JP2001069380A - Two shaft driving mechanism, picture input device using the same and light projection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a two shaft driving mechanism reducing the burden on a motor in a driving mechanism where a driving part which is constituted of a single motor is used and reciprocating movement is executed without installing electric connection between the driving part and a part to be driven and to provide a picture input device using the mechanism and a light projection device. SOLUTION: The device has a picture input part 200 having a camera 1, a mirror 2 reflecting an image onto the camera 1 and inputting it and motors 3A and 3B rotating the mirror 2 in a horizontal and a vertical directions, a mirror rotation control means 102 controlling the motor 3A and the motor 3B, a computer 101 formed of a picture acquirement means 103 and a picture conversion means 104 and a picture display means 106. The motor 3A and the motor 3B are operated with such a constitution and the mirror 2 is turned to a direction in which an image is picked up. Thus, the picture of the desired direction can be obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a two-axis drive mechanism capable of rotating a driven part by two axes, an image input device in which the two-axis drive mechanism is combined with a camera, and a combination of the two-axis drive mechanism and a projector. The present invention relates to a light projection device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art (Two-Axis Head Camera) As a conventional example using a two-axis drive mechanism capable of rotating a driven part by two axes, FIG. 39 shows a two-axis head camera combining a camera and a two-axis drive mechanism. . The conventional two-axis head camera has a motor (also referred to as a motor) 3A that can rotate the camera 1 and the L-shaped jig 50.
A motor 3B fixed to the L-shaped jig 50;
A and camera rotation control means 109 for controlling motor 3B
And image display means 106 for displaying an image from camera 1
And is provided.

[0003] The motor 3A is connected to the camera rotation control means 109.
Is driven in accordance with the control signal from the L-shaped jig 5
0, the motor 3B fixed to the L-shaped jig 50 and the camera 1
Are rotationally driven in the horizontal direction (arrow A). When the motor 3B is driven to rotate in accordance with a control signal from the camera rotation control means 109, the camera 1 moves in the vertical direction (arrow B).
Is driven to rotate. From the above, the camera rotation control means 10
9 can drive the camera 1 biaxially. The image obtained by the camera 1 is sent to the image display means 106 and displayed.

The two-axis camera shown in FIG. 39 is an example in which a motor 3B for rotating the camera 1 vertically drives the camera 1 directly. Many commercially available two-axis rotary camera heads use a worm gear or the like to make the entire apparatus compact. However, in either case, the same is true in that the motor 3A for horizontal rotation drives both the camera 1 and the motor 3B for vertical rotation.

(Two-Axis Head Camera Using Slip Ring) FIG. 40 shows a conventional example of a two-axis head camera equipped with a so-called slip ring around the axis of horizontal rotation. This conventional example is almost the same as the first conventional example shown in FIG. 39, except that a slip ring 51 is provided around a rotation axis around which a motor 3A rotates an L-shaped jig 50. . The slip ring 51 includes an inner rotating terminal 51A and an outer rotating terminal 51B. Inner rotating terminal 5
1A and the outer rotating terminal 51B are configured to be electrically connected while rotating with each other. Outer rotating terminal 51
B is fixed to a device housing (not shown) to which the motor 3A, the camera rotation control means 109 and the image display means 106 are fixed. In the inner rotating terminal 51A,
The rotating shaft of the motor 3A and the L-shaped jig 50 are fixed. Therefore, when the motor 3A is rotationally driven, the inner rotating terminal 51A is rotated, and the L-shaped jig 50 is rotated.

A cable for transmitting an image from the camera 1 and a cable for transmitting a control signal for controlling the motor 3B are connected to the inner rotating terminal 51A. A cable for transmitting an image to the image display means 106 and a cable for transmitting a control signal from the camera rotation control means 109 are connected to the outer rotation terminal 51B. The control signal for the motor 3B from the camera rotation control means 109 is transmitted from the outer rotation terminal 51B to the motor 3B via the inner rotation terminal 51A.
Sent to B. The image obtained by the camera 1 is sent from the inner rotating terminal 51A to the image display means 106 via the outer rotating terminal 51B. The control signal of the motor 3A is
Sent directly from the camera rotation control means 109.

(Mirror Rotation Camera) The above-described two-axis head camera aims to acquire an image in a desired direction by rotating the camera in two axes. To achieve the same purpose, a method of rotating a mirror disposed in front of the camera may be considered. FIG. 41 shows a mirror rotation type camera as one of the prior arts.

The mirror rotating type camera according to the prior art includes a camera 1 placed upward, a ring gear 5 which is a ring-shaped gear arranged with the optical axis and the central axis of the camera 1 being the same, and a motor 3A. A gear 40 for transmitting rotational drive to the ring gear 5, a motor 3A for rotationally driving the ring gear 5 via the gear 40, and a mirror rotatably held on a mirror support 9 fixed to the ring gear 5. 2, a motor 3B fixed to the mirror support 9 and driving the mirror 2 to rotate in a vertical direction, an image acquisition unit 103 for acquiring an image from the camera 1, and an image conversion unit for performing a rotational conversion process on the image obtained by the image acquisition unit 103. Means 104, an image display means 106 for displaying an image output from the image conversion means 104, and a computer 101. A mirror rotation controller 102 for controlling the motor 3A and a motor 3B in response to al of the control signal,
It is provided with.

The mirror rotation control means 102 drives the motors 3A and 3B to rotate in response to a control signal from the computer 101. When the motor 3A is driven to rotate,
The ring gear 5 is driven to rotate via the gear 40. Since the mirror 2 is held by the mirror support 9 fixed to the ring gear 5, the mirror 2 is rotated around the optical axis of the camera 1 with the rotation of the motor 3A. On the other hand, when the motor 3B is driven to rotate, the mirror 2 is rotated in the vertical direction (tilt).

In this conventional example, since the camera 1 is fixed and only the mirror 2 is rotated around the optical axis of the camera 1 to obtain an image in a desired direction, an image as shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. Become. The arrows in the figure indicate the vertical direction of the imaging target (the direction of the arrow is upward). For this reason, if the acquired image is displayed as it is, the image will be tilted up and down, and it is necessary to display the image after rotationally converting it.
Therefore, the computer 101 performs a rotation conversion process on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 103 by the image conversion unit 104 and outputs the image to the image display unit 106. The parameters of the rotation conversion process are determined by the relative rotation angle of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1. This conventional example has a built-in origin sensor and encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the mirror 2, and the computer 101 refers to these values to determine the relative rotation angle of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1. Can be detected. The parameters of the rotation conversion processing are calculated based on the parameters.

(Others) As described above, three conventional examples of the image input apparatus using the two-axis drive mechanism have been described.
Applications of the two-axis drive mechanism include not only an image input device but also a two-axis turntable for illumination light and a parabolic antenna, a rocket launch pad, a joint of a robot, and the like. However, in any case, as described in the related art, the driven unit, the motor that rotates the driven unit in one axis direction, and the motor that drives both the driven unit and the motor to rotate. Many are configured with a motor that rotates in a direction perpendicular to the direction.

[0012]

(Two-Axis Head Camera) 2
The problem of the camera platform camera will be described. The two-axis camera has a configuration in which the camera 1 and the motor 3B are rotationally driven by the motor 1A. Camera 1 and motor 3
In order for B to function, it must have an electrical connection,
There is a cable connection with the outside of the device. Therefore, when the motor 3A is driven to rotate, there is no problem if the motor 3A reciprocates within a certain angle range, but it is impossible to drive the motor 3A endlessly.

The portion where the motor 3A rotates includes the camera 1 and the motor 3B, and requires a torque for rotating them. When the camera 1 is large, the motor 3B is also relatively large and heavy.
The motors 3A need to have a torque to drive them. Further, depending on the arrangement of the motor 3B with respect to the rotation axis of the motor 3A, there is a problem that the moment of inertia increases.

(Two-Axis Head Camera Using Slip Ring) In a two-axis head camera using a slip ring, a motor is used to realize electrical connection between the camera 1 and the motor 3B and the outside of the apparatus by the slip ring. 3A can be rotated endlessly. However, it is necessary to connect the image of the camera 1, the power, the control of the motor 3B, the power, a sensor system signal (not shown), and the like, and the axial dimension (D in FIG. 40) of the slip ring becomes longer. There's a problem. Further, since the slip ring is a contact terminal by sliding, there is a problem in durability. In addition, the rotating portion where the motor 3A rotates also includes the camera 1 and the motor 3B, and the motor 3A needs a torque to drive them.

(Mirror rotating camera) In a mirror rotating camera that acquires an image in a desired direction by rotating the mirror instead of rotating the camera, the mirror that is lighter than the camera is generally rotated. The rotating part becomes lighter. However, in order to rotate the mirror in two axes, it is necessary to mount one of the two axes of the drive mechanism (in this case, the motor 3B) on the driven portion side, which is heavier by the drive mechanism. .

Further, the driving mechanism mounted on the rotating portion has electrical connection, and the motor 3A cannot be rotated endlessly. Also in this case, if the motor 3B and a sensor system signal (not shown) are connected to the outside of the apparatus using a slip ring, the motor 3A can be rotated endlessly. However, in the case of a mirror rotating camera, the reflected light of the object reflected by the mirror is used as the camera 1
Therefore, it is necessary to increase the inner diameter of the slip ring. When using a normal camera,
An inner diameter of several centimeters or more is required, which is expensive.

As described above, the two-axis head camera described as the prior art, the two-axis head camera using the slip ring,
In a two-axis driving mechanism used in a mirror rotating camera or the like, horizontal (pan) / vertical (tilt) rotation cannot be performed without providing an electrical connection between a driving unit and a driven unit.

In addition to the above, there are two problems common to the above-mentioned prior arts. One is that two motors are required to rotate two axes. When the driven part is rotated horizontally and vertically, the driven part may be continuously driven to rotate in a certain pattern depending on the application. For example, there is a case where the reciprocating movement is repeated in the vertical direction while continuously rotating in the horizontal direction, and the drawing is rotated in a wavy line. In the conventional example, two motors are required even when driven by such a fixed pattern.

Another problem relates to vertical driving. When the driven part is rotated horizontally and vertically, one of the rotations, for example, the vertical rotation is often reciprocated. In this case, in the conventional example, it is necessary to reciprocate the motor 3B. However, in general, when the motor is reciprocally rotated, there is a problem that the load on the motor is increased and the life is shortened.

