JP2006254332A - Underwater camera system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an underwater camera system which dispenses with an opening/closing part for a housing. <P>SOLUTION: The underwater camera system 1 in which a camera 40 loaded with a chargeable battery 74 is housed in a housing 12, includes: a non-contact power feeding means which performs initial power receiving for the battery 74 by feeding power, without contact, from a battery charging device 78 outside the housing to the battery 74 loaded on the camera 40 in the housing, and a non-contact communication means for performing non-contact communication between a communication apparatus 80 outside the housing and the camera 40 outside the housing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an underwater camera system, and more particularly to an underwater camera system in which a television camera or a video camera is accommodated inside a housing.

In the underwater camera device, a TV camera or the like is housed inside a waterproof camera housing, which prevents water from entering the TV camera and enables underwater photography (see Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2). .
JP 2003-69864 A JP 2005-045530 A

  By the way, in the conventional underwater camera apparatus, in order to replace the recording tape and battery of a television camera, it was necessary to provide an opening / closing part in the camera housing. Even in the case of a camera using a semiconductor memory, a connector is provided at the opening / closing part of the camera housing for charging and video output.

  When the opening / closing part is provided in the camera housing as described above, in order to prevent water leakage, the television camera must be periodically taken out of the camera housing and waterproofed on the opening / closing part.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an underwater camera system that does not require an opening / closing part of a (camera) housing.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 is an underwater camera system in which a camera on which a rechargeable battery is mounted is housed in a housing, from a charging device outside the housing to the inside of the housing. Non-contact power supply means for supplying power to the battery mounted on the camera in a non-contact manner to receive the battery, and non-contact between the communication device outside the housing and the camera outside the housing An underwater camera system comprising: a non-contact communication means for performing communication.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to charge a battery mounted on the camera and transmit / receive an optical signal while the camera is housed in the housing. As a result, it is possible to provide an underwater camera system having a housing without an opening / closing part, and the waterproofing process of the opening / closing part is not required.

  A second aspect of the present invention is the underwater camera system according to the first aspect, wherein the non-contact communication means communicates a video signal of the camera or a control signal for the camera. .

  A third aspect of the present invention is the underwater camera system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the non-contact communication means is provided via an optical signal transmission member that transmits an optical signal provided in the housing. Communicating by an optical signal between the communication device outside the housing and the camera inside the housing.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the underwater camera system according to claim 3, wherein the communication device is a first optical transmission unit that transmits an optical signal, and a first optical reception that receives the optical signal. The camera has at least one of second optical receiving means for receiving an optical signal and second optical transmitting means for transmitting an optical signal corresponding to the communication device, The non-contact communication means is provided between the first light transmission means and the second light reception means or the second light via an optical signal transmission member that transmits an optical signal provided in the housing. Communication is performed by an optical signal between a transmission unit and the first optical reception unit.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is the underwater camera system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the charging device includes a first coil, and the battery is disposed inside the housing. And the non-contact power supply means is composed of the first coil and the second coil.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to charge a battery mounted on the camera and transmit / receive an optical signal while the camera is housed in the housing. As a result, it is possible to provide an underwater camera system having a housing without an opening / closing part, and the waterproofing process of the opening / closing part is not required.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an underwater camera system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an underwater camera system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The underwater camera system 1 includes an underwater camera device 10, and a charging device 78 and an external communication device 80 that are not shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the underwater camera device 10 includes a camera housing 12 and a television camera 40 (not shown in FIG. 1) housed therein.

  A transparent glass 14 for capturing the subject light is attached to the front surface of the camera housing 12 so that the TV camera 40 can shoot from the inside of the camera housing 12.

  In addition, an optical signal transmission / reception window 16 made of transparent glass is attached to the rear surface of the camera housing 12, and video signals and control signals converted into optical signals between the TV camera 40 and the external communication device 80 are transmitted. It is provided for transmission. In the present embodiment, the optical signal transmission / reception window 16 is not limited to transparent glass, but may be any member that transmits an optical signal.

  An electronic viewfinder 20, a lens control switch 22, a camera control switch group 24, and the like are attached to the camera housing 12 together with a holding handle 18 with watertightness.

