and those images can be simultaneously displayed on one CRT display, so that it is very easy to determine whether relay takeover is good or not.

Further, the ground cameras 9a and 9b also capture an image when a fingertip comes into contact with the water surface of the touch panel. Most swimmers touch the underwater part of the touch panel, but in rare cases, touch the water part of the touch panel. In this case, it is difficult to confirm the state of contact with the touch panel from the underwater camera.
The touch determination in that case is facilitated by a and 9b.

5 to 7 show an embodiment in which two lanes adjacent to each other are photographed by one camera. FIG. 5 is a front view, FIG. 6 is a plan view, and FIG. 7 is a side view. It is.
The underwater camera head 31 provided with the waterproof mechanism is mounted on a camera mount 32, and the camera mount 32 has a reflecting mirror 33.
Is installed. The reflecting mirror 33 is formed so as to form a part of a substantially spherical surface in the width direction thereof, and acts to enlarge the angle of view of the underwater camera head 31 in the width direction of the touch plates 34 and 35.

Since the width of one lane of the swimming pool is 2.5 m, the width of the subject is at least two lanes, that is, 5 m or more. On the other hand, pool depth is usually 1.5-2
Since it is about m, the required angle of view is 130 degrees or more. Underwater, the angle of view of the lens is reduced due to the refractive index of water.
An angle of view of 0 to 170 degrees is required, which is close to what is called a fisheye lens. Such wide-angle (short focus) lenses are generally difficult to obtain in the market and are expensive.

The reflecting mirror 33 used in this embodiment is intended to effectively widen the angle of view of the camera by relatively simple and inexpensive means, and is slightly curved like a side mirror or a room mirror of an automobile. A convex mirror is preferred. By installing the reflecting mirror 33 in front of the underwater camera head 31, the optical axis of the camera can be rotated by approximately 90 degrees. Thereby, the optical axis of the camera is made parallel to the pool water surface 37, that is, the underwater camera head 31 is moved to the bottom 3 of the pool.
6, it is possible to set the optimal field of view and the angle of view by adjusting the position and angle of the reflection mirror 33 while keeping the mirror flat.

With this configuration, the number of underwater camera heads when configuring the system can be halved, the scale of the entire system can be reduced, and the system can be provided relatively inexpensively. Incidentally, the reflecting mirror 33 is preferably a convex mirror in order to increase the angle of view in the width direction of the touch plate, but its curvature need not be constant.

FIGS. 8 to 10 show examples of aspherical mirrors that can be used as reflecting mirrors. The object to be determined by the device of the present invention is a local positional relationship such as the moment of contact between the touch plate and the fingertip, or the moment of separation between the starter and the foot, such as a swimmer, a touch plate, or a starter. The distortion of the image of the object does not matter much. Therefore, for example, the reflecting mirror schematically shown in FIG. 8 has an aspheric surface in which the curvature of the peripheral portions 42 and 43 is larger than that of the central portion 41 of the reflecting surface 40, and the object becomes smaller at the peripheral portion of the captured screen. It is not too much. The shape shown by the dotted line in the same figure is an arc having the same curvature as the central portion 41. In this case, since the curvature continuously changes from the central portion 41 to the peripheral portions 42 and 43, the distortion of the image is hardly noticeable.

The reflecting mirror schematically shown in FIG. 9 is designed to make the vicinity of the center of the touch panel, which is most frequently touched, appear relatively large, and the exaggerated partial curvature change is shown. Things. The central portion 51 of the reflecting surface 50 is a portion targeted for the vicinity of the boundary between the two touch plates, and has a small curvature because there is no problem even if the image is relatively small. The peripheral portions 52 and 53 are portions that are located near the periphery of the two touch plates, and similarly, the curvature may be small.

On the other hand, the intermediate portions 54 and 55 shown in FIG. 3 are portions that are located near the center of each of the touch plates that are most frequently touched, and are relatively large with respect to the peripheral portion of the touch plate. The curvature is made larger than the other parts. The curvature of the intermediate portions 54 and 55 can be set to a value close to a plane to make the image distortion less noticeable. In addition, by making the intermediate portions 54 and 55 slightly concave, only the vicinity of the center of the touch plate can be enlarged and projected.

FIG. 10 shows a configuration in which the curvature of the reflecting mirror 61 in the height direction is concave so that the traveling direction of the swimmer, that is, the longitudinal direction of each lane is enlarged from the width direction. This makes it easier and clearer to identify a local positional relationship, such as the moment of contact between the touch board to be determined and the fingertip, or the moment of separation between the starter and the foot. Also in the figure, it goes without saying that the shape in the width direction of the reflecting mirror 61 is substantially a convex mirror.