Therefore, the present invention solves the above problems,
By providing horizontal and vertical rotation without restricting horizontal rotation without providing an electrical connection between the driving unit and the driven unit, the weight and durability are excellent. An object of the present invention is to provide a shaft drive mechanism, an image input device and a light projection device using the same at lower cost.

In the above-described two-axis drive mechanism and the image input apparatus and the light projection apparatus using the same, when the rotary drive is continuously performed in a predetermined pattern, the drive is constituted by one motor. It is an object of the present invention to provide a lighter and less expensive two-axis drive mechanism, an image input device and a light projection device using the same, by using the unit.

Further, in the drive mechanism for reciprocating movement, the load on the motor is reduced and the life is extended.
An object of the present invention is to provide a shaft drive mechanism, an image input device and a light projection device using the same.

[0023]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a two-axis driving mechanism for achieving the above object, comprising: a horizontal rotating mechanism for rotating a driven part around a rotation axis A; A vertical rotation mechanism for rotating around a rotation axis B perpendicular to the rotation axis A, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same. A ring gear for holding the driven portion, and a ring gear for rotating the rotating shaft A.
The vertical rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the central axis are the same, and the height position of the upper surface thereof is set in the circumferential direction. An end cam gear that changes along the axis, a motor that drives the end cam gear to rotate around the rotation axis A, one end of which is rotatably mounted on the driven part, and the other end of which is the end A link mechanism configured to come into contact with the upper surface of the cam gear, transmitting the rotation of the end cam gear to the driven portion as vertical rotation around the rotation axis B through its own parallel movement, and the other end is Pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the end cam gear so as to contact the upper surface of the end cam gear.

In this configuration, the end cam gear rotates by driving the motor to rotate, the rotational movement of the end cam gear is transmitted as the parallel movement of the link mechanism, and the parallel movement of the link mechanism is controlled by the driven part. The driven portion can be vertically rotated around the rotation axis B by transmitting the vertical rotation of the driven portion. For this reason, the object of the present invention of rotating the driven part biaxially can be achieved without providing an electrical connection between the driven part and the driving part.

(Claim 2) A two-axis driving mechanism according to the present invention comprises a horizontal rotating mechanism for rotating a driven part around a rotation axis A, and vertically moving the driven part along the rotation axis A. A vertical movement mechanism to be driven, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and a central axis are the same, and the driven part is And a motor that drives the ring gear to rotate about the rotation axis A, and the vertical movement mechanism is a ring-shaped gear that is arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same. An end cam gear whose height position changes along the circumferential direction, a motor that drives the end cam gear to rotate around the rotation axis A, and one end rotatable by the driven part. Can be attached like Both the other ends are configured to contact the upper surface and the phase of the Endokamugiya, the rotation axis A through its translational movement rotation of the Endokamugiya
And a pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the end cam gear so that the other end contacts the upper surface of the end cam gear.

In this configuration, the end cam gear rotates by driving the motor to rotate, the rotational movement of the end cam gear is transmitted as parallel movement of the link mechanism, and the parallel movement of the link mechanism is directly driven by the driven part. Is transmitted as the vertical movement, thereby enabling two-axis driving of horizontal rotation and vertical parallel movement.

(Claim 3) When a control means for controlling a rotation cycle of the ring gear and a rotation cycle of the end cam gear is provided, a horizontal rotation cycle of the driven part by the horizontal rotation mechanism and a vertical rotation By making the rotation cycle of the end cam gear by the mechanism the same, it is possible to rotate the driven part only horizontally without rotating vertically, but by not making these rotation cycles the same, the driven part Is continuously rotated, it is possible to sequentially and comprehensively rotationally drive the driven portion within the horizontal and vertical angle ranges that the driven portion can take.

(Claim 4) When the ring gear and the end cam gear are driven by one motor,
The rotation drive of the shaft can be realized by one motor.

In this case, when a reduction ratio adjusting means for adjusting a reduction ratio from the motor to the ring gear and the end cam gear is provided, a reduction ratio of rotation transmitted to the ring gear and the end cam gear is provided. When the driven part is continuously rotated by not making
The driven portion can be sequentially and comprehensively rotated within the horizontal and vertical angle ranges that the driven portion can take.

(6) The upper surface of the end cam gear is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry passing through the center thereof so that the driven portion can be driven regardless of whether the left or right portion is used with respect to the line of symmetry. Can be rotated vertically in the same manner.

(7) In this case, when the other end of the link mechanism is located on a straight line passing through the center of the end cam gear and perpendicular to the symmetry line, the driven member is moved in the vertical direction. Is set to be the median value of the vertical rotation or vertical movement range, whereby the driven part can be vertically rotated symmetrically from horizontal to a certain angular position. .

(Claim 8) The two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention further comprises a horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating the driven part around the rotation axis A, and a rotation mechanism for rotating the driven part perpendicular to the rotation axis A. A vertical rotation mechanism for rotating about an axis B, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same. A ring gear that holds the driven part, and a motor that drives the ring gear to rotate about the rotation axis A, wherein the vertical rotation mechanism is arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same. A ring, a ring moving mechanism for reciprocating the ring along the rotation axis A, and one end is rotatably attached to the driven part, and the other end is an upper surface of the ring. Configured to make phase contact A link mechanism that transmits the reciprocating movement of the ring to the driven part as vertical rotation about the rotation axis B via its own parallel movement, and the link mechanism so that the other end contacts the upper surface of the ring. And pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the ring.

In this configuration, by driving the ring moving mechanism, the ring gear moves in parallel, the parallel movement of the ring gear is transmitted as the parallel movement of the link mechanism, and the parallel movement of the link mechanism is controlled by the driven part. The driven portion can be vertically rotated around the rotation axis B by transmitting the vertical rotation of the driven portion. Therefore, the object of the present invention of rotating the driven part biaxially can be achieved without providing an electrical connection between the driven part and the driving part.

(Claim 9) A two-axis drive mechanism according to the present invention comprises a horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating a driven part around a rotation axis A, and a vertical movement of the driven part along the rotation axis A. A vertical movement mechanism to be driven, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and a central axis are the same, and the driven part is And a motor that drives the ring gear to rotate about the rotation axis A, wherein the vertical movement mechanism includes a ring arranged so that the rotation axis A and a center axis are the same, Connect the ring to the rotation axis A
A ring moving mechanism for reciprocating along the ring, one end of which is rotatably attached to the driven portion, and the other end of which is in contact with the upper surface of the ring, and the ring reciprocates. A link mechanism for transmitting the movement to the driven part as vertical movement along the rotation axis A through its own parallel movement, and the link mechanism to the ring such that the other end contacts the upper surface of the ring. And pressing means for pressing.

In this configuration, the ring reciprocates by driving the ring mechanism, and the reciprocating movement of the ring is transmitted as the parallel movement of the link mechanism, and the parallel movement of the link mechanism is directly used for the driven portion. By being transmitted as vertical movement, horizontal rotation and vertical parallel movement
Shaft driving becomes possible.

(Claim 10) In this case, when a control means for controlling the rotation period of the ring gear and the reciprocation period of the ring is provided, the horizontal rotation period of the driven portion by the horizontal rotation mechanism and the vertical rotation period By not making the reciprocating cycle of the ring gear by the rotation mechanism the same, when the driven part is continuously rotated, the driven part is sequentially and comprehensively covered within the horizontal and vertical angle ranges that the driven part can take. It can be driven to rotate.

(Claim 11) An image input apparatus in which a two-axis driving mechanism and a camera configured as described above are combined with each other is configured such that a mirror disposed in front of the camera is biaxially rotated by the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention. Thus, an image in a desired direction can be obtained, and the above object can be achieved.

In this case, when an image synthesizing means for synthesizing a plurality of input images while rotating the mirror is provided, it is possible to generate an image with a wide viewing angle.

In this case, when a stand for installing the image input device at a fixed height on a desk is provided, it is possible to input images on the desk or on a document on the desk. .

According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical projection apparatus in which a two-axis driving mechanism configured as described above is combined with a light projector for projecting light. By rotating, light can be projected in a desired direction.

[0041]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a two-axis drive mechanism according to the present invention; FIG.

(First Embodiment: Two-Axis Drive Mechanism (End Cam Gear) + Camera) First, as a first embodiment of the present invention, an image input device combining a two-axis drive mechanism and a camera will be described. It is shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, in a first embodiment of the present invention, a camera 1, a mirror 2 for reflecting and inputting an image to the camera 1, and rotating the mirror 2 in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. Image input unit 200 (within the dotted frame) having the motors 3A and 3B, and mirror rotation control means (control means) 1 for controlling the motors 3A and 3B.
02, a computer 101 including an image acquisition unit 103 and an image conversion unit 104, and an image display unit 106 for displaying an image processed by the computer 101.
And is provided. In this configuration, it is possible to obtain an image in a desired direction by operating the motor 3A and the motor 3B and turning the mirror 2 in the direction in which the image is to be captured.

The computer 101 sends a control signal to the mirror rotation control means 102. This control signal is based on a control command input by the user or a control command requested to the mirror 2 on the executed program. The mirror rotation control means 102 controls the motor 3 based on a control signal sent from the computer 101.
A and 3B are controlled. The control by the computer 101 and the mirror rotation control means 102 and the mirror rotation by the rotation driving of the motors 3A and 3B will be described later in detail.

On the other hand, the computer 101 obtains the image sent from the camera 1 by the image obtaining means 103. In the case of the present embodiment, the computer 101
Since the mirror 2 is rotated in the horizontal direction in front of the camera and an image is taken, an image rotated about the optical axis of the lens in the camera 1 is acquired, unlike the camera platform camera shown in FIG. . That is, since the camera 1 is fixed and only the mirror 2 is rotated around the optical axis of the camera 1 to acquire an image in a desired direction, an image as shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. The arrows in the figure indicate the vertical direction of the imaging target (the direction of the arrow is upward).

As is apparent from FIG. 2, if the acquired image is displayed as it is, the image becomes a vertically inclined image. Therefore, it is necessary to rotate the image before displaying it. Therefore, the computer 101 sets the image acquisition unit 10
The image acquired in step 3 is subjected to horizontal rotation conversion processing by the image conversion means 104 and output to the image display means 106. The parameters of the rotation conversion process are the camera 1 of the mirror 2
Is determined by the relative rotation angle with respect to.

