JP2001199492A - Lens protective container - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lens protective container for picking up an image in a good manner without problems (generation of darkness on sections other than a high luminance object, generation of smear phenomenon and the like) even when a high luminance object such as the sun enters into the image pickup visual field of an image pickup lens and not narrowing the photographic range of a wide-angle lens. SOLUTION: A lens protective container storing a lens for photographing an image inside and having a transparent window for picking up the image of the object outside by the lens is provided with a movable cover for the window covering a part of the window, and at least a part of the outer face of the window is formed into a spherical crown shape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a lens protection container for protecting an imaging lens, and more particularly, to a lens protection container for storing an image for taking an image in outdoor photography or the like. The present invention relates to a lens protection container having a transparent window through which the lens captures an image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 12 shows a known lens protection container for an imaging lens. That is, the lens protection container 501 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped hollow box 503 made of metal or the like, and a transparent window 505 made of glass or the like on one surface of the box 503. An imaging lens (not shown) is arranged inside the box 503, and the outside of the lens protection container 501 is imaged by the lens through the window 505.

[0003]

However, FIG.
When the imaging lens is arranged inside the lens protection container 501 shown in FIG. 1 and an image is taken, a high-luminance object such as the sun may enter the imaging field of view of the imaging lens. In such cases,
If the aperture is stopped down in accordance with the high-brightness object, a portion other than the high-brightness object may be darkened and the image may not be captured properly. If a CCD camera is used for imaging, a high-luminance object forms an image on the CCD, which may cause a smear phenomenon along the vertical transfer path of the CCD. There was also the problem of disturbing parts.

The wide-angle lens has a large angle of view (photographing angle) and can photograph a wide range with one lens, and thus tends to be frequently used for monitoring surrounding conditions. For example, if the fish-eye lens having a field angle (shooting angle) of about 180 degrees or more is disposed on the ground surface so that the optical axis of the fish-eye lens is directed vertically upward, the ground surface around the fish-eye lens by one fish-eye lens You can shoot all of the above situations. Since such a wide-angle lens has a wide field of view, a high-luminance object such as the sun often enters the field of view. Further, the lens protection container 5 shown in FIG.
When a wide-angle lens is disposed inside the camera 01, the shooting range of the wide-angle lens is limited to a narrow range, and the wide-angle lens feature that the shooting range is wide may not be utilized. That is, since the wide-angle lens disposed inside the lens protection container 501 can capture only the imaging range through the window 505, even if the wide-angle lens itself can capture a wide range, Since the window portion 505 is small, the wide-angle lens may only be able to capture an image in a narrow imaging range narrowed by the window portion 505 in some cases. In particular, when a fish-eye lens (having an angle of view (shooting angle) of about 180 degrees or more) is disposed inside the lens protection container 501 shown in FIG. 12, how the fish-eye lens is disposed inside the lens protection container 501 However, it was not possible to photograph the entire wide photographing range inherent in the fisheye lens.

Therefore, in the present invention, even if a high-luminance object such as the sun enters the imaging field of view of the imaging lens, the above problem (a portion other than the high-luminance object becomes dark or a smear phenomenon occurs). It is an object of the present invention to provide a lens protection container capable of imaging well without causing a problem, and to provide a lens protection container that does not reduce the photographing range of a wide-angle lens. It should be noted that the “wide-angle lens” in this specification means that the angle of view (shooting angle) is 10
A photographing lens of 0 degrees or more is widely referred to. Therefore,
The term “wide-angle lens” used in the present specification includes any of a so-called wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a fish-eye lens having an angle of view (photographing angle) of 100 degrees or more.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A lens protection container (hereinafter, referred to as "the container") of the present invention accommodates a lens for capturing an image therein, and the lens captures an external object. A lens protective container having a transparent window portion for covering a part of the window portion, the lens protective container having a movable cover for the window portion. For this reason, even if a high-brightness object such as the sun exists in the direction in which the imaging lens enters the field of view of the imaging lens, the cover is arranged so that the cover covers the high-brightness object. It is possible to avoid direct incidence of light from the object, to prevent the above-mentioned problems (darkening of parts other than the high-brightness object, occurrence of smear phenomenon, etc.), and to achieve good imaging. it can. Here, that the window portion is "transparent" means that the lens allows light rays to pass through to such an extent that the lens can image an external object to a desired extent, and it may be colored or colorless. The light beam is not limited to visible light, but may be any light as long as it can photograph an external object, for example, infrared light or ultraviolet light. The “cover” as used herein may be any as long as the light for imaging is attenuated when passing through the cover, and the cover is present by absorbing or reflecting the light. It suffices if the light does not transmit the light beam than it does not, and includes a light beam that does not transmit the light beam substantially at all. The cover is "movable with respect to the window"
It does not mean that any portion of the window can be covered by moving the cover, but it is sufficient that at least two different portions of the window can be covered by moving the cover. The size of the cover with respect to the window portion can prevent light rays from the assumed high-brightness object from directly entering the imaging lens, and the imaging region other than the portion covered by the cover has a desired extent. What is necessary is just to be ensured.

[0007] The container has cover position determining means for determining a position where the cover is to be arranged, and cover driving means for driving the cover to the position determined by the cover position determining means. It may be. In this way, the covering position determining means determines the position where the covering is to be arranged, and the covering driving means drives the covering to the position determined by the covering position determining means, so that the covering is automatically moved to the required position. Can be moved. The cover position determining means may specify a direction in which the high brightness object exists, and determine a position where the cover should be arranged so that the cover covers the direction in which the high brightness object exists. By doing so, the direction in which the high-brightness object exists can be reliably covered by the cover, so that light from the high-brightness object can be directly prevented from being incident on the imaging lens. (Parts other than the high-brightness object are darkened or a smear phenomenon occurs) can be prevented, and an image can be captured well. Further, the covering position determining means may specify the direction in which the high-luminance object exists, and may be any method. For example, if the high-luminance object moves regularly like the sun, etc. Alternatively, the direction in which the current high-luminance object exists may be specified by storing the regular movement route. The covering position determining means may specify the direction in which the high-brightness object is present from the image data captured by the lens, so that the direction in which the high-brightness object actually exists can be directly determined. , The direction in which the high-brightness object exists can be specified reliably and accurately regardless of the movement of the high-brightness object.

The container may include a wiper which abuts on the outer surface of the window to slide and wipe the outer surface, and the wiper may also serve as the cover. If the container is used outdoors, rainwater, dust, or other foreign matter may adhere to the outer surface of the window, which may make it difficult to photograph the outside of the container via the window. It is preferable to provide a wiper that moves and wipes foreign substances adhered to the outer surface (by wiping the outer surface by the wiper,
The image captured through the window can be kept clear. ). If the wiper has a portion that attenuates the light beam when the light beam for imaging passes (the light beam may be substantially not transmitted at all), the wiper also serves as the cover. You can make it. By doing so, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced and the drive control can be simplified as compared with the case where the wiper and the cover are separately provided.

