JP2007243686A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correct inclinations in front and back directions and a twist in the horizontal direction in an image pickup device body when it is difficult to maintain the horizontality of a vehicle in a camera installed to a movable body such as the vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: The electric head of the image pickup device is provided with a horizontal inclination sensing part of a camera and a twist sensing part with respect to the horizontality senses the state of the image pickup device, and controls the electric head and a twist correction rotating part. When installed to an inclined table, the horizontal inclination sensing part and the horizontal twist sensing part output control to a vertical rotation driving part and a twist correction driving part, catch a subject, and correct a twist on a monitor display. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus that enables photographing while keeping the image pickup apparatus main body horizontal even when the image pickup apparatus is tilted and installed.

  Conventionally, when an imaging device such as a TV camera is mounted on a moving body such as a vehicle and the target object is photographed while the moving body is running or stopped, it is twisted with respect to the horizontal to accurately capture the subject. Therefore, it is necessary to perform remote control control or an operation for keeping the imaging device level so that the image does not become an image.

  Further, when the imaging device is installed so as to be fixed to the camera frame at all times, if the camera frame is not kept horizontal, a metal plate or the like is sandwiched between the camera frame and the imaging device main body to maintain the level.

  In addition, the function to keep the imaging device always horizontal was installed on the pedestal of the imaging device, etc., and shooting was performed. However, in addition to the imaging device, it is necessary to prepare equipment and facilities to keep it horizontal and to have a structure. It was a big thing.

For this reason, in many cases, an image inclined around the optical axis is kept horizontal by image processing (see, for example, Patent Document 1). However, in that case, the longitudinal correction was not performed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257376

  When a moving body equipped with an imaging device is tilted and running or is installed tilted, the imaging device main body needs to be kept horizontal and capable of photographing. For this reason, the user has corrected the tilt of the imaging device by manually or remotely operating it while confirming the tilt.

  That is, the object of the present invention is to automatically determine the tilt in the imaging apparatus body when the imaging apparatus is horizontal or horizontal twisted, operate the imaging apparatus body by remote operation or direct operation, and By automatically correcting the twist with respect to the horizontal, it is possible to reduce the work of the user manually viewing the tilt.

  A second object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that does not require a configuration such as a pedestal having a function of keeping the imaging apparatus horizontal by correcting the horizontal and horizontal torsion in the imaging apparatus main body. The cost is to reduce.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image pickup apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a horizontal tilt detection unit of a camera unit and a torsion detection unit with respect to the horizontal in an electric camera platform of the image pickup device, detects the state of the image pickup device, In addition, the torsion correction turning unit is controlled.

  According to the present invention, an image obtained by an imaging apparatus is always displayed in parallel with a horizontal line and can always capture a subject. Further, even when the horizontal and torsional changes are always made when installed on a moving body, an image parallel to the horizontal line can be obtained by always performing correction.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of keeping the camera housing 9 including the lens 3 and the camera unit 4 of the imaging device horizontal when the imaging device is tilted in the front-rear direction. The camera unit 4 is composed of, for example, a CCTV camera.

  In FIG. 1, a camera housing 9 in which an imaging apparatus main body (lens 3 and camera unit 4) is housed and fixed along a horizontal line 1 is fixed to a tilting table 2 tilted in the front-rear direction. At this time, the horizontal tilt detector 7 built in the electric pan head 8 detects the tilt and outputs a signal for correcting the tilt angle to the up-down direction turning drive unit 6.

  As a result, the camera housing 9 (that is, the optical axis direction 19) can be kept horizontal, and the lens 3 and the camera unit 4 housed in the camera housing 9 can accurately capture the subject 5.

  In addition to keeping the camera housing 9 horizontal, the camera housing 9 including the lens 3 and the camera unit 4 can be set to the specified angle by arbitrarily transmitting a specified tilt angle from the control unit 10. .

  In addition to these settings, if a forward / backward tilt occurs from an arbitrary specified angle, the tilt detector 7 detects the tilt and sends a drive signal to the vertical drive unit 6 to It is also possible to correct the camera housing 9 so that the camera housing 9 can be stopped at an arbitrary angle.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of keeping the camera housing 9 including the lens 3 and the camera unit 4 of the imaging device horizontal when the imaging device is tilted in the left-right direction. FIG. 2 is a view of the imaging apparatus as viewed from the rear. That is, the optical axis direction 19 is a direction penetrating the paper surface of FIG.

  FIG. 3 is an example of an image when the video signal output from the imaging device is displayed on the display unit 17 of the monitor 18 that receives the wireless signal such as a coaxial cable, a network line, or the like or a combination thereof. .

  In FIG. 2, the main body of the image pickup device 4 is fixed to a tilt base 2 'tilted left and right on the horizontal line 1'. At this time, in the camera housing 9 ′, the image taken by the camera unit 4 via the lens 3 is displayed with the horizontal line 11 and the subject 12 being inclined as shown in an example of FIG. The

  In order to solve this, as shown in FIG. 4, the torsion detection unit 13 with respect to the horizontal outputs a correction signal to the torsion correction drive unit 14 before the torsion correction. As a result, the camera unit 15 rotates in the rotation direction 16. Thus, the image obtained by the camera unit 15 is displayed on the display unit of the monitor without any horizontal twist.

  Note that the correction in the front-rear direction of the imaging apparatus and the correction of the twist in the horizontal direction can be corrected simultaneously.

  As described above, the image obtained by the imaging apparatus is always displayed in parallel with the horizontal line and can always capture the subject. Further, even when the horizontal and torsional changes are always made when installed on a moving body, an image parallel to the horizontal line can be obtained by always performing correction.

The figure for demonstrating one Example of this invention. The figure for demonstrating one Example of this invention. The figure which shows the image displayed in the state twisted with respect to the horizontal. The figure for demonstrating the twist correction | amendment with respect to the horizontal of one Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  1: horizontal line, 2: forward / backward tilt table, 2 ′: left / right tilt table, 3: lens, 4: imaging device, 5: subject, 6: vertical drive, 7: horizontal tilt detector, 8, 8 ′ : Motorized head, 9, 9 ': Camera housing, 10: Control unit, 11: Horizontal line when displaying images, 12: Obliquely displayed subject, 13: Twist detection unit with respect to horizontal, 14: Twist correction drive unit, 15: Camera unit, 16: Direction of rotation, 17: Display unit, 18: Monitor, 19: Optical axis direction.

Claims (2)

In an imaging apparatus installed on a moving body such as a vehicle, an imaging apparatus that captures a subject by performing control to maintain the level in the imaging apparatus body when it is difficult to maintain the level of the vehicle. An imaging device capable of capturing an image while maintaining the level in the imaging device main body when the imaging device mounting base is not horizontal when the imaging device is installed.

Images