The image input unit 200 incorporates an origin sensor (not shown) and an encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the mirror 2, and the computer 101 refers to these values to determine the camera 1 of the mirror 2. Can be detected relative to. Therefore, the image conversion means 104
Are calculated based on the detected origin and the relative rotation angle.

As described above, in this embodiment, the mirror 2
By combining a two-axis driving mechanism that can rotate the camera in two-axis directions and the camera 1 and rotating the mirror 2, an image in a desired direction can be acquired and displayed on the image display unit 106.

(First Embodiment: Description of Image Input Unit 200) FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of the image input unit 200 according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of the image input unit 200 shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the side.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the image input unit 2
Reference numeral 00 denotes a camera 1 that is composed of a camera body 1A and a lens 1B and is placed upward, a ring gear 5 that is a ring-shaped gear arranged with the same optical axis and central axis of the lens 1B, and a motor 3A. A gear 4A for transmitting rotational drive to the ring gear 5, a motor 3A for rotationally driving the ring gear 5 via the gear 4A, and a mirror rotatably held on a mirror support 9 fixed to the ring gear 5. 2, a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the optical axis and the central axis of the lens 1B are the same, the end cam gear 6 having an upper surface and a lower surface that are not parallel but at a fixed angle, and a rotational drive of the motor 3B. 4B for transmitting the rotation of the end cam gear 6 to the end cam gear 6, a motor 3B for driving the end cam gear 6 to rotate via the gear 4B, Ri attached to a the other end rolling bearing 8, the rolling bearing 8 is Endokamugiya 6
And a spring 10 for pressing the link mechanism 7 against the end cam gear 6 so that the link mechanism 7 rolls while contacting the end cam gear 6. .

(First Embodiment: Description of Horizontal Mirror Rotation Mechanism) When the motor 3A is driven to rotate, the ring gear 5 is driven to rotate via the gear 4A. The mirror 2 is mounted on the mirror support 9 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and the mirror support 9 is fixed to the ring gear 5.
Will be rotated around the optical axis. That is, by rotating the motor 3A, the mirror 2 is moved to the lens 1B.
Can be rotated around the optical axis.

(First Embodiment: Outline of Mirror Vertical Rotation Mechanism) On the other hand, when the motor 3B is driven to rotate, the end cam gear 6 is driven to rotate via the gear 4B. The end cam gear 6 is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the optical axis and the central axis of the lens 1B are the same, and the upper surface and the lower surface are not parallel but form a fixed angle. That is, it is a ring-shaped gear whose thickness changes in the circumferential direction. Although there are several possible shapes of the end cam gear 6, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, an end cam gear having a simple shape whose upper surface forms a fixed angle with respect to the bottom surface is used. The end cam gear 6 shown in FIG.
It is symmetrical with respect to the illustrated straight line (symmetric line) M. With such a symmetrical shape, the mirror 2 can be vertically rotated in the same manner regardless of which side is used with respect to the straight line M of the end cam gear 6.
However, in the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention, the end cam gear 6 does not necessarily have to be left-right symmetrical, and it is natural that the end cam gear 6 may be left-right asymmetric in order to realize the rotation of the mirror 2 according to the application.

A rolling bearing 8 attached to the end of a link mechanism 7 is in contact with the upper surface of the end cam gear 6 so as to be movable on the upper surface. The link mechanism 7 is attached to the mirror 2 and the mirror support 9 as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, and when the link mechanism 7 moves up and down in parallel, the mirror 2 is centered on the mounting portion with the mirror support 9. It is designed to be rotated vertically. A spring 10 is provided between the mirror 2 and the ring gear 5, and a rolling bearing 8
Are always in contact with the end cam gear 6.

As described above, the motor 3B, the gear 4B, the end cam gear 6, the link mechanism 7, the rolling bearing 8, the spring 1
The mechanism consisting of zero determines the vertical angle of the mirror 2 according to the position of the rolling bearing 8 in contact with the end cam gear 6.

(First Embodiment: Description of Link Mechanism in FIG. 6) FIG. 6 is a view of a mirror rotating unit of the image input unit 200 shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the side. The mirror 2 is rotated at an angle θ upward as shown in FIG. When the mirror 2 is tilted downward, θ has a negative value. When the mirror 2 is tilted by θ, the imaging direction rotates by 2θ. End cam gear 6
Has a shape shown in FIG. 5, where the maximum value of the height from the bottom surface to the top surface is Smax, the minimum value is Smin, and the rolling bearing is located at a position of the intermediate value (Smax + Smin) / 2. When the mirror 8 is positioned, the mirror 2 is set at θ = 0, that is, at a reference position inclined by θ0 from the horizontal direction.

The link mechanism 7 is rotatably mounted on a link bar 70 extending horizontally from the mirror support 9, and includes the mounting position of the mirror 2 and the mirror support 9, the link mechanism 7 and the link bar. Let L be the distance along the link bar 70 between the mounting position 70 and the mounting position.

Referring to FIG. 7, the vertical rotation angle θ of the mirror 2 will be described.
And the end cam gear 6 where the rolling bearing 8 is located
And the height S from the bottom surface to the top surface are determined. ΔS
Is a rolling bearing 8 when the mirror 2 is vertically rotated by θ.
And the height S from the bottom surface to the top surface of the end cam gear 6, and the bottom surface of the end cam gear 6 on which the rolling bearing 8 is located when the mirror 2 is at a reference position inclined from the horizontal direction by .theta.0, that is, when .theta. = 0. From the top to the top surface (Smax +
Smin) / 2, and is represented by the following equation (1).

[0058]

(Equation 1)

Therefore, when the rolling bearing 8 moves up and down by ΔS, the mounting portion between the link mechanism 7 and the link bar 70 naturally moves up and down by ΔS. When the link mechanism 7 moves up and down by ΔS, the link rod 70 rotates by θ.
And θ are as shown in the following equation (2).

[0060]

(Equation 2)

The reason why the minus sign is attached to ΔS is that the equation (1)
This is because, when ΔS becomes negative, the mirror 2 rotates in the positive direction of θ. Therefore, from equations (1) and (2),
The relationship between the height S and θ is obtained as the following equation (3).

[0062]

(Equation 3)

Conversely, if θ is represented as a function of S, equation (4) is obtained.

[0064]

(Equation 4)

Here, the angle θ has an upper limit and a lower limit determined by the shape of the end cam gear 6, and the angles θ are θmax and θmax, respectively.
min, they are S = Smin in equation (4),
Since S is the value of θ when Smax, equations (5) and (6) are obtained, respectively.

[0066]

(Equation 5)

(Equation 6)

At this time, the relationship between θmax and θmin is given by the following equation (7).

[0068]

(Equation 7)

That is, the mirror 2 is capable of vertical rotation symmetrical from the horizontal in the vertical direction about θ0. if,
If the angle between the link rod 70 and the mirror 2 can be set arbitrarily, it becomes possible to set θ0 to a desired value.

(First Embodiment: Description of Link Mechanism in FIG. 8) As the link mechanism, other than the one shown in FIG. 6, there is, for example, a configuration as shown in FIG. The link mechanism 7 is attached to the mirror 2. The relationship between θ and S in this case will be described with reference to FIG.

From the mounting position of the mirror 2 and the mirror support 9,
Assuming that the distance along the mirror 2 from the mounting position of the mirror 2 to the link mechanism 7 is L, the equation corresponding to the equation (2) described with reference to FIG. 7 is the equation (8).

[0072]

(Equation 8)

Since the relationship of the expression (1) obtained from the shape of the end cam gear 6 is also valid in this case, the height S and the angle θ are represented by the expressions (9) and (10), respectively.

[0074]

(Equation 9)

(Equation 10)

The expressions (9) and (10) are obtained by the expression (3)
And a slightly more complex form than Equation (4). Further, the upper limit and the lower limit of the vertical rotation angle of the mirror 2 are given by Expression (1)
0), Equations (11) and (12) are obtained, respectively.

[0076]

[Equation 11]

(Equation 12)

It should be noted here that θmax
And θmin satisfy the following expression (13).

[0078]

(Equation 13)

Using the end cam gear 6 and the link mechanism 7 shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the mirror 2 is rotated vertically by setting θ = 0 where S = (Smax + Smin) / 2.
The upper and lower limits are not symmetric. This is derived from the method of attaching the link mechanism 7 to the mirror 2 and the shape of the end cam gear 6 of the link mechanism 7 shown in FIG. However, even when the link mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 8 is used, by devising the shape of the end cam gear 6, | θmax |
| Θmin | is possible.

As described above, if the configuration of the link mechanism 7 is known in advance, the S value of the end cam gear 6 and the mirror 2
Of the vertical rotation angle θ is obtained.

(First Embodiment: Relationship Between ρ and S Representing End Cam Gear Shape) By the way, S is the height from the bottom surface to the top surface of the end cam gear 6. Therefore, when the shape of the end cam gear 6 is known in advance, S
Is a function of the angle ρ as shown in FIG.
Should be represented as

[0082]

[Equation 14]

This will be described. As shown, S =
One of the two positions (Smax + Smin) / 2 is set to an angle ρ = 0, and the direction in which S increases is defined as the positive rotation direction of ρ. The shape of the end cam gear 6 shown in FIG. 5 is a flat surface whose upper surface is at a constant angle with respect to the bottom surface. Therefore, if the radius of the end cam gear 6 is r, S and ΔS
Are expressed by Expression (15) and Expression (16), respectively.

[0084]

(Equation 15)

(Equation 16)

From the above, equations (3), (4), (15),
Alternatively, using equations (9), (10), and (15), the rotation angle ρ of the end cam gear 6 and the vertical rotation angle θ of the mirror 2
Can be calculated.

The image input section 200 shown in FIG. 3 is provided with an origin sensor and an encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the end cam gear 6 with respect to the camera 1. Furthermore, an origin sensor and an encoder (not shown) for detecting a rotation angle of the ring gear 5 with respect to the camera 1 are provided. Therefore, by calculating the detected angle value, it is possible to calculate which position of the end cam gear 6 the rolling bearing 8 is in contact with, that is, the value of the angle ρ. Therefore, the motor 3
By rotating B, the end cam gear 6 is driven to rotate, and the mirror 2 can be vertically rotated to a desired angle.