In this container, an outer surface of the window portion has a spherical crown shape, and a wiper abutting on the outer surface of the spherically shaped window portion, and a first rotating shaft having a diameter of the spherical crown shape. First wiper rotating means for rotating as a center,
The wiper may also be used as the cover, and the cover driving means may also be used as the first wiper rotating means. As described above, when an image is taken through a flat window using a wide-angle lens having a wide field of view, the window cannot cover the entire wide field of view possessed by the wide-angle lens, and there is a problem that the photographing range is narrowed. Was. In order to avoid this problem, the outer surface of the window may have a spherical crown shape. And a wiper contacting the outer surface of the spherical crown-shaped window, and first wiper rotating means for rotating the wiper about a first rotating shaft which is the spherical crown diameter. By making the outer surface of the window portion spherical, it is possible to avoid narrowing the field of view of the above-described wide-angle lens, and to wipe off foreign substances attached to the outer surface of the window portion with a wiper. Image can be kept clear. Furthermore, if the wiper has a portion that attenuates the light beam when the light beam for imaging passes (the light beam may be substantially not transmitted at all), the wiper may cover the cover. And the cover driving means can also be used as the first wiper rotating means. By doing so, the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be reduced and the drive control can be simplified as compared with the case where the wiper and the cover are separately provided. Here, the term “spherical crown-shaped diameter” refers to the diameter of a sphere having the spherical crown as a part. The first rotation axis may be substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. By doing so, the wiper is rotated about the first rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens, so that the wiper passes through the intersection of the outer surface of the window and the straight line including the optical axis. When the outer surface is divided into two areas by a plane perpendicular to the first rotation axis, one of the two areas and the other area can be wiped in substantially the same manner, and can be obtained through the one area. The effect of the difference in the degree of wiping between the image and the image obtained via the other region can be reduced.

In this container, the outer surface of the window has a spherical crown shape, a wiper in contact with the outer surface of the spherical crown window, and a first rotating shaft having a diameter of the spherical crown. First wiper rotating means for rotating as a center,
When the wiper is also used as the cover, and the cover driving means is also used as the first wiper rotating means, the first rotation of the wiper by the first wiper rotating means is performed. A second wiper rotating means for rotating the wiper about a second rotation axis which intersects an axis at the center of the crown, wherein the cover driving means includes the second wiper rotating means It may be. In this way, the wiper as the cover is
A second rotation axis that intersects the first rotation axis at the center of the spherical crown,
Can be freely rotated about two different rotation axes, and can be arranged in a desired direction and position on the outer surface of the window portion. Light from the camera can be prevented from being directly incident, and the necessary image portion can be prevented from being covered. Here, the “center of the spherical crown” refers to the center of a sphere that has the spherical crown as a part.

[0011] The first rotation axis and the second rotation axis may be substantially perpendicular to each other. With this configuration, the wiper can be freely positioned at a desired position on the spherical outer surface by the rotation about the first rotation axis and the rotation about the second rotation axis. In particular, since the two rotation axes are substantially perpendicular to each other, the wiper can be freely positioned at a desired position on the spherical crown-shaped outer surface without increasing both the rotation angles too much.

[0012] When the container further includes the second wiper rotating means, and the cover driving means includes the second wiper rotating means, the wiper has the first rotating shaft. When the high-luminance object is present in a peripheral portion of the field of view of the lens, the cover is in contact with the outer surface along a line of intersection between the plane to which it belongs and the outer surface, and the cover is one of the windows corresponding to the peripheral portion. The cover driving means may drive the cover so as to cover only the portion. The wiper abuts on the outer surface along a line of intersection between the plane to which the first rotation axis belongs and the outer surface, so that when the wiper is rotated about the first rotation axis, A wiper can wipe a wide area of the window. When the high-brightness object is present in a peripheral portion of the field of view of the lens, the cover driving means is arranged such that the cover (also used by the wiper) covers only a part of the window corresponding to the peripheral portion. (The first wiper rotating means and the second wiper rotating means) drive the cover (the wiper) so that the cover (the wiper) is an important central part of the imaging field of the lens. This is preferable because the high-luminance object can be covered without covering the vicinity. When the high-luminance object is present in a peripheral portion of the field of view of the lens, the cover driving unit drives the cover so that the cover covers only a part of the window corresponding to the peripheral portion. It may be of any type, and is not particularly limited. For example, consider a line segment connecting the center of the field of view of the lens and the high-luminance object, and consider the line perpendicular to the line segment and the height. The wiper (the cover) is driven by the cover driving means (the cover) so that the longitudinal direction of the wiper is along a straight line passing through the luminance object and the central portion is located at the position of the high luminance object with respect to the longitudinal direction of the wiper. One wiper rotating means and the second wiper rotating means) may be driven.

As described above, when an image is taken through a flat window using a wide-angle lens having a wide field of view, the window cannot cover the entire wide field of view of the wide-angle lens, and the range of photography is reduced. There was a problem. In order to avoid this problem, the outer surface of the window may have a spherical crown shape. In this case, the lens protection container accommodates a lens for capturing an image therein, and the lens captures an external object. Lens protective container having a transparent window for use in the lens protection container, wherein at least a part of the outer surface of the window has a spherical crown shape. A fish-eye lens having the widest field of view among the ones generally used as wide-angle lenses is generally a fish-eye lens having an angle of view (shooting angle) of about 180 degrees, and covers an angle of view of about 180 degrees. In order to achieve this, the spherical crown shape may be substantially hemispherical. The “substantially hemisphere” here refers to a spherical crown formed by cutting a spherical surface at a plane intersecting the spherical surface.
Two points of intersection between the diameter of a circle formed by the intersection of the spherical surface before cutting and the plane and the circumference of the circle (points J and K)
And the center of the sphere (point L) are connected by a line segment to form a triangle (JKL), and the central angle JLK at this time
(That is, the angle formed by being sandwiched between the line segment JL and the line segment KL. This central angle is hereinafter simply referred to as “central angle”.)
Means 100 degrees or more, preferably 110 degrees or more, more preferably 120 degrees or more, and most preferably 130 degrees or more (180 degrees or less). If this lens protective container is used outdoors or the like, foreign matter such as rainwater or dust adheres to the outer surface of the window, which may make it difficult to photograph the outside of the container through the window. It is preferable to provide a wiper that wipes foreign substances adhered to the outer surface by contacting and sliding (by wiping the outer surface by the wiper,
The image captured through the window can be kept clear. ).

When the container is provided with a wiper for wiping an outer surface of a window of the container, the wiper is formed in a convex or concave shape at a position where the tip of the wiper slides when the wiper is driven. It may be provided with a wiper cleaning means. Since the wiper wipes off foreign matter (for example, rainwater, dust, dust, etc.) attached to the outer surface of the window, the wiped foreign matter adheres to the tip of the wiper. For this reason, in order for the wiper to slide on the outer surface to clean the outer surface, it is preferable to remove foreign matter attached to the tip of the wiper. The method of removing foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper may be any method, and is not particularly limited. For example, when the wiper is driven, the tip of the wiper has a convex shape at a sliding position. Or it may be provided with a wiper cleaning means formed in a concave shape, so that when the wiper is driven, foreign matter attached to the tip of the wiper, the wiper cleaning means formed in a convex or concave shape. Since it is rubbed off from the tip, foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper can be removed. The "tip of the wiper" as used herein refers to a portion of the wiper that comes into contact with and wipes the outer surface of the window. Further, since the wiper cleaning means is formed in a convex or concave shape on a surface on which the distal end of the wiper slides when the wiper is driven, the distal end portion passes through a step formed by the convex or concave shape. In doing so, foreign matter adhering to the tip is scraped off. In addition, "convex or concave" means
A portion where the distance from the straight line to which the direction belongs is a plane to which the direction of the velocity vector of the tip portion when the tip portion passes through the wiper cleaning means and which is cut by the plane passing through the wiper cleaning means. It means having.