  A captured image is displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the electronic viewfinder 20 and can be used as a view angle confirmation viewfinder during photographing. Reference numeral 26 denotes an arm for supporting the electronic viewfinder 20.

  The lens control switch 22 is used as a zoom switch for adjusting magnification during shooting. The camera control switch group 24 includes a mode switching button 28 for switching between a shooting mode / playback mode / video output mode, a recording start / stop button 30, a power switch 32 for switching on / off the power of the TV camera 40, and the like. Has been.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the underwater camera device 10. As shown in FIG. 2, a television camera 40 is placed in the camera storage portion 34 inside the camera housing 12.

  A plurality of lens groups 46 are arranged along the optical axis O in the lens barrel 44 of the camera housing 42 of the television camera 40. Of the lens group 46, the focus lens 46A is moved back and forth in the direction of the optical axis O by the focus motor 48 and is driven during focus adjustment. The zoom lens 46 </ b> B is moved back and forth in the direction of the optical axis O by the zoom motor 47 and is driven during zoom adjustment. Reference numeral 50 denotes an aperture provided inside the camera housing 42, and reference numeral 52 denotes the same correction lens, which are driven by an aperture motor 54 and a correction motor 56, respectively, to adjust the amount of incident subject light and to adjust subject light. The image forming position can be corrected.

  A CCD 58, an image processing unit 60, a semiconductor memory 62, a CPU 64, a communication unit 66, and the like are attached to the base 43 of the camera housing 42, and each is connected to a circuit. Among these, the CCD 58 is disposed at the image forming position of the lens group 46, and takes an optical image of a subject when an instruction to start imaging is received from the CPU 64. The optical image of the subject captured by the CCD 58 is converted into electronic image data (digital data) by the image processing unit 60, and the obtained digital data is continuously written and recorded in the semiconductor memory 62.

  The camera housing 42 is provided with a lens control contact terminal 70 that is electrically connected to the lens control switch 22, and the lens control contact terminal 70 includes a focus motor 48, a zoom motor 47, an aperture motor 54, A circuit is connected to each of the correction motors 56. Further, a camera control contact terminal 72 that is electrically connected to the camera control switch group 24 is provided in the camera housing 42, and the camera control contact terminal 72 is connected to the CPU 64 in a circuit.

  In addition, the television camera 40 is equipped with a battery 74 that supplies power to each device of the television camera 40. The battery 74 is charged from a charging device 78 outside the camera housing 12 in a state where the television camera 40 is stored in the camera housing 12. A circuit configuration for charging the battery 74 will be described later.

  In the present embodiment, video signals and control signals converted into optical signals are transmitted and received between the television camera 40 and the external communication device 80 while the television camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12. Can do. At this time, transmission / reception of signals between the television camera 40 and the external communication device 80 is performed via the signal transmission / reception window 16 of the camera housing 12 and the signal transmission / reception window 82 of the external communication device 80. That is, digital image data recorded in the semiconductor memory 62 is transmitted as a video signal from the communication unit 66 to the external communication device 80 via the signal transmission / reception windows 16 and 82, and from the external communication device 80 to a video such as a television set. Output to the display device. A control signal for the television camera 40 is transmitted from the external communication device 80 to the communication unit 66 through the signal transmission / reception windows 82 and 16, and the CPU 64 performs processing according to the control signal. A circuit configuration for transmitting and receiving video signals and control signals between the television camera 40 and the external communication device 80 will be described in detail later.

  FIG. 3 is a circuit configuration diagram for charging the battery 74. As shown in FIG. 3, the charging device 78 is provided with a regenerative converter 84 connected to an AC power source and a primary side coil 86 connected to the regenerative converter 84. In addition, a secondary coil 88 that is connected to the battery 74 via the charging controller 90 and arranged to face the primary coil 86 of the charging device 78 is provided inside the camera housing 12. . 3 shows a configuration in which the secondary coil 88 and the charging controller 90 are provided separately from the television camera 40. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the secondary coil 88 and the charging controller 90 may be provided inside the camera housing 42 of the television camera 40. Good.