Expression (8) may be said to be an expression for determining the shape of the end cam gear 6, but the end cam gear 6 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. Various things can be considered. For example, ρ and θ are shown in FIG.
There must be a shape of the end cam gear 6 that satisfies the following relationship, and the angle value ρ for vertically rotating the mirror 2 by θ can be easily calculated. Further, a shape as shown in FIG. 12 is also conceivable. That is, by determining the shape of the end cam gear 6 according to the application,
Optimum mirror rotation can be realized.

(First Embodiment: Angle φ of mirror 2,
With the mechanism described above, when the motor 3A and the motor 3B are driven to rotate, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate in various patterns in the horizontal or vertical direction. Hereinafter, the movement of the mirror 2 associated with the rotational driving of the motor 3A and the motor 3B will be described.

FIG. 13 shows the horizontal rotation angle φ and the vertical rotation angle θ of the mirror 2 and (φ,
9 is a graph showing an example of a change in θ). Vertical rotation angle θ
Is the same as that described in the description of the end cam gear 6 and the link mechanism 7, and is a rotation angle at which the mirror 2 rotates around the mirror support 9, and a direction in which the mirror 2 rotates upward is positive. On the other hand, the horizontal rotation angle φ is a rotation angle of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1 that rotates around the optical axis of the camera 1,
This is a horizontal rotation angle from a predetermined origin position. Since the mirror 2 is held on the ring gear 5 by the mirror support 9, the horizontal rotation angle φ of the mirror 2 can be said to be the rotation angle of the ring gear 5 around the optical axis of the camera 1. The rotation angle of the ring gear 5 can be detected by an origin sensor and an encoder not shown in FIG.

The graph of FIG. 13 is obtained by plotting φ on the horizontal axis and θ on the vertical axis. Regarding the horizontal rotation angle φ, the rotation angle position is represented by 0 to 2π regardless of the number of rotations of the mirror 2. When the mirror 2 is driven while rotating horizontally and vertically, for example, the state of rotation can be represented as a trajectory θ = f (φ) as shown in FIG. T1 and t2 shown on the trajectory represent the time when the mirror 2 is in the angular state represented by that point.

Here, the angle ρ in the end cam gear 6
And the relationship between the horizontal rotation angle φ of the mirror 2 are summarized by formulating.

FIG. 14 is a view of the image input unit 200 as viewed from directly above. φ is a horizontal rotation angle of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1 and is an angle formed by a predetermined origin with respect to the camera 1 and an imaging direction. ρ is an angle indicating the position of the point where the rolling bearing 8 attached to the end of the link mechanism 7 contacts the end cam gear 6 as shown in FIG. The next newly emerging angle η is the end cam gear 6 which determines the origin and angle ρ with respect to the camera 1.
Is the angle formed by the origin. In other words, the motor 3B
It can also be said that the angle at which the end cam gear 6 is rotated by the rotational driving of the end cam gear 6. The angle between the imaging direction and the link mechanism 7 is an angle φ0 determined in advance from the structure of the image input unit 200.
= Constant. All of these angles are positive rotations in the counterclockwise direction. From the above, φ, φ0, η, and ρ
And the following equation (17) holds.

[0093]

[Equation 17]

By substituting this into equation (10) and further using equation (4) or equation (10), mirror 2
Is expressed using the horizontal rotation angle of the mirror 2, that is, the rotation angle φ of the ring gear 5, and the rotation angle η of the end cam gear 6.

The rotation angle or rotation speed of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 is determined by the rotation angle or rotation speed of the motors 3A and 3B. Therefore, the computer 101 and the mirror rotation control means 102 control the motor 3A and the motor 3B using these relationships,
Consequently, the rotation of the mirror 2 can be controlled.

(First Embodiment: Explanation of Five Modes of Mirror Movement) The mirror 2 moves in various ways by combining the rotation and stop of the motor 3A and the motor 3B. For example, there are five modes as shown below. The motors 3A and 3B are rotationally driven (hereinafter, referred to as a "first mode") such that the rotation periods of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are the same (hereinafter, referred to as "first mode"). mode"
Called. The motors 3A and 3B are driven to rotate by a specified angle (hereinafter, referred to as a "third mode"). The motors 3A and 3B are simultaneously rotated so that the rotation cycles of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are not the same. Driving (hereinafter, referred to as “fourth mode”) Only motor 3A is rotationally driven (hereinafter, “fifth mode”).
Called. )

The mirror 5 for the above five modes will now be described.
Is rotated by applying the display format of the graph shown in FIG. However, it is assumed that the end cam gear 6 shown in FIG. 5 is used. The rotational angular velocity of the ring gear 5 is Vφ, and the rotational angular velocity of the end cam gear 6 is Vη.

(First Mode) When the motors 3A and 3B are driven so that the rotational speeds of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are the same, that is, Vφ = Vη ≠ 0, the rolling bearing 8 comes into contact with the end cam gear 6. The position does not change. Therefore, since the link mechanism 7 is not moved up and down in parallel, the mirror 2 is not rotated vertically. Therefore, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate horizontally with the vertical rotation angle being θc, as shown in FIG. θc is
The rolling bearing 8 is determined by the position where the end cam gear 6 is in contact. That is, it is determined by the angle η at the time of starting the rotation drive in this mode.

FIG. 16 shows how the motors 3A and 3B are driven when the mirror 2 shifts from the stop state of (φs, θs) to the continuous horizontal rotation drive at the vertical rotation angle θc.
Shown in 16A is a graph in which the horizontal axis is time, the vertical axis is the horizontal rotation speed Vφ of the ring gear 5, and FIG. 16B is a graph in which the horizontal axis is time and the vertical axis is the vertical rotation angle θ of the mirror 2. It is.

As shown in the figure, the motor 3A is driven to rotate so that the rotation speed (also referred to as angular speed) Vφ increases from 0 to a constant rotation speed Vφc, and then becomes constant.
When the motor 3B is driven to rotate while adjusting the rotation angle speed Vρ of the end cam gear 6 until the vertical rotation angle θ changes from θs to θc, and then the motor 3B is stopped, the mirror 2 moves as shown in FIG.
It moves as shown in FIG. Mirror 2 is initially (φs,
.theta.s), the trajectory indicated by the arrow 16A is moved thereafter, and then the horizontal rotation indicated by the arrow 16B is started, and the continuous rotation indicated by the arrow 16C is continued.

(Second mode) Since the ring gear 5 does not rotate unless the motor 3A is driven to rotate, the mirror 2 is not rotated horizontally. When the motor 3B is rotated in this state, the end cam gear 6 rotates, and the mirror 2 rotates vertically. That is, if Vφ = 0 and Vη ≠ 0, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate only in the vertical direction. If the motor 3B
, The end cam gear 6 rotates continuously, and the mirror 2 reciprocates in the vertical direction with the horizontal rotation angle φc as shown in FIG. φc is determined by the position of the ring gear 5 when entering the vertical reciprocating movement.

The pattern of the vertical reciprocating movement is determined by S = S (ρ) which is the equation (8) representing the shape of the end cam gear 6. For example, in the case of the end cam gear 6 shown in FIG. When 6 rotates once, reciprocation of one reciprocation occurs. Also in the second mode, it is possible to smoothly shift from a certain stop state to a continuous vertical reciprocating movement, but it is possible to realize the same as the driving pattern described in the latter half of the first mode with reference to FIG. The description is omitted because it is possible.

(Third Mode) As described in the first and second modes, the fact that horizontal and vertical rotation is possible means that the mirror 2 must be rotated and positioned at a specified target position. Is also possible. For example, the stop state (φs
, Θs) to the specified target value (φe, θe)
As shown in FIG. Also in this case, smooth rotation of the mirror can be realized by simultaneously driving the motors 3A and 3B so that each reaches the target value. At this time, the rotation angle amount of the ring gear 5 is φe−φs
It is good.

On the other hand, the rotation angle amount of the end cam gear 6 is
When the ring gear 5 is stopped, an angle (Δη + φe−φs) obtained by adding a rotation angle Δe−φs of the ring gear 5 to a rotation angle Δη required to set θs to θe. This is because the angle ρ changes and the vertical angle θ of the mirror 2 changes depending on the difference between the rotation angles of the end cam gear 6 and the ring gear 5.

The above is the case where the motor 3A and the motor 3B are simultaneously driven to move to the specified angle.
The motor 3A is driven and φs →
After setting φe (arrow 18A), the motor 3B is driven and θs
→ It may be θe (arrow 18B).

(Fourth Mode) The motor 3A is controlled so that the rotation speeds of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are not the same.
FIG. 19 shows an example of the movement of the mirror 2 when the motor 3B is simultaneously driven to rotate. The graph shows the trajectory of the n-th week and the trajectory of the (n + 1) th round when the motor is continuously rotated in this mode. Here, n = 1, 2, 3,....

Looking at the trajectory of the nth round, first, θ decreases with respect to φ and becomes negative, and when θmin is reached, it starts increasing, increases to θmax, and decreases again. this is,
This is the case where the rotational angular velocity Vφ of the ring gear 5 is faster than the rotational angular velocity Vη of the end cam gear 6, and when the rotation of the n-th cycle is φ = 0, the rolling bearing 8 has the end shown in FIG. It is considered that the cam gear 6 was located at the position of ρ = 0.

Now, consider φt in FIG. φt
Is the angle at which the ring gear 5 rotates during one cycle of change of the angle θ. Assuming that the time required for one cycle of the change of the angle θ is t and that the rotational angular velocity Vφ of the ring gear is faster than the rotational angular velocity Vη of the end cam gear 6, the ring gear 5 makes one revolution (2π) during the time t. Then, since it is necessary to further rotate the end cam gear 6 by an amount corresponding to the rotation during the time t, φt is given by the following equation (18).

[0109]

(Equation 18)

On the other hand, assuming that the rotational angular velocity Vφ of the ring gear is lower than the rotational angular velocity Vη of the end cam gear 6, the end cam gear 6 makes one revolution (2π) during the time t, and the ring gear 5 further rotates at the time t. Since it is necessary to rotate by an amount corresponding to the rotation in the interval, φt is given by equation (19).