The wiper cleaning means may be of any type as long as it is formed in a convex or concave shape on the surface on which the tip of the wiper slides when the wiper is driven, and is particularly limited. Although not limited thereto, for example, it may be one of a sponge, a rubber, and a brush provided in a convex shape. By using one of the sponge, rubber, and brush provided in a convex shape as described above, the tip of the wiper is rubbed by the sponge, rubber, and brush having flexibility, so that the tip is effectively prevented from being damaged. Foreign matter can be removed. Further, the wiper cleaning means may be a groove formed in a concave shape, and by doing so, the foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper is rubbed off, and the rubbed foreign matter is accommodated in the groove. Further, it is possible to effectively prevent the scattered foreign matter from being scattered and re-adhering to the outer surface of the window other than the wiper cleaning means.

[0016] The wiper cleaning means may be provided annularly on the outer surface of the window. By doing so, foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper is effectively prevented from entering the inside of the ring formed by the wiper cleaning means, and therefore, through the window corresponding to the inside of the ring formed by the wiper cleaning means. By capturing an image, the image can be kept clear. When the wiper cleaning means is provided in an annular shape on the outer surface of the window, the outer surface of the window has a spherical crown shape, and the wiper cleaning means has a plane substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. It may be provided annularly along the line of intersection with the outer surface. By doing so, the foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper is scraped off by the wiper cleaning means provided annularly along the intersection line, so that the central part of the imaging field through which the optical axis of the lens passes (usually, The central portion is often important), and the presence of the scraped foreign matter is preferable because the important central portion of the imaging field of view is not harmed.

[0017] The wiper cleaning means may be one that does not enter the field of view of the lens. The wiper cleaning means is formed in a convex or concave shape, and if it is within the range of the field of view of the lens, the image taken in the range where the wiper cleaning means is located is affected, and a clear image can be obtained. No longer possible (in some cases, no image can be obtained). Therefore, it is preferable that the wiper cleaning unit is formed at a position outside the field of view of the imaging lens.

The wiper has a wiper body in contact with an outer surface of the window, a wiper frame supporting the wiper body, and a wiper frame interposed between the wiper frame and the wiper body. Urging means for urging the main body against the outer surface. By doing so, the wiper body is urged against the outer surface of the window portion with respect to the wiper frame by the urging means, so that the wiper body comes into contact with the outer surface of the window portion in a stable state, so that the outer surface can be wiped well. Can be.
The "biasing means" referred to here may be any means as long as it is interposed between the wiper frame and the wiper body and can bias the wiper body against the outer surface of the window with respect to the wiper frame. Although it is not done,
For example, a spring (including a helical spring or a leaf spring) or a material having elasticity such as rubber may be used. Also, the wiper body is preferably formed of a flexible material so as to be able to make good contact with the outer surface, for example, rubber,
You may form with a sponge, a brush, etc. The wiper frame may be of any type as long as it can support the wiper main body and the biasing means with sufficient strength, and is not particularly limited.For example, the wiper main body is arranged along the wiper main body. It may be formed of a metal (a steel material such as stainless steel or carbon steel, aluminum) or a resin material so as to support it.

The outer surface of the window may be subjected to a water-repellent treatment or a photocatalytic coating treatment. When this container is used outdoors, rainwater or dust may adhere to the outer surface of the window, and the outside of the container may not be properly photographed through the window. It is preferable that foreign matter such as is not attached. In order to prevent moisture such as rainwater from adhering to the outer surface, the outer surface may be subjected to a water-repellent treatment. Since the water-repellent treatment is a known technique, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. For example, a fluorine coating or the like applied to glass can be used. To prevent dust and fine oil droplets from adhering to the outer surface, the outer surface may be subjected to a photocatalytic coating treatment. The photocatalytic coating is a photocatalytic (eg,
A thin film of a component containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) is formed on the outer surface, and is irradiated with light (for example, sunlight) to decompose and remove organic substances attached to the thin film. Although it does not specifically limit as a photocatalyst, For example, you may use the Hydrotect (trade name) of TOTO KIKI CO., LTD. (TOTO).

The lens housed in the container may be any lens and is not particularly limited.
It may be a wide-angle lens. Note that, as described above, the “wide-angle lens” broadly refers to a photographic lens having an angle of view (imaging angle) of 100 degrees or more regardless of the projection method or the like (of course, the angle of view (imaging angle)). Is less than or equal to 360 degrees). Therefore, the “wide-angle lens” referred to in this specification includes:
Any of a so-called wide-angle lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a fish-eye lens having an angle of view (photographing angle) of 100 degrees or more is included. The term “fish-eye lens” as used in this specification broadly refers to a photographing lens having an angle of view (photographing angle) of 180 degrees or more regardless of a projection method or the like. By using such a wide-angle lens having a wide angle of view (shooting angle), it is possible to image the surrounding environment widely.