  With this configuration, the AC power input to the regenerative converter 84 is frequency-converted by the regenerative converter 84, input to the primary side coil 86, and the number of turns of the coil on the secondary side coil 88 facing the primary side coil 86. It is transformed to a predetermined voltage according to the ratio and output. The battery 74 connected to the secondary coil 88 via the charge controller 90 is charged. The charge controller 90 is well known and will not be described in detail, but is provided to improve the charging efficiency for the battery 74 and to protect the battery 74 from overcharging.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the primary coil 86 of the charging device 78 and the secondary coil 88 of the camera housing 12 are arranged so as to face each other, thereby supplying power from the charging device 78 to the battery 74 in a non-contact manner. It can be performed. Thereby, the battery 74 mounted on the television camera 40 can be charged while the television camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12.

  FIG. 4 is a circuit configuration diagram for transmitting and receiving video signals and control signals between the television camera 40 and the external communication device 80.

  The communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40 includes an E / O converter 94 having a video signal input terminal 92, an optical transmitter 96 connected to the E / O converter, and an O / E converter having a control signal output terminal 98. 100 and an optical receiver 102 connected to the O / E converter 100 are provided.

  The external communication device 80 includes an O / E converter 106 having a video signal output terminal 104, an optical receiver 108 connected to the O / E converter 106, and an E / O conversion having a control signal input terminal 110. And an optical transmitter 114 connected to the E / O converter 112 is provided. A video display device such as a television or a recording device is connected to the video signal output terminal 104, and a control device for controlling the television camera 40 is connected to the control signal input terminal 110.

  When transmitting and receiving video signals and control signals between the TV camera 40 and the external communication device 80, as shown in FIG. 4, the signal transmission / reception window 16 of the camera housing 12 and the signal transmission / reception window of the external communication device 80 are provided. It arrange | positions so that 82 may oppose. At this time, the optical transmitter 96 and the optical receiver 102 of the communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40 are respectively connected to the optical receiver 108 and the optical transmitter 114 of the external communication device 80 via the signal transmission / reception windows 16 and 82, respectively. Opposite.

  In the communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40, the video signal input from the video signal input terminal 92 is converted from an electrical signal to an optical signal by the E / O converter 94, and converted into a predetermined output by the optical transmitter 96. To the optical receiver 108 of the external communication device 80 to be transmitted. The optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 96 passes through the signal transmission / reception windows 16 and 82, is received by the optical receiver 108 of the external communication device 80, and is converted from an optical signal to an electrical signal by the O / E converter 106. Is done. Then, the video signal converted into the electrical signal is output to the video signal output terminal 104 and displayed on a video display device such as a television.

  Further, in the external communication device 80, the control signal input from the control signal input terminal 110 is converted from an electric signal to an optical signal by the E / O converter 112, and is converted to a predetermined output by the optical transmitter 114 to face each other. Transmission is performed toward the optical receiver 108 of the communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40. The optical signal transmitted from the optical transmitter 114 passes through the signal transmission / reception windows 82 and 16, is received by the optical receiver 102 of the communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40, and is electrically converted from the optical signal by the O / E converter 100. Converted to a signal. Then, the control signal converted into the electric signal is output to the control signal output terminal 98, and a predetermined operation corresponding to the control signal is performed in the CPU 64 (see FIG. 2).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, there is no contact between the optical transmitter 96 and the optical receiver 108 and between the optical transmitter 114 and the optical receiver 102 via the signal transmission / reception windows 16 and 82. Can transmit and receive optical signals. As a result, the video signal of the TV camera 40 is output from the external communication device 80 while the TV camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12, or the TV camera 40 is output according to the control signal transmitted from the external communication device 80. Can be controlled.

  Next, the operation of the underwater camera device 10 configured as described above will be described.

  When underwater shooting is performed using the underwater camera device 10, the power switch 32 is operated to turn on the TV camera 40, and the mode switching button 28 is operated to select a shooting mode. The photographer captures the subject with the electronic viewfinder 20 and operates (framing) the underwater camera device 10 so that the subject is within the photographing range. In this shooting mode, when the recording start / stop button 30 is operated, recording is started, and the video shot by the TV camera 40 through the transparent glass 16 is captured by the CCD 58 and written into the semiconductor memory 62 as digital data. To be recorded. If the recording start / stop button 30 is operated again in this state, the recording is stopped. When the playback mode is selected by operating the mode switching button 28, the playback image read from the semiconductor memory 62 is displayed on the electronic viewfinder 20, and the recorded image can be confirmed.