[0111]

[Equation 19]

Therefore, comparing the magnitude relationship between Vφ and Vη and the expressions (12) and (13), φt is expressed by the expression (20)
Can be expressed as

[0113]

(Equation 20)

Where K = Vη / Vφ, and || is an absolute value symbol.

Equation (14) shows that the movement of the mirror 2 changes variously by changing the ratio K between Vη and Vφ. For example, in the graph shown in FIG.
This is the movement of the mirror 2 when it is set to about 07.

When Vφ = Vη, that is, when K = 1, φt = ∞, which can be understood from the horizontal rotation shown in the first mode. On the other hand, Vη ≠ 0 and V
When φ = 0, K = ∞ and φt = 0, which can be understood from the vertical rotation shown in the second mode.

When K approaches 0, φt approaches 2π, and the movement of the mirror 2 becomes as shown in FIG. By the way, since the denominator of φt is in absolute value format, φ
In order to make t close to 2π, it can also be realized by making K close to 2. In this case, the end cam gear 6 rotates at almost twice the speed of the ring gear 5. In this case, since the end cam gear 6 rotates faster than the ring gear 5, the rolling bearing 8 moves in a direction to decrease the height S from the bottom surface to the upper surface of the end cam gear 6, the link mechanism 7 moves downward, and the mirror 2 moves. Is increased. For this reason, the mirror 2 shows a change in which θ increases immediately after the rotation starts from the position of φ = 0. That is, the trajectory of the mirror 2 shown in FIG. 20 is inverted by a straight line of θ = θ0.

Next, when K approaches 1, φt increases, and the movement of the mirror 2 becomes as shown in FIG. Conversely, if K is increased, that is, Vη is made larger than Vφ, φt becomes smaller, and the movement of the mirror 2 becomes smaller as shown in FIG.
It becomes as shown in. Looking at the locus of the n-th lap in FIG.
Unlike the case of FIG. 19, the angle θ from the position of the horizontal angle φ = 0
Is increasing. This is because Vη> Vφ as in the case of K = 2 described above.

As described above, in the fourth mode, when an appropriate K is selected and the mirror 2 is continuously rotated, the mirror 2 becomes (φ,
θ) The space is exhaustively rotated. This function is useful when a wide-field image is obtained by image synthesis in a second embodiment of the present invention described later.

Next, Δθ shown in the graph will be described. While the ring gear 5 is driven to rotate by the motor 3A and rotates exactly 360 ° (2π radians), that is, while returning to the origin position, the end cam gear 6
Is also rotationally driven by the motor 3B. Ring gear 5
The time required for one rotation is determined by the horizontal rotation period Tφ
And Tφ is expressed by Expression (21) using the rotational angular velocity Vφ of the ring gear 5.

[0121]

(Equation 21)

Assuming that the rotation angle at which the end cam gear 6 is rotated during this Tφ is Δη, Δη is given by equation (22).

[0123]

(Equation 22)

The change Δρ of the angle ρ corresponding to Δη
Is obtained by the equation (11), but since the mirror 2 has returned to the position of the origin, there is no change in φ, and since φ0 = constant, the relationship between Δη and Δρ is finally expressed by the equation (23)
become that way.

[0125]

(Equation 23)

Δθ shown in the graph is a change in the vertical rotation angle of the mirror 2 caused by Δρ. That is, while the ring gear 5 makes one rotation, the end cam gear 6 rotates by Δρ, so that the mirror 2 rotates vertically by that much,
The rotation angle amount is Δθ. In order to determine the value of Δθ, the expression (10) and the expression (4) or the expression (1)
0) can be obtained by substituting ρ and Δρ.
For example, the end cam gear 5 shown in FIG.
When the link mechanism 7 shown in FIG. 6 is used, the following equation (24) is obtained.

[0127]

(Equation 24)

The computer 101 and the mirror rotation control means 102 may control the motor 3A and the motor 3B based on the above calculation results.

(Fifth Mode) When the one shown in FIG. 5 is used as the end cam gear 6 and only the motor 3A for horizontally rotating the mirror 2 is rotated, the mirror 2 is moved to the state shown in FIG.
It moves like However, the trajectory in the figure is such that when the horizontal rotation angle φ = 0, the vertical rotation angle θ = 0, that is, the ring gear 5 is set so that the rolling bearing 8 comes to the position ρ = 0 on the end cam gear 6. And end cam gear 6
Is positioned.

In the fifth mode, the movement of the mirror 2 when the end cam gear 6 shown in FIG. 12 is used will be described. FIG. 24 and FIG. 25 are views of the configuration of the image input unit 201 when the end cam gear 6 shown in FIG. 12 is used and a side view of the configuration. When only the motor 3A is driven to rotate, the mirror 2 moves as shown in FIG. Thus, the shape S = S of the end cam gear 6
By devising (ρ), it is possible to give variations to the movement of the mirror 2 only by rotating the motor 3A alone.

(Second Embodiment: Two-Axis Drive Mechanism with One Motor (End Cam Gear) + Camera) FIG. 27 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second embodiment of the present invention. In the above-described first embodiment of the present invention, the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are provided with different motors 3A and 3B, respectively.
However, in the present embodiment, the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are driven by one motor 3. Otherwise, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore, the difference will be described below with respect to the image input unit.

(Second Embodiment: Description of Image Input Unit 202) The image input unit 202 of the present embodiment includes a camera body 1A and a lens 1B. A ring gear 5, which is a ring-shaped gear arranged with the same optical axis as the central axis, a mirror 2 rotatably held on a mirror support 9 fixed to the ring gear 5, and an optical axis of the lens 1B. And an end cam gear 6 whose top and bottom surfaces are not parallel and form a fixed angle, and a ring gear for transmitting the rotational drive of the motor 3 to the ring gear 5. A gear 40, a gear 41 for transmitting the rotational drive of the motor 3 to the end cam gear 6, and a ring gear 5
0 and the end cam gear 6 is
A motor 3 for rotational driving via 1 and one end rotatably mounted on the mirror 2, the other end of which is a rolling bearing 8, which rolls on the end cam gear 6. Link mechanism 7 configured as follows
And a spring 10 for pressing the link mechanism 7 against the end cam gear 6 so that the link mechanism 7 rolls while contacting the end cam gear 6.

The end cam gear 6 of the image input section 202 shown in FIG. 27 has the shape shown in FIG. Further, similarly to the image input unit 200 in the first embodiment, the image input unit 202 incorporates an origin sensor and an encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle between the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6. ing.
By referring to these values, angles φ, ρ, and η can be calculated, and θ can also be calculated.

(Second Embodiment: Description of Mirror Rotating Mechanism) When the motor 3 is driven to rotate, the ring gear 5 via the gear 40, the end cam gear 6 via the gear 41,
It is driven to rotate at the same time. With the rotation of the ring gear 5, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate horizontally, and with the rotation of the end cam gear 6, the mirror 2 is driven to rotate vertically by the mechanism described in the first embodiment. At this time, the reduction ratio by the gear 40 and the reduction ratio by the gear 41 pose a problem. If the reduction ratios are the same, the mirror 2 behaves similarly to the first mode described with reference to FIG. 15 in the description of the first embodiment. Moreover, the end cam gear 6
Cannot be rotated, so that horizontal rotation at an arbitrary vertical angle as in the first embodiment cannot be performed.

However, if the gears 40 and 41 are selected so as to have different reduction ratios, the mirror 2 operates in the first embodiment in the same manner as in the fourth mode described with reference to FIG. realizable. At this time, the rotation speed of the motor 3 is V, and the reduction ratios of the gears 40 and 41 are Nφ and N, respectively.
Assuming that η, the rotational speeds of the ring gear 5 and the end cam gear 6 are Vφ and Vη, respectively, the respective relations are expressed by the following equation (25).

[0136]

(Equation 25)

Therefore, the ratio K between Vη and Vφ is given by the following equation (26).

[0138]

(Equation 26)

This is because K can be set to an arbitrary value by appropriately selecting the gears 40 and 41. As shown in FIGS. 19 to 22 described in the first embodiment, the mirror 2
Can be driven to rotate in various patterns. That is, the gear 4 according to the present embodiment
Reference numerals 0 and 41 constitute a reduction ratio adjusting means of the present invention.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the fourth mode can be realized by one motor, and the shape of the end cam gear 6 and the reduction ratio of the gears 40 and 41 are selected. By setting Δφ shown in FIG. 19 to a desired value, the mirror 2 can be driven to rotate in various patterns.

(Third Embodiment: Two-Axis Driving Mechanism (End Cam Gear) + Multiple-Image Synthesizing Camera) FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 28, a third embodiment of the present invention includes an image input unit 200 (within a dotted frame) having the same configuration as the image input unit 200 in the first embodiment, and a motor 3A and a motor 3A.
Mirror rotation control means (control means) 102 for controlling B
And a computer 101 including an image acquisition unit 103, an image conversion unit 104, and an image synthesis unit 105, and an image display unit 106.

The computer 101 sends a control signal to the mirror rotation control means 102. Mirror rotation control means 102
Controls the motors 3A and 3B based on the control signal sent from the computer 101. The mirror 2 is rotationally driven according to the rotational driving of the motors 3A and 3B. The mirror 2 is driven by the driving patterns of the motors 3A and 3B.
How is rotated is described in detail in the description of the first embodiment.

On the other hand, in the computer 101, the image from the camera 1 obtained by the image obtaining means 103 is rotationally converted by the image converting means 104 in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the rotation-converted image is output to the image display unit 106 as it is. In the present embodiment, the rotation-converted image is further combined by the image combining unit 105, and The combined image is output to the image display means 106. Therefore, the image input device 200 according to the first embodiment aims to acquire an image in a desired direction by rotating the mirror 2, whereas the image input device 200 according to the present embodiment The object of the present invention is to obtain a wide-field image by rotating the camera 2 to obtain a plurality of images and combining them.

[0144] The state of image acquisition, conversion, and synthesis in the case where the mirror 2 is rotating only horizontally without rotating vertically, that is, in the first mode described in the description of the first embodiment, is illustrated. 29. In the first embodiment, the image is rotationally converted in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 2, and the vertical direction of the imaging target is aligned. The image synthesizing unit 105 synthesizes the rotated image. The degree of overlap between images at the time of combining is combined with reference to detection values by an origin sensor (not shown) and an encoder (not shown) for detecting the horizontal and vertical rotation angles of the mirror 2. Since the synthesized wide-field image is obtained by synthesizing a plurality of rotationally-transformed images, the upper and lower portions are jagged. Therefore, the image display means 106
, A central rectangular portion is cut out and output.