[0021]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited by these.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a main container 11 according to one embodiment. The container 11 will be described with reference to FIG. The container 11 accommodates a lens (not shown) for capturing an image therein, and a colorless and transparent window portion 13 (formed of colorless and transparent glass) for the lens to capture an external object. ).
The container 11 includes a container body 15 and a heat shield plate 17. The container body 15 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box, and the window 13 is attached so as to protrude from one surface of the rectangular parallelepiped. The heat shield plate 17 functions as a so-called sunshade plate for preventing heat received by irradiation of sunlight from being transmitted directly to the container body 15 when the container 11 is installed outdoors. In the present embodiment, the heat shield plates 17 are provided along the three surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped. However, the heat shield plates 17 may be provided as appropriate depending on the installation location and installation direction of the container 11. Further, the heat shield plate 17 is not always essential.
The window 13 is provided so as to protrude from one surface of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped formed by the container body 15. The outer surface of the window 13 has a substantially hemispherical shape because the central angle is 140 degrees.
3 has a constant thickness from the outer surface in all parts,
The inside of the window 13 forms a partial internal space of the sphere.
The outer surface of the window 13 is coated with a photocatalyst coating, Hydrotect (trade name) of TOTO CORPORATION (TOTO). The window portion 13 has a wiper 2 for abutting and sliding on the spherical crown-shaped outer surface to wipe the outer surface.
1 is provided. Note that the wiper 21 slides on the outer surface by being rotated by a first wiper rotating means about a first rotation axis which is a diameter of a crown formed by the outer surface of the window portion 13 as described later. And wipe off. In the present embodiment, the wiper 21 is used to cover a part of the window 13.
(The wiper 21 is also used as a cover.) Further, a first wiper turning means described later functions as a cover driving means (the first wiper turning means is also used as the cover driving means). Further, the wiper 21
As will be described later, the first wiper is rotated by a second wiper rotating means about a second rotational axis which crosses the center of the crown and is substantially perpendicular to the first rotational axis. In the present embodiment, the second wiper rotating means functions as a cover driving means (the cover driving means includes the second wiper rotating means). In the present embodiment, the straight line 31 including the optical axis of the lens housed inside the container 11 includes the second rotation axis, and is located at the center of the crown formed by the outer surface of the window 13. The container body 1 intersects substantially perpendicularly to the first rotation axis.
5 is substantially parallel to the four sides of the substantially rectangular parallelepiped formed by the rectangular parallelepiped.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of the wiper 21. The movement of the wiper 21 will be described with reference to FIG. The wiper 21 is rotated by the first wiper rotation means about a first rotation axis, which is the diameter of a crown formed by the outer surface of the window portion 13 (the rotation angle is approximately 180 degrees). Slide and wipe the outer surface. The rotation about the first rotation axis (hereinafter, referred to as “first rotation”) is indicated by an arrow A in FIG. On the other hand, the wiper 21 is rotated by the second wiper rotation means about a second rotation axis that intersects the first rotation axis at the center of the crown and is substantially orthogonal to the first rotation axis. The angle moved is about 180 degrees). The rotation about the second rotation axis (hereinafter, referred to as “second rotation”) is indicated by an arrow B in FIG. By the free first rotation and the second rotation, the wiper 21 can be stopped in any direction in any position within the imaging range of the imaging lens.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged right side view of the window 13 and the wiper 21 (as viewed from the direction of arrow C in FIG. 1), and FIG. 4 shows the wiper 21 in the position D in FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE when arranged in FIG. 3 and 4
, The window 13 and the wiper 21 will be described in detail. Opening 43 formed in box 41 which is a part of container body 15
A fish-eye lens 45 attached to a CCD camera (not shown) is provided so as to protrude from the camera. The mounting plate 47 is attached to the edge of the opening 43 by screwing (an opening is formed in the mounting plate 47 so that a CCD camera (not shown) and the fisheye lens 45 to which the CCD camera is attached do not interfere with each other. There.) Mounting plate 47
, A rotation plate 49 is attached to be rotatable about a second rotation axis included in the straight line 31 including the optical axis of the fisheye lens 45. Here, the method of rotatably attaching the rotating plate 49 to the attaching plate 47 is performed by using a fixing screw 50. FIG. 13 is an end view showing the state of the mounting plate 47, the rotating plate 49, and the fixing screw 50 (the cut surface is the same as that of FIG. 4). FIG. 14 shows the mounting plate 47 facing the rotating plate 49. It is a figure which shows the place seen from the opposite side to the surface (in FIG. 13, the arrow Z direction). With reference to FIGS. 13 and 14, a state in which the rotating plate 49 is rotatably mounted on the mounting plate 47 will be described. First, the fixing screw 50 is fixed to the rotating plate 49 by fitting the leg 50 a of the fixing screw 50 into the rotating plate 49 (see FIG. 13). On the other hand, the mounting plate 47 is formed with a through groove 47b into which the leg 50a of the fixing screw 50 is loosely fitted but cannot pass through the head 50b of the fixing screw 50. The through groove 47b is provided along a circle having a constant radius around the second rotation axis included in the straight line 31 and has a cross section in a plane including the second rotation axis (that is, FIG. 1).
3) A narrow portion 47ba having a small width formed on the rotating plate 49 side.
And a wide large portion 4 formed on the side opposite to the rotating plate 49.
7bb. The small width portion 47ba is formed in such a width that the leg portion 50a of the fixing screw 50 is loosely fitted but the head portion 50b of the fixing screw 50 cannot pass through. Large part 47b
b is formed to have a width such that the head 50b of the fixing screw 50 is loosely fitted. Therefore, the fixing screw 50 fixed to the rotating plate 49 can move along the through groove 47b into which the fixing screw 50 is loosely fitted. Here, four through grooves 47b are provided at equal lengths along the circle, and one fixing screw 50 is provided in each of the through grooves 47b (four in total). When one of the four fixing screws 50 is located at the center of the through groove 47b through which it passes, the other three screws are all located at the center of the through groove 47b through which it passes. Rotating plate 49 in positional relationship
It is inserted in. For this reason, the fixing screw 50 loosely fitted therein moves along each through groove 47b, so that the rotating plate 49 is within a predetermined angle range (the length of the through groove 47b, (Depending on the central angle corresponding to the groove 47b). The method of rotatably attaching the rotation plate 49 to the attachment plate 47 is not limited to this, and various methods may be used. An O-ring 51 (exercise waterproof O-ring) is provided between the mounting plate 47 and the rotating plate 49 so that rainwater, dust, and the like do not enter the inside from between them. Thereby, the mounting plate 47
The rotary plate 49 is rotatable with the rotary plate 49 sealed.

The mounting plate 47 has a rotating plate driving motor 53
Is attached. The rotating plate drive motor 53 is constituted by a servomotor having a speed reducer, and a pinion 55 is attached to its rotating shaft (arranged substantially parallel to the second rotating shaft included in the straight line 31). ing.
On the other hand, the rotation plate 49 is formed with an opening having an inner peripheral edge 49a having a constant radius from the second rotation axis.
Is formed with an inner gear that meshes with the pinion 55. The pinion 55 and the inner gear are in mesh with each other. FIG. 5 shows this state. FIG. 5 shows the pinion 55 and the inner peripheral edge 49a viewed from the direction of arrow F in FIG. Therefore, the rotating plate drive motor 5
As the 3 rotates, the rotating plate 49 can be freely rotated in both directions about the second rotation axis included in the straight line 31. That is, in the present embodiment, the rotating plate drive motor 5
The second wiper turning means is constituted by the pinion 3, the pinion 55, and the inner ring gear formed on the inner peripheral edge 49a of the turning plate 49.

The rotating plate 49 is provided with a wiper operation motor 61. The wiper operation motor 61 is constituted by a servomotor having a speed reducer, and a bevel gear 63 is attached to a rotation axis thereof (arranged substantially in parallel to a second rotation axis included in the straight line 31). I have.
On the other hand, a first rotation axis which is the diameter of the crown formed by the outer surface of the window portion 13 and intersects the second rotation axis included in the straight line 31 substantially perpendicularly at the center of the crown (dotted line G in FIG. 4) The wiper operation shaft 65 is rotatably supported on the rotating plate 49 around the rotation shaft 49 (shown by). A bevel gear 67 meshing with the bevel gear 63 is provided at one end of the wiper operation shaft 65.
Is attached, and the other end of the wiper operation shaft 65 is fixed to one end of a wiper frame 81 described later (where the wiper operation shaft 65 penetrates the rotating plate 49, such as rainwater, dust, etc.). An O-ring 90 for sealing is provided to prevent foreign matter from entering.) Then, the leg portion of the bolt 69 fitted into the rotating plate 49 so that the first rotating shaft includes the shaft is loosely fitted into a through hole formed at the other end of the wiper frame 81, The wiper frame 81 can freely rotate about the first rotation axis. Therefore, by rotating the wiper operation motor 61, the wiper frame 81 can be rotated about the first rotation axis from the bevel gear 63 via the bevel gear 67 and the wiper operation shaft 65. That is, in the present embodiment, the first wiper rotating means is constituted by the wiper operation motor 61, the bevel gear 63, the bevel gear 67, and the wiper operation shaft 65.