  In order to charge the battery 74 mounted on the TV camera 40, as shown in FIG. 3, the primary coil 86 of the charging device 78 and the secondary coil 86 of the camera housing 12 are arranged to face each other. Next, when AC power is input to the regenerative converter 84, power is supplied to the battery 74 via the primary side coil 86 and the secondary side coil 88, and the battery 74 is charged. As described above, since power can be supplied from the charging device 78 to the battery 74 in a non-contact manner, the battery 74 mounted on the TV camera 40 is charged in a state where the TV camera 40 is stored in the camera housing 12. Can do.

  In order to output an image captured by the TV camera 40 from the external communication device 80, the signal transmission / reception window 16 of the camera housing 12 and the signal transmission / reception window 82 of the external communication device 80 face each other as shown in FIG. Arrange as follows. Next, the mode switching button 28 of the camera control switch group 24 is set to the video output mode. The CPU 64 inputs the digital data of the image recorded in the semiconductor memory 62 to the video signal input terminal 92 of the communication unit 66 as a video signal. The communication unit 66 converts the video signal from an electric signal to an optical signal and transmits the signal to the external communication device 80 via the signal transmission / reception windows 16 and 82. The external communication device 80 converts the received video signal from an optical signal to an electrical signal and outputs it to the video signal output terminal 104. As described above, since the optical signal can be transmitted from the TV camera 40 to the external communication device 80 in a non-contact manner, an image captured by the TV camera 40 in a state where the TV camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12 is displayed. 80 can be output to a video display device such as a television.

  Further, in order to control the TV camera 40, the signal transmission / reception window 16 of the camera housing 12 and the signal transmission / reception of the external communication device 80 are performed in the same manner as when the video captured by the TV camera 40 is output from the external communication device 80. It arrange | positions so that the window 82 may oppose. Next, when a control signal for the TV camera 40 is input to the control input terminal 110 of the external communication device 80, the external communication device 80 converts the control signal from an electric signal to an optical signal and opens the signal transmission / reception windows 82 and 16. Via the communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40. The communication unit 66 of the TV camera 40 converts the received control signal from an optical signal to an electrical signal and outputs it from the control signal output terminal 98, and the CPU 64 performs a predetermined operation according to the control signal. As described above, since an optical signal can be transmitted from the external communication device 80 to the TV camera 40 in a non-contact manner, control of the TV camera 40 is connected to the external communication device 80 in a state where the TV camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12. Can be done from the controller.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an application example of the underwater camera system 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, signal transmission / reception is performed on the camera mounting portion 118 of the turntable 116 so as to face the signal transmission / reception window 82 and the primary coil 86 provided at the bottom of the camera housing 12 of the underwater camera device 10. A window 82 and a primary coil 86 are provided. The camera mounting unit 118 configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction can be controlled from a remote control device 120 connected to the turntable 116.

  The entire turntable 116 and the remote control device 120 shown in FIG. 5 are configured to serve as the charging device 78 and the external communication device 80 described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. 78 and the external communication device 80, the illustration is omitted. The remote control device 120 also serves as a control device for the television camera 40 (not shown in FIG. 5) housed in the camera housing 12.

  By mounting the underwater camera device 10 on the camera mounting unit 118, a battery mounted on the TV camera 40 from the remote control device 120 connected to the AC power source via the primary side coil 86 and the secondary side coil 88. 74 (not shown in FIG. 5) can be charged. In addition, the video captured by the television camera 40 can be output from the remote control device 120 via the transmission / reception windows 16 and 82. Further, a control signal can be transmitted from the remote control device 40 to the television camera 40 via the signal transmission / reception windows 82 and 16, and the television camera 40 can be controlled from the remote control device 120. By mounting the underwater camera device 10 on the camera mounting unit 118 of the turntable 40 in this way, it is possible to perform shooting by remote operation while the television camera 40 is housed in the camera housing 12.