Next, description will be made regarding image composition when the mirror 2 is also rotated in the vertical direction. FIG. 30 shows a state of image composition when the mirror 2 is rotated as shown in FIG. 19 described in the description of the first embodiment. FIG.
In Fig. 9, only the state of image synthesis in one rotation is shown,
As described in the fourth mode, by repeating rotations with a shifted cycle, an image is generated even for an area that cannot be covered by one rotation, and finally a wide-field image represented by a rectangle is obtained. As described above, by performing image synthesis while the mirror 2 is rotated vertically, it is possible to extend the vertical angle of view of a wide-field image.

(Fourth Embodiment: Two-Axis Driving Mechanism + Deskstand Type Camera) A fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 31, a fourth embodiment of the present invention is directed to an image input unit 204 (within a dotted frame) and a stand 60 for fixing the image input unit 204 at a fixed height on a desk.
And a mirror rotation control unit 102 for controlling the motors 3A and 3B, a computer 101 including an image acquisition unit 103, an image conversion unit 104, and an image synthesis unit 105, and an image display unit 106. Have been. By rotating the motor 3A and the motor 3B to orient the mirror 2 in the direction in which the image is to be captured, it is possible to acquire an image in a desired direction.

The computer 101 sends a control signal to the mirror rotation control means 102. Mirror rotation control means 102
Controls the motors 3A and 3B based on the control signal sent from the computer 101. Computer 101
And control by the mirror rotation control means 102 and the motor 3
The mirror rotation by the rotation driving of A and 3B will be described later in detail.

On the other hand, the computer 101 obtains the image sent from the camera 1 by the image obtaining means 103. In the case of this embodiment as well, the computer 101 rotates the mirror 2 in front of the camera 1 as described later. In order to capture the image, a rotated image is obtained as in the first embodiment. That is, since the camera 1 is fixed and only the mirror 2 is rotated around the optical axis of the camera 1 to acquire an image in a desired direction,
An image as shown in FIG. 2 is obtained. Therefore,
The computer 101 performs a rotation conversion process on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 103 with the image conversion unit 104 and outputs the image to the image display unit 106. Further, similarly to the third embodiment, the rotation-converted image is converted into an image by the image synthesizing unit 105.
And the combined image can be output to the image display means 106.

The parameters of the rotation conversion process are determined by the relative rotation angle of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1. The image input unit 204 has a built-in origin sensor and encoder (not shown) for detecting the rotation angle of the mirror 2, and the computer 101 refers to these values to determine the relative rotation of the mirror 2 with respect to the camera 1. The angle can be detected. The parameters of the rotation conversion processing are calculated based on the parameters.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the mirror 2
By combining a two-axis drive mechanism that can rotate the camera in two-axis directions with a camera and rotating the mirror 2, an image in a desired direction can be acquired and displayed on the image display unit 106.

(Fourth Embodiment: Description of Image Input Unit 204) FIG. 32 is a diagram showing the configuration of the image input unit 204 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 31, and FIG.
33 is a diagram of the image input unit 204 shown in FIG. 32 as viewed from the side.

Image input unit 204 in the present embodiment
Is different from the image input unit 200 in the first embodiment in the arrangement of the two-axis driving mechanism. That is, in the image input unit 200 in the first and third embodiments, 2
The motors 3 </ b> A and 3 </ b> B of the shaft drive mechanism are arranged around the camera 1. On the other hand, in the image input unit 204 according to the present embodiment, not only the mirror 2 but also the entire two-axis driving mechanism is arranged in front of the camera, that is, the two-axis driving mechanism is arranged behind the mirror 2 as viewed from the camera 1 did.

The difference between the image input unit 204 and the image input unit 200 is basically only the method of arranging the two-axis drive mechanism, and the control method is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, description of the configuration of the two-axis driving mechanism, the rotation mode of the mirror 2, and the like will be omitted.

(Fifth Embodiment: Two-Axis Driving Mechanism (End Cam Gear) + Emitter) In the first to fourth embodiments, a two-axis driving mechanism using the end cam gear 6 according to the present invention,
The embodiment in which the camera is combined has been described. However, the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention can be combined with a projector that emits light. That is, in the first to fourth embodiments, the reflected light from the object is converted into an optical path by a mirror rotated by a two-axis driving mechanism and is input to the camera. On the contrary, the reflected light is emitted from the projector. The light can be converted into an optical path by a mirror rotated by a two-axis driving mechanism and projected on an object. As the light projector, a liquid crystal projector, a laser pointer, or the like can be considered. Therefore, an apparatus in which a two-axis drive mechanism according to the present invention and a liquid crystal projector are combined will be described below as a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing the configuration of the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 34, the fifth embodiment of the present invention
In this embodiment, a computer 101 includes a light projection unit 203 (within a dotted frame), a mirror rotation control unit (control unit) 102 that controls the motors 3A and 3B, an image generation unit 107, and an image conversion unit 104. And is provided. The image can be projected in a desired direction by rotating the motor 3A and the motor 3B and pointing the mirror 2 in the direction in which the image is to be projected.

The light projection unit 203 is the same as the image input unit 200 shown in FIG. 3 described in the first embodiment of the present invention.
The camera 1 is replaced with a liquid crystal projector 11,
The liquid crystal projector 11 is also placed with the projection direction facing upward. The two-axis driving mechanism for rotating the mirror 2 disposed in front of the liquid crystal projector 11 includes an image input unit 2
This is the same configuration as that of 00. Therefore, in the description of the present embodiment, description of the two-axis drive mechanism will be omitted. Hereinafter, control between the computer 101, the mirror rotation control unit 102, and the light projection unit 203 and the flow of an image will be described.

The computer 101 sends a control signal to the mirror rotation control means 102. Mirror rotation control means 102
Controls the motors 3A and 3B based on the control signal sent from the computer 101. Computer 101
And control by the mirror rotation control means 102 and the motor 3
Regarding the mirror rotation by the rotation drive of A and 3B, the first
The embodiment has been described.

On the other hand, the computer 101 generates an image to be projected by the image generating means 107. However, the image generated by the image generation unit 107 is an image in which the rotation of the mirror 2 is not considered. Therefore, the image conversion means 108
Represents the image generated by the image generation means 107 in the mirror 2
When the image is projected through the LCD, a rotation conversion process is performed so that the vertical direction of the image becomes a desired direction, and the image is sent to the liquid crystal projector 11. The liquid crystal projector 11 projects the image sent from the image conversion means 108. LCD projector 11
The light projected from the optical path is converted into an optical path by the mirror 2 and projected on the target.

In this embodiment, the liquid crystal projector 11 is used as the light projector, but may be, for example, a laser pointer or an illumination light. In any case, by combining the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention, desired light,
Alternatively, it becomes possible to project the projection light containing the image information in a desired direction.

(Sixth Embodiment: Two-Axis Drive Mechanism (Ring Parallel Movement of Ring Gear) + Camera) Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 35, and the configuration and functions thereof will be described.
Referring to FIG. 35, in a sixth embodiment of the present invention, an image input unit 205 (within a dotted frame) and a mirror rotation control unit (control unit) 102 for controlling the motors 3A and 3B are provided.
, A computer 101 including an image acquisition unit 103 and an image conversion unit 104, and an image display unit 106. By rotating the motor 3A and the motor 3B and turning the mirror 2 in the direction in which the image is to be taken,
An image in a desired direction can be obtained.

The computer 101 sends a control signal to the mirror rotation control means 102. Mirror rotation control means 102
Controls the motors 3A and 3B based on the control signal sent from the computer 101. Computer 101
And control by the mirror rotation control means 102 and the motor 3
The mirror rotation by the rotation driving of A and 3B will be described later in detail.

On the other hand, similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.
03, an image from the camera 1 is acquired, and the image
In step 4, the image acquired by the image acquiring unit 103 is subjected to rotation conversion processing and sent to the image display unit 106. Image display means 106
Then, the image sent from the computer 101 is displayed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, a desired combination of the two-axis drive mechanism capable of rotating the mirror 2 in two axial directions and the camera is provided, and the mirror 2 is rotated. Direction image is acquired, and the image display means 10
6 can be displayed.

(Sixth Embodiment: Description of Image Input Unit 205) FIG. 36 is a diagram showing a configuration of the image input unit 205 according to the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. FIG.
37 is a diagram of the image input unit 205 shown in FIG. 36 viewed from the side.

Referring to FIGS. 36 and 37, the image input unit 205 is composed of a camera body 1A and a lens 1B, and has the same optical axis and central axis as the camera 1 placed upward and the lens 1B. A ring gear 5, which is a ring-shaped gear, and a ring gear 5 for rotating the motor 3A.
Gear 4A for transmitting to the gear 4A and the ring gear 5 for the gear 4A
3A, a mirror 2 rotatably held by a mirror support 9 fixed to the ring gear 5, and a ring arranged so that the optical axis and the central axis of the lens 1B are the same. 12, a worm gear (ring moving mechanism) 42 for converting the rotation of the motor 3B into parallel movement of the ring 12 and transmitting the same, and a motor 3B for moving the ring 12 in parallel up and down via the worm gear 42. A link mechanism 7 having one end rotatably mounted on the mirror 2 and the other end being a rolling bearing 8, the rolling bearing configured to roll on a ring 12.
And a spring 10 for pressing the link mechanism 7 against the ring 12 so that the link mechanism 7 rolls while being in contact with the ring 12.

(Sixth Embodiment: Description of Mirror Horizontal Rotation Mechanism) When the motor 3A is driven to rotate, the ring gear 5 is driven to rotate via the gear 4A. Since the mirror 2 is held on the ring gear 5 by the mirror support 9,
The rotation of the ring gear 5 causes the lens 1B to rotate around the optical axis. That is, by rotating the motor 3A, the mirror 2 can be rotated around the optical axis of the lens 1B. The mirror 2 and the mirror support 9
Is rotatable at the mounting portion.