The window 13 is attached to the rotating plate 49. The window 13 is a spherical crown made of colorless and transparent glass having a substantially constant thickness and an outer surface having a spherical crown. Window 13
The center of the crown formed by the outer surface is the intersection of the first rotation axis (indicated by a dotted line G in FIG. 4) and the second rotation axis (included in the straight line 31) (FIG. 4). It is liquid-tightly attached to the rotating plate 49 so as to substantially coincide with the middle point H). Accordingly, the wiper frame 81 is rotated around both the first rotation axis and the second rotation axis passing through the center of the spherical crown formed by the outer surface of the window portion 13 and being substantially perpendicular to each other. Can be

In the present embodiment, the wiper 87 that comes into contact with the outer surface of the window 13 to slide and wipe the outer surface is composed of a wiper body 85 that comes into contact with the outer surface of the window 13, and a wiper frame that supports the wiper body 85. 81, and a leaf spring 83 which is interposed between the wiper frame 81 and the wiper body 85 and biases the wiper body 85 against the wiper frame 81 toward the outer surface. The wiper body 85 is formed of an elongated flexible rubber plate-like member, and the window 1 extends along the longitudinal direction of the plate-like member.
3 is supported by a wiper frame 81 via a leaf spring 83 so as to bend along the shape of the outer surface so as to abut on the outer surface. One end of the leaf spring 83 as the urging means is attached to the wiper frame 81, and the other end is attached to the wiper main body 85, and urges the wiper main body 85 toward the outer surface of the wiper frame 81. The leaf spring 83 retains sufficient elasticity within a wide displacement range, so that even when the outer surface has a certain degree of unevenness or the first and second rotation axes are displaced to some extent, the wiper body 85 can be brought into close contact with the outer surface of the window portion 13, and the outer surface can be wiped evenly by the wiper body 85. The wiper frame 81 is formed of stainless steel, and does not transmit visible light used by the fisheye lens 45 for imaging. And wiper 8
7 abuts on the outer surface of the window 13 along a line of intersection between the plane to which the first rotation axis belongs and the outer surface of the window 13.

A wiper cleaning means 93 is formed in an annular and convex shape along the intersection of a plane substantially perpendicular to the straight line 31 including the optical axis of the fisheye lens 45 and the outer surface of the window 13. In the present embodiment, the wiper cleaning means 93 is formed by adhering an elongated sponge (a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is substantially circular) to the outer surface of the window 13, and the wiper cleaning means 93 is used to clean the wiper from the outer surface. The projecting height of the means 93 (the distance between the part of the wiper cleaning means 93 farthest from the outer surface and the outer surface) is herein about 2 mm, but is not limited to this. The wiper cleaning means 93 having such a convex shape is provided with the wiper 8 around the first rotation axis.
Since the tip of the wiper 87 (the tip of the wiper body 85) slides when the wiper 7 is rotated, the wiper 87 is rotated about the first rotation axis. The wiper 87 (the wiper body 85
Of the wiper 87 passes over the wiper cleaning means 93, and at this time, the foreign matter adhering to the tip of the wiper 87 is scraped off by the wiper cleaning means 93. In addition,
The wiper cleaning means 93 is formed at a position outside the field of view of the fisheye lens 45.

The main container 11 shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 can be operated at a place away from the place where the main container 11 is arranged. That is, the container 11 is controlled by a control device 101 as shown in FIG. 6, and the container 11 and the control device 101 are connected by a cable so that data can be exchanged. Therefore, the control device 101 is provided at a location remote from the location where the container 11 is disposed, and the control device 101
The container 11 can be operated via the. The control device 101 includes a covering position determining unit 103 serving as a covering position determining unit.
, A rotation command unit 105, a predetermined position input unit 107, a rotation selection unit 109, a first rotation control unit 111, and a second rotation control unit 113. And the covering position determining unit 10
3 is a high-luminance object direction specifying unit 115 and a coordinate conversion unit 1
17 and a rotation angle determination unit 119. Note that the rotation selection unit 109, the first rotation control unit 111, and the second rotation control unit 113 function as a part of a cover driving unit, and the first rotation control unit 111 further includes a first wiper rotation unit. The second rotation control unit 113 forms a part of a second wiper rotation unit.

An image picked up by a fish-eye lens 45, which is a kind of wide-angle lens, is converted into an electric signal by a conversion unit 45a that converts an optical signal into an electric signal using a CCD or the like, and is output. The output electric signal is branched into two parts, one of which is used for recording an image or displaying it on a screen (the one described as "image signal output" in FIG. 6) and the other one. Is input to the high-luminance object direction identifying unit 115 constituting the covering position determining unit 103. Then, a command to rotate the wiper 87 is input to the rotation command unit 105 via a keyboard or the like attached to the control device 101. This rotation command is referred to as an operation of wiping the entire outer surface of the window 13 by the wiper 87 (hereinafter referred to as “wiping operation”) or an operation of changing the stop position of the wiper 87 (hereinafter referred to as “position changing operation”). ) And whether the last position where the wiper 87 stops is the position determined by the covering position determining unit 103 described later or the position input to the predetermined position input unit 107 described later is input. (That is, one of the four types of selection, ie, two types of operation and two types of last stop position, is instructed). Further, a position predetermined as a position where the wiper 87 is finally stopped is input to the predetermined position input unit 107 via a keyboard or the like attached to the control device 101. In this case, the command to rotate the wiper 87 and the predetermined position where the wiper 87 is finally stopped are input via a keyboard or the like attached to the control device 101. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and it goes without saying that input may be made via a communication line from a computer provided remotely. If the command or the predetermined position is input by the remotely located computer, the wiper 87 is automatically operated such as issuing the command at predetermined time intervals. Alternatively, a person may instruct the remotely located computer each time to activate the wiper 87. Whenever a person instructs the remote computer to operate the wiper 87 each time, the position of the wiper 87 before the wiper 87 is operated is stored, and a predetermined wiper 87 is stored. After the operation of the wiper 87 is completed, an operation of returning to the stored position of the wiper 87 may be performed.

The first rotation control unit 111 controls the rotation angle of the wiper operation motor 61 of the container 11, and the second rotation control unit 113 controls the rotation angle of the rotation plate drive motor 53 of the container 11. Control. Since the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 are rotated by the servomotor as described above, the rotation angles can be freely set.