FIGS. 8 to 10 show a case in which the curvature of the reflecting mirror is partially changed so as to more clearly photograph the portion to be determined. It is also possible to enlarge and display only the part to be determined.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, the camera portion submerged in the water can be minimized, so that it does not hinder the swimmer. In addition, since it can be arranged in close contact with the end wall of the pool, it is possible to clearly grasp the moment when the fingertip comes into contact with the touch panel. In addition, since information of all lanes can be displayed on one CRT display, and image information of any two channels can be enlarged and displayed for comparison, it is very easy to compare arrival orders between distant lanes, which has been difficult in the past. Becomes

[0038] Combination with a ground camera also makes it very easy to determine whether to take over a relay event. Further, by adopting a configuration in which a single camera can capture an image of two lanes, the scale of the entire system can be minimized, and the system can be provided relatively inexpensively.

Further, the configuration in which the angle of view of the underwater camera is enlarged by the reflecting mirror increases the degree of freedom of the installation position of the underwater camera head, and makes it possible to obtain an optimum judgment image.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of an underwater photographing apparatus according to the present invention and a swimming underwater photographing recording system using the underwater photographing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of an underwater photographing apparatus and a swimming underwater photographing recording system using the underwater photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing an embodiment of an underwater camera head according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing an embodiment of an underwater camera head according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing another embodiment of the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing another embodiment of the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a reflecting mirror used in the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing another embodiment of the reflector used in the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing another embodiment of the reflector used in the underwater photographing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a view showing a conventional high-speed video shooting system for swimming.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2, 2a-2h Touch plate 3, 3a-3h Underwater camera head 4a-4h Underwater camera relay unit 5, 5a-5h Underwater camera cable 6 Camera control device 8a-8h Start base 9a, 9b Ground camera 11 Image recording device 12 Display Device 31 Underwater camera head 33 Reflector 34, 35 Touch plate 61 Reflector

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An underwater photographing apparatus, comprising: an underwater camera head having a waterproof structure and installed underwater; and a camera controller electrically connected to the underwater camera head and installed on the ground. 2. An underwater camera relay unit is provided between the underwater camera head and the camera control device, and the underwater camera relay unit transmits an image signal from an image sensor incorporated in the underwater camera head to the camera control device. The underwater photographing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a signal relay unit for transferring the image data to the image pickup device; and a power supply unit for supplying DC low-voltage power to the image sensor. 3. An underwater photographing apparatus, comprising: an underwater camera head having a waterproof structure and installed underwater; and a reflecting mirror installed on a lens optical axis of the underwater camera head. 4. The underwater photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said reflecting mirror is a convex mirror. 5. The underwater photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting mirror partially constitutes a part of an aspherical surface having a different curvature. 6. The underwater photographing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the reflecting mirror is configured to partially have a concave surface. 7. A plurality of underwater camera heads, which are installed underwater in a waterproof structure and are used to photograph a touch of a swimmer's finger on the swimming pool wall surface, and are electrically connected to the plurality of underwater camera heads. A camera controller, electrically connected to the camera controller, a ground camera for photographing a situation where a swimmer's foot separates from the end of the start platform when the swimmer jumps from the start platform, and the plurality of underwater cameras A head and a display device for displaying an image taken by the ground camera; and a plurality of underwater camera heads and an underwater swimming race comprising an image recording device for recording an image taken by the ground camera. Shooting recording system. 8. A signal relay unit, which is located between the plurality of underwater camera heads and the camera control device, and transfers an image signal from an image pickup device built in the underwater camera head to the camera control device. The underwater photographing and recording system for swimming according to claim 7, further comprising a plurality of underwater camera relay units each including a power supply unit for supplying DC low-voltage power to the image sensor. 9. The underwater photographing and recording system for swimming according to claim 7, wherein one of the plurality of underwater camera heads is provided for each lane of the swimming pool. 10. The underwater photographing and recording system for swimming according to claim 7, wherein one of said plurality of underwater camera heads is installed for every two lanes of a swimming pool. 11. The underwater photographing and recording system for swimming according to claim 7, wherein the ground camera is installed at a poolside of a swimming pool, and is configured to simultaneously photograph the start table and a water surface portion of an end wall of the swimming pool. 12. The underwater swimming photography recording system for swimming according to claim 7, wherein said display device is configured to simultaneously display an image photographed by said plurality of underwater camera heads and an image photographed by said ground camera. 13. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image photographed by the plurality of underwater camera heads and the image photographed by the terrestrial camera are AD-converted and recorded as digital signals on a random access recording / reproducing medium. The underwater photography recording system for swimming according to claim 7.