(Sixth Embodiment: Outline of Mirror Vertical Rotation Mechanism) On the other hand, when the motor 3B is driven to rotate, the ring 12 is moved vertically in parallel via the worm gear 42. The ring 12 is a simple ring having a constant thickness, unlike the end cam gear 6 described above. Ring 12
A rolling bearing 8 attached to an end of the link mechanism 7 is in contact with the upper surface of the upper surface so as to be movable on the upper surface.
The link mechanism 7 is attached to the mirror 2 and the mirror support 9 as shown in FIG. 37. When the link mechanism 7 moves up and down in parallel, the mirror 2 moves in the vertical direction about the mounting portion with the mirror support 9. It is to be rotated. A spring 10 is provided between the mirror 2 and the ring gear 5, and presses the rolling bearing 8 so that the rolling bearing 8 is always in contact with the ring 12.

As described above, the motor 3B, the worm gear 4
2. In the mechanism including the ring 12, the link mechanism 7, the rolling bearing 8, and the spring 10, the mirror 12 can be driven to rotate in the vertical direction by driving the ring 12 up and down in parallel.

(Sixth Embodiment: Description of Link Mechanism in FIG. 6) FIG. 38 is a side view of a mirror rotating unit of the image input unit 205 shown in FIG. The definition of the rotation angle of the link mechanism and the mirror 2 is the same as that of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

The worm gear 42 comprises a worm 42A attached to the motor 3B and a worm rack 42B attached to the ring 12. When the motor 3B rotates, the worm 42A is rotated, and the worm rack 42B is driven in parallel in the vertical direction, and the ring 12 is driven in parallel in the vertical direction. Here, the relationship between the rotation angle of the motor 3B and the rotation angle of the mirror 2 in the vertical direction will be described by formulating.

The upward parallel movement amount of the ring 12 when the motor 3B rotates by the angle η is defined as ΔS. here,
Assuming that the pitch of the warm rack 42B is P, ΔS and P
Is as shown in equation (27).

[0172]

[Equation 27]

The relationship of the above equation (2) holds between ΔS and θ. By substituting this, the equation (2) is obtained.
8) is obtained.

[0174]

[Equation 28]

Therefore, the computer 101 and the mirror rotation control means 102 can drive the mirror 2 to rotate vertically to a desired angle by controlling the motor 3B based on the equation (22).

Here, the equation (4) representing the vertical rotation angle of the mirror 2 in the two-axis drive mechanism using the end cam gear 6 and the vertical rotation angle of the mirror 2 in the two-axis drive mechanism using the worm gear 42 are used. Expression (2)
Compare 2).

In equation (4), θ is represented as a function of ΔS. ΔS is the angle ρ as can be seen from equation (10).
Is a function of Further, the angle ρ is calculated from the equation (11) as follows:
And the angle η. That is, the vertical rotation angle of the mirror 2 in the two-axis drive mechanism using the end cam gear 6 is related to the rotation angles of both the motor 3A and the motor 3B.

On the other hand, in the equation (22), θ is the motor 3B
Is a function of only the rotation angle η, and has no relation to the rotation angle φ of the motor 3A. That is, the horizontal and vertical rotations are independent of each other, as in the case of the two-axis head camera shown in the related art.

The first to sixth embodiments described above are embodiments in which the mirror 2 which is the driven portion rotates horizontally and vertically. However, the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention is capable of horizontally and vertically moving the driven part. It is clear that the parallel movement of the link mechanism 7 may be transmitted to the driven part as it is. In this case, a rail for guiding the vertical movement of the driven part is provided.

The embodiments of the image input device and the light projection device using the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention have been described above. Although the embodiment in the case of using the two-axis drive mechanism alone has not been described, the configuration and functions of the image input device and the light projection device for rotating the mirror 2 in two axes have been described.

The acquisition of a wide-field image by image composition described in the third embodiment is also possible in the second, fourth, and sixth embodiments.

Finally, in the first to sixth embodiments,
The two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention is applied to rotate the mirror 2 in two axes. However, the two-axis drive mechanism can also rotate, for example, a parabolic antenna or a telescope in two axes. Further, application to a missile launch pad, a rotary table that can be driven up and down, and the like is also possible.

Further, in these embodiments, the rolling bearing 8 is attached to the end of the link mechanism 7 that contacts the upper surface of the end cam gear 6, but the end of the link mechanism 7 simply slides relatively on the upper surface of the ring gear 6. It may be just.
However, the use of the rolling bearing 8 is advantageous in reducing the torque required for rotational driving because the frictional force generated at the contact portion between the link mechanism 7 and the end cam gear 6 is reduced. In particular, in each of the above embodiments, since the link mechanism 7 is pressed against the end cam gear 6 using the spring 10, it can be said that the torque reduction effect of the rolling bearing 8 is large.

Furthermore, although the spring 10 is used as a means for pressing the rolling bearing 8 against the end cam gear 6, other methods may be used. For example, a method in which a weight is attached to the mirror 2 and pressed using gravity is also conceivable.

[0185]

As described above, according to the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. According to the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, the vertical rotation or the vertical parallel movement of the driven part is realized by using the link mechanism, so that the driving part such as the motor is driven by the horizontal rotation. There is no need to mount it on For this reason, it is possible to drive the driven part in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction without providing an electrical connection to the rotating shaft part of the horizontal rotation. Also, the driven part for horizontal rotation is lighter,
The torque required for the drive unit for horizontal rotation can be reduced, and the drive unit can be reduced in size and cost. Further, since an electrical connection required for a drive unit for vertical rotation or vertical parallel movement is not required on a rotation axis of horizontal rotation, horizontal rotation can be performed endlessly without providing a slip ring or the like.

(Claim 3) In the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention,
Since the control means for controlling the rotation cycle of the ring gear and the end cam gear is provided, the driven part is driven in various patterns by a combination of the horizontal rotation speed of the driven part, that is, the rotation speed of the ring gear and the rotation speed of the end cam gear. It becomes possible. The rotational angular velocity of the ring gear is Vφ,
If the rotational angular velocity of the end cam gear is set to Vη, for example,
When Vφ = Vη ≠ 0, the driven portion is driven to rotate only in the horizontal direction without being rotated or moved in parallel in the vertical direction. Further, when Vφ ≠ Vη, Vφ ≠ 0, Vη ≠ 0, the driven unit is driven while comprehensively taking the horizontal angle and the vertical angle or the vertical position that the driven unit can take.
This is useful when the driven part is continuously driven while taking various postures. Further, when Vφ = 0 and Vη ≠ 0,
The driven portion is not rotated in the horizontal direction, but is rotated or moved only in the vertical direction. In this manner, the driven part can realize various complicated movements only by driving the ring gear and the end cam gear according to a simple rule. Further, even when the driven part is reciprocated or reciprocated in the vertical direction, it is only necessary to rotate the end cam gear in one direction, and it is possible to reduce the load on a motor or the like for driving the end cam gear.

According to the four-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, the rotation of the ring gear and the end cam gear for realizing the horizontal and vertical driving of the driven part is realized by one motor, so that the entire apparatus can be reduced in size. , Cost reduction, and power saving.

(Claim 5) Further, in the rotation transmission from the one motor to the ring gear and the end cam gear,
By changing each reduction ratio by the reduction ratio adjusting means, the movement of the driven part in the case of Vφ 上 記 Vη, Vφ ≠ 0, VηＶ0 can be realized. Therefore, in the case of an application in which it is only necessary to drive the driven part comprehensively continuously while taking various postures, it becomes possible to use a single driving mechanism such as a motor.

In the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, as a method of giving a variation to the movement of the driven portion, not only the combination of the rotation speeds of the ring gear and the end cam gear but also the shape of the end cam gear is devised. realizable. By designing the end cam gear so as to realize the drive profile of the driven portion according to the application, desired drive can be performed with simple control.

(Claim 6) Further, by making the shape of the end cam gear symmetrical with respect to the line of symmetry passing through the center thereof, the end cam gear is similarly covered regardless of which side of the end cam gear is used with respect to the straight line. The driving unit can be driven.

(Claim 7) Further, when the other end of the link mechanism is located on a straight line passing through the center of the end cam gear and perpendicular to the line of symmetry, the vertical angle or position of the driven portion is By designing the shape of the end cam gear to be the median value of the vertical rotation or vertical movement range, the driven part can be rotated or moved by the same amount based on any vertical angle or position of the driven part It can be.

(Embodiments 8 and 9) Similar to the two-axis drive mechanism of the first and second aspects, the driven parts can be moved in the horizontal and vertical directions without providing an electrical connection to the rotating shaft part for horizontal rotation. It can be driven. Therefore, it is not necessary to mount a drive unit such as a motor for vertical rotation or vertical parallel movement on a portion driven by horizontal rotation.
For this reason, the driven part for horizontal rotation becomes lighter, and the torque required for the drive part for horizontal rotation can be small,
The drive unit can be reduced in size and cost. Further, since an electrical connection required for a drive unit for vertical rotation or vertical parallel movement is not required on a rotation axis of horizontal rotation, horizontal rotation can be performed endlessly without providing a slip ring or the like.

In the present two-axis drive mechanism, the horizontal rotation of the driven portion is determined only by the horizontal rotation mechanism, and the vertical drive is determined only by the vertical rotation mechanism or the vertical movement mechanism. Therefore, if the vertical rotation mechanism or the vertical movement mechanism is stopped, horizontal rotation of the driven portion can be realized. For this reason, when the driven part is rotated only horizontally without rotating vertically, or when the driving is performed when the amount of change in the vertical direction is sufficiently smaller than the amount of change in the horizontal direction, claim 1 or claim 2 More suitable than the described two-axis drive mechanism.

(Claim 10) Furthermore, the control means for controlling the rotation cycle of the ring gear and the reciprocation cycle of the ring is used to
By not making the rotation cycle of the ring gear and the vertical reciprocation cycle of the ring the same, Vφ ≠ Vη, Vφ ≠ 0, Vη
The movement of the driven part in the case of ≠ 0 can be realized.

As described above, by using the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to rotate or move the driven part vertically in the vertical direction while horizontally rotating the driven part endlessly. Naturally, the present invention can be applied to a use for driving the driven part in two axes, for example, a two-axis rotation drive for a parabolic antenna or a telescope, a missile launch table, a horizontal / vertical rotary table, a horizontal rotary / vertical parallel moving table, and the like.