First, an image signal captured by the fish-eye lens 45 and converted into an electric signal by the conversion unit 45a is always input to the high-luminance object direction identification unit 115 constituting the covering position determination unit 103. High-brightness object direction identification unit 1
In 15, it is determined whether or not there is an object (high-luminance object) having a luminance higher than a preset luminance in the received image signal, and if so, the direction of the object is specified as a position in the image. I do. Data relating to the specified position is transmitted from the high-luminance object direction specifying unit 115 to the coordinate conversion unit 117. Upon receiving the data on the specified position, the coordinate conversion unit 117 stores the characteristic formulas of the fisheye lens 45 stored in advance (for example, assuming an image height h, a half angle of view x, and a focal length f, h = fx). Is converted to polar coordinates having the origin at the center (point H in FIG. 4) of the crown formed by the outer surface of the window 13. It should be noted that a technique for performing coordinate conversion of a predetermined position of a circular image photographed by a fish-eye lens using a characteristic equation of the fish-eye lens is known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-501585, and a description thereof will be omitted. The obtained position indicated by the polar coordinates is transmitted from the coordinate conversion unit 117 to the rotation angle determination unit 119. The rotation angle determination unit 119 determines a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis so that the received position can be covered by the wiper 87. . Rotation angle determination unit 1
19 is a range in which the wiper 87 is imaged in accordance with a range imaged by the fisheye lens 45 and a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis. A range in which the wiper 87 is imaged by changing a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis can be calculated. Evaluate the area covering. This is evaluated under the following evaluation conditions. That is, (1) all the high-brightness objects are covered, (2) if the high-brightness objects are in the peripheral portion of the field of view of the fisheye lens, the wiper 87 covers only the portion corresponding to the peripheral portion, (3) The evaluation condition of (3) to make the covering area small is (1) (2)
It is evaluated in the priority order of (3). Rotation angle determination unit 119
Determines a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis that best satisfy these evaluation conditions, and outputs the rotation angle to the rotation selection unit 109. In addition,
Among the evaluation conditions, the method (2) for determining whether or not the high-brightness object exists in the peripheral portion of the field of view of the fisheye lens is, for example, whether the high-brightness object exists within a predetermined number of pixels from the periphery of the field of view. (For example, whether or not a high-luminance object exists within a range of 150 pixels from the edge of the field of view). The evaluation condition (3) may be determined by trial and error while changing both the rotation angles. For example, when the field of view of the lens is circular, the center of the field of view and the high-luminance object are connected. The longitudinal direction of the wiper 87 extends along a straight line passing through the high-brightness object perpendicular to the line segment, and the central portion is located at the position of the high-brightness object with respect to the longitudinal direction of the wiper 87. The determination can also be performed by determining the two rotation angles.
As described above, the covering position determining unit 103 serving as a covering position determining unit for determining the position where the wiper 87 as the covering is to be disposed is determined by the high-luminance object direction identifying unit 115, the coordinate converting unit 117, and the rotation angle determining unit 119. It is configured.

On the other hand, the position at which the wiper 87 is stopped is input to the predetermined position input unit 107 as a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis. As described later, the stop position of the wiper 87 can be selected from the position determined by the covering position determining unit 103 or the position input from the predetermined position input unit 107. This is for determining the stop position of the wiper 87 when the input position is selected. Here, both rotation angles are input to the predetermined position input unit 107 via a keyboard or the like attached to the control device 101, and the input both rotation angles are input to the predetermined position input unit 1.
07, and the stored both rotation angles are always transmitted to the rotation selection unit 109. When the two rotation angles are newly input to the predetermined position input unit 107, the two rotation angles stored in the predetermined position input unit 107 are rewritten. As described above, it is needless to say that the position at which the wiper 87 is stopped may be input from a remotely located computer via a communication line.

A command to rotate the wiper 87 is input to the rotation command unit 105 via a keyboard or the like attached to the control device 101. This rotation command includes either the wiping operation or the position changing operation as described above, and the position at which the wiper 87 stops after the operation ends.
3 or a predetermined position input unit 10
7 is input as to whether the position is to be input. When the rotation command unit 105 receives this input, the rotation command unit 105 immediately transmits the received content to the rotation selection unit 109.
For example, in a case where the sun stops and the sun comes out and enters the imaging range when the rain stops, if an input is made to stop the wiper 87 at the position determined by the covering position determining unit 103 after the wiping operation, the window The wiper 87 stops so as to wipe off and remove the rainwater attached to the portion and cover the sun. As described above, it is needless to say that the command to rotate the wiper 87 may be input from a remotely located computer via a communication line.

The rotation selection unit 109 instructs the first rotation control unit 111 and the second rotation control unit 113 according to the signal received from the rotation command unit 105. That is, the rotation selection unit 109
Determines whether the operation is a wiping operation or a position changing operation. In the case of the wiping operation, a predetermined wiping operation is performed by the first rotation control unit 111 (in such a manner that the wiper 87 performs forward and reverse reciprocating wiping operations several times). (The rotation selection unit 109 stores the information in advance.)
Send a signal to If the rotation selection unit 109 determines that the operation is a position change operation, a signal for performing the wiping operation is not sent. Thereafter, the rotation selection unit 109 determines whether the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is designated is a position determined by the covering position determination unit 103 or a position input to the predetermined position input unit 107. I do. When it is determined that the position determined by the covering position determining unit 103 is designated, the rotating angle around the first rotating axis and the rotating angle around the second rotating axis received from the covering position determining unit 103 are determined. The rotation selection unit 109 instructs the first rotation control unit 111 and the second rotation control unit 113 to rotate the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 according to the rotation angle. When it is determined that the position determined by the covering position determination unit 103 is not specified, the rotation angle around the first rotation axis and the rotation angle around the second rotation axis received from the predetermined position input unit 107 are received. The rotation selection unit 109 instructs the first rotation control unit 111 and the second rotation control unit 113 to rotate the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 according to the rotation angle.

The first rotation control unit 111 and the second rotation control unit 1
13 rotates the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 in accordance with a command from the rotation selection unit 109, respectively. Since the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 both use servo motors,
It is possible to accurately rotate to a rotation position according to a command from the rotation selection unit 109. In addition, in this embodiment, although the thing which installed the control apparatus 101 in the place away from this container 11 was shown, it is not limited to this,
The control device 101 may be installed at a position adjacent to the main container 11, and the control device 101 may be installed inside the main container 11.

Next, the operation of the container 11 having the above configuration will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the container 11. The rotation angle determination unit 11
It is assumed that the initial values of the rotation angle around the first rotation axis and the rotation angle around the second rotation axis are input to 9 and the predetermined position input unit 107.

First, an image signal captured by the fish-eye lens 45 and converted into an electric signal by the conversion unit 45a is input to the high-luminance object direction identification unit 115 (s301).
The high-luminance object direction identification unit 115 determines whether or not the received image signal includes an object (high-luminance object) having a luminance higher than a preset luminance (s302).
If it exists (YES), the high-luminance object is specified as a position in the image (s303), and data relating to the specified position is transmitted from the high-luminance object direction specifying unit 115 to the coordinate conversion unit 117. If the high-luminance object direction identifying unit 115 determines that the received image signal does not include an object (high-luminance object) having a luminance higher than the preset luminance (NO), the processing will be described later. S306
Go to Upon receiving the data on the specified position, the coordinate conversion unit 117 compares the specified position with the window unit 13 based on the characteristic formula of the fisheye lens 45 stored in advance.
Is converted to polar coordinates with the origin of the center of the crown formed by the outer surface of s (s304). The position represented by the polar coordinates obtained by the conversion is transmitted from the coordinate conversion unit 117 to the rotation angle determination unit 119. The rotation angle determination unit 119 determines a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis so that the received position can be covered by the wiper 87. (S305). Rotation angle determination unit 119
Outputs the determined rotation angle about the first rotation axis and the determined rotation angle about the second rotation axis to the rotation selection unit 109.