  As described above, the underwater camera device 10 according to the present embodiment charges the battery mounted on the TV camera 40 and outputs the video imaged by the TV camera 40 with the TV camera 40 housed in the camera housing 12. In addition, control of the TV camera 40 can be performed. As a result, it is not necessary to provide an opening / closing part in the camera housing 12 that houses the TV camera 40, and a waterproof process for the opening / closing part of the camera housing 12 becomes unnecessary.

  In the present embodiment, the mode in which the battery 74 is charged via the primary side coil 86 of the charging device 78 and the secondary side coil 88 of the camera housing 12 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this. A light emitting element is disposed on the charging device 78 side, a photovoltaic element is disposed on the camera housing 12 side, and a transparent window is provided between the light emitting element and the photovoltaic element so that light can reach the photovoltaic element from the light emitting element. It may be configured to charge the battery 74. As the photovoltaic device, for example, a solar cell that generates power by receiving light from the light emitting device is used.

  Moreover, although the aspect which transmits / receives an optical signal between the television camera 40 and the external communication apparatus 80 was illustrated, it is not limited to this, For example, you may transmit / receive a radio signal.

  In addition, although the communication mode in which the video signal and the control signal are transmitted in one direction is illustrated, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control signal is transmitted between the TV camera 40 and the external communication device. It may be configured to communicate in both directions.

  Further, the types of signals transmitted and received between the television camera 40 and the external communication device 80 are not limited to video signals and control signals.

  Further, the external communication device 80 may be provided for each signal type, such as a video signal external communication device and a control signal signal external communication device.

  Since the signal transmission / reception window 82 is provided not only in the camera housing 12 but also in the external communication device 80, the TV camera 40 housed in the camera housing 12 and the external communication device 80 can be used not only on land but also in water. Video signals and control signals can be transmitted and received.

  Although the underwater camera system of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above examples, and various improvements and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is.

1 is a perspective view showing an underwater camera system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic showing the internal structure of an underwater camera apparatus. It is a circuit block diagram for charging a battery. It is a circuit block diagram for transmitting and receiving a video signal and a control signal between a television camera and an external communication device. It is the schematic showing the example of application of the underwater camera system concerning this Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Underwater camera system, 10 ... Underwater camera apparatus, 12 ... Camera housing, 16 ... Signal transmission / reception window, TV camera ... 40, CPU ... 64, Communication part ... 66, 74 ... Battery, 78 ... Charging device, 80 ... External Communication device 86... Primary coil 88. Secondary coil 94. E / O converter 96. Optical transmitter 100. O / E converter 102 102 Optical receiver 106 O / E Converter 108, optical receiver 112, E / O converter 114, optical transmitter

Claims (5)

An underwater camera system in which a camera equipped with a rechargeable battery is housed in a housing,
Contactless power supply means for supplying power to the battery mounted on the camera inside the housing from the charging device outside the housing in a contactless manner to receive the battery;
An underwater camera system comprising: a non-contact communication unit that performs non-contact communication between the communication device outside the housing and the camera outside the housing.   The underwater camera system according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact communication unit communicates a video signal of the camera or a control signal for the camera.   The non-contact communication means communicates by an optical signal between the communication device outside the housing and the camera inside the housing via an optical signal transmitting member that transmits an optical signal provided in the housing. The underwater camera system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that. The communication apparatus includes at least one of a first optical transmission unit that transmits an optical signal and a first optical reception unit that receives an optical signal;
The camera has at least one of a second optical receiving unit that receives an optical signal and a second optical transmission unit that transmits an optical signal corresponding to the communication device,
The non-contact communication means is provided between the first optical transmission means and the second optical reception means, or the second optical reception means, through an optical signal transmission member that transmits an optical signal provided in the housing. The underwater camera system according to claim 3, wherein communication is performed by an optical signal between an optical transmission unit and the first optical reception unit. The charging device includes a first coil;
The housing has a second coil connected to the battery,
The underwater camera system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the non-contact power supply means includes the first coil and the second coil.

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