(Claim 11) Further, by combining a camera with a mirror rotating mechanism constituted by a two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, it is possible to constitute an image input device capable of capturing an image in a desired direction. Become. In this case, instead of rotating the camera itself horizontally and vertically, only the mirror is horizontally and vertically rotated using the two-axis drive mechanism of the present invention, so that the driven part does not include the camera and the vertical drive mechanism,
With only a light mirror, it is possible to acquire an image in a desired direction at high speed. Further, the torque of the drive mechanism for driving the mirror can be reduced, and the size, cost, and power consumption of the device can be reduced.

According to such an image input device, it is possible to generate a wide-field image by sequentially acquiring a plurality of images while rotating the mirror in the horizontal and vertical directions and combining them. However, even in such a case, since the mirror can be driven to rotate comprehensively while continuously and at various angles, it is possible to acquire a desired wide-field image by simple control. .

(Claim 13) Further, by installing such an image input device at a fixed height on a desk by a stand, it becomes possible to input an image of a state on a desk, a document on a desk, and the like.

(Claim 14) By combining a mirror rotating mechanism constituted by a two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention with a projector, it is possible to constitute a light projecting device capable of projecting light in a desired direction. Become. For example, if a liquid crystal projector capable of projecting a complicated image is used as a light projector, image information can be projected in a desired direction. At this time, since the mirror is rotated by the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention to project an image in a desired direction, there is no need to rotate and drive a heavy liquid crystal projector. Electricity can be achieved. Further, as the light projector, a laser unit for projecting a laser beam or the like can be considered. In this case, by rotating the mirror using the two-axis driving mechanism of the present invention, the mirror unit can be rotated at a higher speed than the laser unit, so that a simple graphic projection utilizing the afterimage phenomenon can be realized. Naturally, the device can be reduced in size, cost can be reduced, and power can be saved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state of an image acquired by the image input device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image input unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the image input unit shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a shape of an end cam gear of the image input unit illustrated in FIG. 3;

6 is a diagram showing a link mechanism of the image input unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between θ and S in the link mechanism shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a link mechanism different from that shown in FIG. 6;

9 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between θ and S in the link mechanism shown in FIG.

10 is a diagram showing the end cam gear and the angle ρ shown in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between ρ and θ.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a shape of an end cam gear.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing rotation angles φ and θ of a mirror.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a relationship between angles ρ and φ.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a graph representing the movement of the mirror in the first mode.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the movement of the mirror when shifting from the stop state of (φs, θs) to the continuous horizontal rotation drive at the vertical rotation angle θc.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a graph representing the movement of the mirror in the second mode.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a graph representing the movement of the mirror in the third mode.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a graph illustrating an example of the movement of the mirror in the fourth mode.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a graph representing the movement of the mirror when K approaches 0 or 2 in the fourth mode.

FIG. 21 is a graph showing mirror movement when K is close to 0 in a fourth mode.

FIG. 22 is a graph showing the movement of the mirror when K is large in the fourth mode.

FIG. 23 is a diagram showing a graph representing mirror movement in a fifth mode.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image input unit incorporating the end cam gear shown in FIG.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of the image input unit shown in FIG. 23 as viewed from the side.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing the movement of a mirror when only the motor 3A is moved using the end cam gear shown in FIG.

FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a configuration of a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a state of generating a wide-field image according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 30 is a diagram illustrating a state of image composition when the mirror is rotated as illustrated in FIG. 19;

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image input unit 204 shown in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a side view of the image input unit 204 shown in FIG. 32;

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a configuration of a sixth exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image input unit according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 37 is a side view of the image input unit shown in FIG. 35;

FIG. 38 is a diagram illustrating a link mechanism of the image input unit illustrated in FIG. 35;

FIG. 39 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a conventional two-axis camera.

FIG. 40 is a diagram showing a configuration of a conventional two-axis head camera using a slip ring.

FIG. 41 is a diagram showing the configuration of a mirror rotating camera according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 camera 1A camera body 1B lens 2 mirror 3, 3A, 3B motor 4A, 4B, 40, 41 gear 5 ring gear 6 end cam gear 7 link mechanism 8 rolling bearing 9 mirror support 10 spring 11 liquid crystal projector 12 ring 42 worm gear (ring moving mechanism) ) 42A worm 42B worm rack 50 L-shaped jig 51 slip ring 51A inside rotation terminal 51B outside rotation terminal 60 stand 70 link rod 101 computer 102 mirror rotation control means (control means) 103 image acquisition means 104, 108 image conversion means 105 image Synthesizing means 106 Image displaying means 107 Image generating means 109 Camera rotation controlling means 200, 201, 202, 204, 205 Image input unit 203 Light projection unit

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating a driven part about a rotation axis A, and a vertical rotation mechanism for rotating the driven part about a rotation axis B perpendicular to the rotation axis A. A horizontal gear mechanism, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, a ring gear holding the driven part, and the ring gear. And a motor that rotates the rotation about the rotation axis A. The vertical rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, and the height of the upper surface thereof is An end cam gear whose position changes along the circumferential direction; a motor that drives the end cam gear to rotate around the rotation axis A; and one end is rotatably attached to the driven portion, and the other end is Ends in front A link mechanism configured to be in contact with the upper surface of the end cam gear, and transmitting the rotation of the end cam gear to the driven portion as vertical rotation about the rotation axis B through parallel movement of the end cam gear; And pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the end cam gear so that the link mechanism comes into contact with the upper surface of the end cam gear. 2. A two-axis drive mechanism comprising: a horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating a driven part around a rotation axis A; and a vertical movement mechanism for vertically moving the driven part along the rotation axis A. Wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, and a ring gear that holds the driven part; The vertical movement mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, and the height position of the upper surface thereof in the circumferential direction An end cam gear that changes along the axis; a motor that drives the end cam gear to rotate about the rotation axis A; one end that is rotatably mounted on the driven part, and the other end that is the end cam gear. A link mechanism configured to come into contact with an upper surface, and transmitting the rotation of the end cam gear to the driven portion as vertical movement along the rotation axis A via its own parallel movement; and the other end is the end. Pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the end cam gear so as to contact the upper surface of the cam gear. 3. The two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling a rotation period of the ring gear and a rotation period of the end cam gear. 4. The two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the ring gear and the end cam gear are driven by one motor. 5. The two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising a reduction ratio adjusting means for adjusting a reduction ratio from the motor to the ring gear and the end cam gear. 6. The biaxial drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the end cam gear is symmetrical with respect to a line of symmetry passing through the center. Two-axis drive mechanism. 7. The two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the other end of the link mechanism is located on a straight line passing through the center of the end cam gear and perpendicular to the symmetry line. The vertical angle or position of the driven part is
A two-axis drive mechanism, which is set so as to be a median value of a range in which vertical rotation or vertical movement is possible. 8. A horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating a driven part about a rotation axis A, and a vertical rotation mechanism for rotating the driven part about a rotation axis B perpendicular to the rotation axis A. A horizontal gear mechanism, wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, a ring gear holding the driven part, and the ring gear. A motor configured to rotate around the rotation axis A, wherein the vertical rotation mechanism comprises: a ring arranged so that the rotation axis A and the central axis are the same; and a ring arranged along the rotation axis A. A ring moving mechanism for reciprocating the ring, one end of the ring is rotatably attached to the driven part, and the other end is configured to come into contact with the upper surface of the ring, Own parallel A link mechanism for transmitting to the driven part as vertical rotation about the rotation axis B via motion, and pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the ring so that the other end contacts the upper surface of the ring; A two-axis drive mechanism, comprising: 9. A two-axis drive mechanism comprising: a horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating a driven part around a rotation axis A; and a vertical movement mechanism for vertically moving the driven part along the rotation axis A. Wherein the horizontal rotation mechanism is a ring-shaped gear arranged so that the rotation axis A and the center axis are the same, and a ring gear that holds the driven part; And a motor that rotates around the ring. The vertical movement mechanism comprises: a ring arranged so that the rotation axis A is the same as the center axis; and a ring movement for reciprocating the ring along the rotation axis A. A mechanism, one end of which is rotatably attached to the driven portion, and the other end of which is in contact with the upper surface of the ring, and reciprocates the ring via its own parallel movement. Said A link mechanism for transmitting the vertical movement along the rotation axis A to the driven portion, and pressing means for pressing the link mechanism against the ring so that the other end contacts the upper surface of the ring. A two-axis drive mechanism. 10. The two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 8, further comprising control means for controlling a rotation cycle of the ring gear and a reciprocation cycle of the ring. 11. A camera, a mirror disposed in front of the camera for changing the optical path of reflected light from a subject in the direction of the camera, and a mirror horizontal rotation mechanism for rotating the mirror around the optical axis of the camera And a mirror vertical rotation mechanism that makes the mirror perpendicular to the optical axis of the camera and rotates around a straight line included in the reflection surface of the mirror, and an image in a desired direction by rotating the mirror. An image input device capable of inputting, wherein the mirror horizontal rotation mechanism and the mirror vertical rotation mechanism are:
11. An image input apparatus comprising a two-axis drive mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis A is an optical axis of the camera. 12. The image input device according to claim 11, further comprising an image synthesizing unit that synthesizes a plurality of input images while rotating the mirror. 13. The image input device according to claim 11, further comprising a stand for installing and supporting the image input device at a fixed height on a desk, wherein the mirror of the image input device is provided. 1, 3-8,
An image input device, wherein the image input device is rotated in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction by the two-axis drive mechanism according to any one of Claims 10. 14. A light projector for projecting desired light, a mirror disposed in front of the light projector for changing the optical path of light projected from the light projector, and rotating the mirror about an optical axis of the light projector. A mirror horizontal rotation mechanism, and a mirror vertical rotation mechanism that rotates the mirror around a straight line that is perpendicular to the optical axis of the projector and that is included in the reflection surface of the mirror, and is desirable by rotating the mirror. A light projection device capable of projecting light in a direction, wherein the mirror horizontal rotation mechanism and the mirror vertical rotation mechanism are:
An optical projection device comprising a two-axis driving mechanism according to any one of claims 1, 3 to 8, and 10, wherein the rotation axis A is an optical axis of the camera.