The predetermined position input unit 107 determines whether a rotation angle around the first rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis as positions for stopping the wiper 87 have been input. It does (s306). If it is determined that both rotation angles have been input (YES), the input both rotation angles are stored in the predetermined position input unit 107 (s307). If it is not determined that both rotation angles have been input (NO), the flow proceeds to s308 described below.

The rotation selecting unit 109 determines whether or not a rotation command has been received from the rotation command unit 105 (s308). If it is determined that the rotation command has been received (YES), s described later
The flow proceeds to 309, and if it is not determined that the rotation command has been received (NO), the flow proceeds to s314 described later. In s309, the received rotation command includes “wiping operation” and “position changing operation”.
Is determined to be a “wiping operation”, and if it is determined that the operation is a “wiping operation” (YES), a signal is sent to the first rotation control unit 111 to perform a predetermined wiping operation (s310). ). If it is not determined that the operation is the “wiping operation” in s309 (NO), the flow proceeds to s311 described later.

Thereafter, in s308, the rotation command unit 10
It is determined whether or not the rotation command determined to have been received from No. 5 specifies the position determined by the covering position determination unit 103 as the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is completed (s
311). When the position determined by the covering position determining unit 103 is designated as the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is completed (YES), the rotation selecting unit 109 receives the first rotating shaft received from the covering position determining unit 103. The rotation selection unit 109 includes a first rotation control unit 111 and a second rotation control unit 11 in accordance with a rotation angle around the second rotation axis and a rotation angle around the second rotation axis.
3 (s312), the wiper operation motor 61 and the rotary plate drive motor 53 are rotated, and the flow proceeds to s314 described later. When it is determined that the position determined by the covering position determination unit 103 is not specified as the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is completed (NO), the position around the first rotation axis received from the predetermined position input unit 107 is determined. The rotation selection unit 109 instructs the first rotation control unit 111 and the second rotation control unit 113 according to the rotation angle and the rotation angle around the second rotation axis (s313). The motor 61 and the rotating plate drive motor 53 are rotated, and the flow proceeds to s314 described below. Finally, it is determined whether or not the work is completed (s314), and the work is completed (YES).
If not, end (END); if not, (N
O) Go to s301.

FIG. 8 schematically shows an example of an image picked up using such a container 11. The image captured by the fisheye lens 45 has a circular shape. In FIG. 8, (1)
Is input to the predetermined position input unit 107 such that the two rotation angles so that the wiper 87 does not exist in the image, and the position input to the predetermined position input unit 107 as the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is completed This is the image obtained in FIG. That is,
FIG. 8A shows a case where the wiper 87 does not cover the image at all. A road 203 extends toward the horizon 201, and the sun 2, which is a high-luminance object, is located above the horizon 201.
05 exists. Although not shown here, the aperture is set in accordance with the brightness of the sun 205, so that in an actual image, the image portion other than the sun 205 is dark and it is difficult to sufficiently grasp the situation. It has become. Next, FIG. 8B shows an image obtained when a rotation command is issued by designating the position determined by the covering position determination unit 103 as the stop position of the wiper 87 after the operation is completed. The sun 205 existing in FIG. 8A is a shadow area 20 of the wiper 87 shown as a hatched area in FIG.
In FIG. 8B, strong light rays from the sun 205 do not directly enter the fisheye lens 45 in FIG. For this reason, it is not necessary to set the aperture according to the brightness of the sun 205, and the aperture is set according to the brightness other than the sun 205. Therefore, in FIG. 8B, FIG.
Therefore, the image portion other than the sun 205 is clearly photographed with sufficient brightness, and the situation can be sufficiently grasped.

Another example of an image picked up by using the container 11 is schematically shown in FIG. The image captured by the fisheye lens 45 has a circular shape, and FIG.
It is obtained in the same manner as (1), and the wiper 87 does not cover the image at all. Road 2 towards the horizon 201
03 extends, and the sun 205 which is a high-luminance object exists above the horizon 201. FIG. 9 (1) shows FIG.
The position of the sun 205 is different from (1).
In FIG. 8A, it is located above the horizon 201 at the substantially center, and in FIG. 9A, it is located above the horizon 201 at the substantially right end. ). Since the aperture is set in accordance with the luminance of the sun 205 as in FIG.
Image portions other than 05 are dark, making it difficult to grasp the situation sufficiently. Next, FIG. 9 (2)
This is obtained in the same manner as in FIG. The sun 205 existing in FIG. 9A is covered by a shadow area 207 of the wiper 87 shown as a hatched area in FIG. 9B, and in FIG. Is not directly incident on the For this reason, it is not necessary to set the aperture according to the brightness of the sun 205, and the aperture is set according to the brightness other than the sun 205. Therefore, FIG. 20
Image portions other than 5 are clearly photographed with sufficient brightness, and the situation can be sufficiently grasped.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the rotation angle determining unit 119 determines that the high-brightness object is entirely covered and that the high-brightness object exists in the peripheral portion of the field of view of the fisheye lens (FIG. 8). 9 and the sun 205 in FIG. 9 is located in the peripheral portion of the field of view), and the wiper 87 and the second pivot angle around the first pivot axis are set so as to cover only the portion corresponding to the peripheral portion. The rotation angle about the rotation axis is determined.
That is, in the present container 11, since the wiper 87 covers only the portion corresponding to the peripheral portion, the central portion of the image is covered by the shadow region 207 of the wiper 87, and the image is divided. This prevents problems such as loss of important image information.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged right side view showing the wiper cleaning means 92 of another embodiment (as viewed from the same position as in FIG. 3). With reference to FIG. 10, a wiper cleaning means 92 of another embodiment will be described. A plane substantially perpendicular to the straight line 31 including the optical axis of the fisheye lens 45;
An annular groove 92 serving as a wiper cleaning means is formed in an annular and concave shape along the line of intersection with the outer surface of the wiper 3. In the present embodiment, the wiper cleaning means has a sectional shape (the fisheye lens 4).
5 (a cross-sectional shape of a plane including the straight line 31 including the optical axis 5) is formed by the rectangular groove 92. The annular groove 92 serving as a wiper cleaning means continuously makes a round of the window 13 along the intersection line. Here, the depth of the annular groove 92 is about 2 m.
m, but is not particularly limited to this. 1 to 5, when the wiper 87 is rotated about the first rotation axis, the tip of the wiper 87 (the tip of the wiper body 85) slides. Since the annular groove 92 serving as a concave wiper cleaning means is formed in an annular shape at the position, the tip of the wiper 87 (the tip of the wiper body 85 when the wiper 87 is rotated around the first rotation axis). ) Passes through the annular groove 92, and at this time, foreign matter attached to the tip of the wiper 87 is scraped off by the annular groove 92. The annular groove 92 serving as a wiper cleaning means is formed at a position that does not enter the field of view of the fisheye lens 45.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the function of the annular groove 92 as the wiper cleaning means shown in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 11A to 11C, the annular groove 9
The function 2 will be described. In addition, in order to facilitate the illustration and understanding, in FIG. 11, the wiper frame 81 and the leaf spring 83 among the wiper body 85, the wiper frame 81, and the leaf spring 83 that constitute the wiper 87 are omitted, and furthermore, The wiper main body 85 is shown cut along a plane that includes the straight line 31 and is parallel to the drawing. The case where the straight line 31 in FIG. 10 is oriented in the horizontal direction will be described as an example. First, when foreign matter 99 such as rainwater or dust adheres to the window 13 when the wiper main body 85 is positioned at the upper part as shown in FIG. 11A, the wiper is moved around the first rotation axis. Is rotated approximately 180 degrees, and FIG.
Set to the state of (2). This FIG. 11 (1) to FIG.
The window 13 is wiped off by the wiper body 85 in the process of (2). As shown in FIG. 11B, the foreign matter 99 is scraped off from the tip of the wiper by the annular groove 92. Then, as shown in FIG.
When the foreign matter 99 adheres to the window portion 13 when the wiper is located at the lower portion, the wiper is moved around the first rotation axis by approximately 18 degrees.
Rotate by 0 degrees to the state shown in FIG. This FIG.
The window 13 is wiped by the wiper body 85 in the process from (3) to FIG. 11 (4). As shown in FIG. 11D, the foreign matter 99 falls into the annular groove 92. The foreign matter 99 that has fallen into the annular groove 92 falls along the annular groove 92 as shown in FIG. 11 (5), and finally falls downward from the lowermost portion of the annular groove 92. As described above, the foreign matter 99 wiped from the window portion 13 by the wiper body 85 is removed from the wiper body 85 by the annular groove 92, so that the foreign matter 99 attached to the wiper body 85 adheres to the window portion 13 again. Can be prevented. Here, the case of the annular groove 92 has been described as the wiper cleaning means, but the wiper cleaning means 93 formed by an elongated sponge also functions similarly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the movement of a wiper.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged right side view of a window and a wiper.

4 is a sectional view taken along the line EE when the wiper is arranged at a position D in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of a pinion and an inner peripheral edge viewed from a direction of an arrow F in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a control device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the present container.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of an image captured using the present container.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of an image captured using the present container.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged right side view showing a wiper cleaning unit according to another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a function of an annular groove serving as a wiper cleaning unit illustrated in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 shows a conventional lens protection container for an imaging lens.

FIG. 13 is an end view showing a state of a mounting plate, a rotating plate, and fixing screws.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the mounting plate viewed from the side opposite to the surface facing the rotation plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Main container 13 Window part 15 Container main body 17 Heat shield plate 21 Wiper 31 Straight line 41 Box body 43 Opening 45 Fisheye lens 45a Conversion part 47 Mounting plate 47b Through groove 47ba Small width part 47bb Large part 49 Rotating plate 49a Inner peripheral edge 50 Fixing screw 50a Leg portion of fixing screw 50b Head of fixing screw 51 O-ring 53 Motor 55 Pinion 61 Wiper operation motor 63, 67 Bevel gear 65 Wiper operation shaft 69 Bolt 81 Wiper frame 83 Leaf spring 85 Wiper body 87 Wiper 90 O-ring 92 Ring groove 93 Wiper cleaning means 99 Foreign object 101 Control device 103 Covering position determination unit 105 Rotation command unit 107 Predetermined position input unit 109 Rotation selection unit 111 First rotation control unit 113 Second rotation control unit 115 High brightness object direction identification Part 117 coordinates Conversion unit 119 Rotation angle determination unit 201 Horizon line 203 Road 205 Sun (high-luminance object) 207 Shadow area 501 Lens protection container 503 Box body 505 Window unit

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. A lens protection container having a transparent window for accommodating a lens for capturing an image therein and capturing an external object by the lens, wherein a part of the window is provided. A lens protection container comprising a movable cover for the window portion to be covered. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: cover position determining means for determining a position at which the cover is to be disposed; and cover driving means for driving the cover to a position determined by the cover position determining means. 2. The lens protection container according to 1. 3. The cover position determining means specifies a direction in which a high-luminance object exists, and determines a position where the cover should be arranged so that the cover covers the direction in which the high-luminance object exists. The lens protection container according to claim 2, which has a lens protection container. 4. The lens protection container according to claim 3, wherein said cover position determining means specifies the direction in which said high-brightness object exists from image data captured by said lens. 5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a wiper abutting on an outer surface of the window portion to slide and wipe the outer surface, and the wiper also serves as the cover.
5. The lens protective container according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. An outer surface of the window portion has a spherical crown shape, a wiper abutting on the outer surface of the spherical crown-shaped window portion, and the wiper centered on a first rotation axis which is a diameter of the spherical crown shape. And a first wiper rotating means for rotating the wiper, wherein the wiper is also used as the cover, and the cover driving means is also used as the first wiper rotating means. A lens protective container according to any of the claims. 7. The lens protection container according to claim 6, wherein the first rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens. 8. A second wiper rotation for rotating the wiper about a second rotation axis intersecting the center of the spherical crown with the first rotation axis for rotating the wiper by the first wiper rotation means. The lens protection container according to claim 6, further comprising a moving unit, wherein the cover driving unit includes the second wiper rotating unit. 9. The lens protection container according to claim 8, wherein the first rotation axis is substantially orthogonal to the second rotation axis. 10. A case where the wiper abuts on the outer surface along a line of intersection between a plane to which the first rotation axis belongs and the outer surface, and the high-luminance object is present in a peripheral portion of a field of view of the lens. 10. The lens protection container according to claim 8, wherein the cover driving means drives the cover so that the cover covers only a part of the window corresponding to the peripheral portion. 11. A lens protection container having a transparent window for accommodating a lens for capturing an image therein and capturing an external object by the lens, wherein at least an outer surface of the window is provided. A lens protection container that is partially spherical. 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein said spherical crown is substantially hemispherical.
2. The lens protection container according to 1. 13. The lens protection container according to claim 11, further comprising a wiper which abuts on and slides on the outer surface of the window to wipe the outer surface. 14. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a wiper cleaning means formed in a convex or concave shape at a position where the tip of the wiper slides when the wiper is driven. A lens protective container according to any of the claims. 15. The lens protection container according to claim 14, wherein said wiper cleaning means is provided in an annular shape on said outer surface of said window portion. 16. The wiper cleaning means is provided in an annular shape along an intersecting line between a plane substantially perpendicular to an optical axis of the lens and the outer surface, wherein an outer surface of the window portion has a spherical crown shape. 16. The lens protection container according to claim 15, wherein the lens protection container is provided. 17. A lens protection container according to claim 14, wherein said wiper cleaning means does not enter a field of view of said lens. 18. The lens protection container according to claim 14, wherein said wiper cleaning means is one of a sponge, a rubber, and a brush provided in a convex shape. 19. The lens protection container according to claim 14, wherein said wiper cleaning means is a groove formed in a concave shape. 20. A wiper body in contact with an outer surface of the window, a wiper frame supporting the wiper body, and a wiper frame interposed between the wiper frame and the wiper body. The lens protection container according to any one of claims 5 to 10, and 13 to 19, comprising: a biasing unit configured to bias the wiper body toward the outer surface. 21. The lens protection container according to claim 1, wherein a water-repellent treatment or a photocatalytic coating treatment is applied to an outer surface of the window. 22. The lens protection container according to claim 1, wherein the lens is a wide-angle lens.