JP2587932Y2 - Tracking control device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tracking control apparatus for displacing a driven body, for example, a video camera, following a movement of a moving body, and more particularly, to an ultrasonic wave radiated from a transmitter provided on a moving subject. The present invention relates to a tracking control device that receives a radio wave or the like and performs control for rotating and displacing a video camera in a horizontal direction or a vertical direction in order to optimally capture an image of a subject.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a video camera shoots an object, for example, a child playing a game, the photographer follows the movement of the child, opposes the child at any time, and operates the video camera. There is a need. For this reason, it is necessary for the user to be a dedicated photographer for the entire time during photographing.

In view of the above problems, the inventor of the present invention has proposed an automatic object follow-up apparatus in which an object is photographed by displacing and displacing the moving body without requiring a dedicated photographer (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 9 (1994) -197686). No. 3-22401).

[0004] In summary, this device mounts a transmitter that emits pulsed or burst ultrasonic waves or radio waves at a fixed period on a moving subject, and mounts a video camera on a support such as a tripod. It is set on a mounting table that is rotatable in the horizontal and vertical directions. The mounting table has respective drive systems in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and is displaced based on a drive signal from a control device. The control device includes four ultrasonic or radio wave sensors arranged on both the left and right sides and the upper and lower sides of the mounting table, and outputs a drive signal for left and right rotation or up and down rotation based on detection signals from these sensors. I do.

As apparent from the above description, the object tracking device requires four sensors, left, right, upper and lower, to receive the ultrasonic wave from the transmitter, and an amplifier, a filter, and the like for processing the detection signal. Four types of waveform shaping circuits are also required.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a tracking control device that requires only three sensors for tracking a moving object.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a transmitter mounted on a moving body for transmitting a pulsed ultrasonic wave having a constant period, and driven by receiving the ultrasonic wave from the transmitter. A drive control unit for displacing the body following the movement of the driving body, the drive control unit comprising a first and a second ultrasonic wave for detecting the ultrasonic wave on both left and right sides of the drive control unit. A third ultrasonic receiver for detecting one of upper and lower sides of the receiver and the drive control unit, and first and second receivers from the first and second ultrasonic receivers. A left-right driving signal for rotating the driven body in the left-right direction based on the wave signal, and a first driving signal from the first to third ultrasonic receivers.
A control unit for outputting a vertical drive signal for rotating the driven body in the vertical direction based on the third received signal, and a control unit for moving the driven body in the horizontal direction based on the horizontal drive signal A tracking control device is provided which includes a left-right driving system for rotating, and a vertical driving system for rotating the driven body in the vertical direction based on the vertical driving signal.

The transmitter further includes means for generating a left / right direction designation signal for rotating the driven body in the left / right direction, and a vertical direction designation signal for rotating the driven body in the up / down direction. Generating means, transmitting means for transmitting the left and right direction designation signal and the up and down direction designation signal by radio waves,
Operating mode switching means for switching between transmission of the ultrasonic waves and transmission of the radio waves, the drive control unit further includes at least one radio wave receiver for receiving the radio waves, When receiving the first to third received signals, control is performed in a first drive mode for controlling the left-right and up-down drive systems based on the first to third received signals, When a reception signal is received from the controller, control is performed in a second drive mode for controlling the left-right and up-down drive systems based on the reception signal.

Further, the control section detects a one-time difference t ₁ between respective pulses in the first and second received signals and outputs the left-right driving signal so as to make the time difference t ₁ zero. And on an imaginary line connecting the first and second ultrasonic receivers and directly below the third ultrasonic receiver based on respective pulses in the first and second received signals. Alternatively, after calculating the arrival timing of the ultrasonic pulse at the position directly above, the time difference t ₂ between the calculated arrival timing and the pulse in the third received signal is detected, and the time difference t _{2 is set} to 0. The above-described vertical drive signal is output.

In the first driving mode, the control unit controls the left-right driving system at a variable speed so that the rotation speed increases as the time difference t ₁ increases.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a tracking control device for a video camera will be described below. In FIG. 1, a camera platform 11 is mounted on a tripod 10 so that the camera can be rotated horizontally.
Is installed. A drive mechanism by a motor, a control unit (both of which will be described later), and the like are built in the camera platform 11, and on the upper surface thereof, as shown in FIG. A camera mounting table 12 is provided. A video camera 13 is set on the camera mounting table 12.
An infrared sensor 14 for receiving infrared light is installed on each of the front and both sides of the camera platform 11. Head 11
And supporting members 15R and 15L extending horizontally in a direction away from the supporting members, and supporting members 1 extending upward.
5U, and these support members 15R, 15R are provided.
Ultrasonic receivers 16R, 16L, and 16U for receiving ultrasonic waves are provided at the tips of L and 15U, respectively. Infrared sensor 14, ultrasonic wave receivers 16R, 16L, 1
The signal detected at 6U is supplied to a control unit in the camera platform 11 via a signal processing circuit described later.

As shown in FIG. 2 (omitted in FIG. 1), the camera mounting table 12 and the support member 15U are connected by a link mechanism 17. A link mechanism 17 is attached to the camera mounting table 12 and has a plate 17-
1 and a shaft 17-2 attached to the support member 15U and being loosely fitted in the elongated hole. The support member 15U is rotatably supported at its root portion and is rotatable in the front-rear direction with the vertical rotation of the camera mounting table 12. This allows the video camera 1 to follow the movement of a subject, which will be described later.
When 3 is upward, the ultrasonic receiver 16U is also upward, and when downward, the ultrasonic receiver 16U is also downward so that the ultrasonic receiving surface faces the ultrasonic oscillation source.

Referring to FIG. 3, a transmitter 20 is rotated left and right with respect to an infrared sensor 14 and ultrasonic receivers 16R, 16L and 16U installed on the platform 11 shown in FIG. And a signal for designating rotation in the vertical direction, and is attached to the subject. Referring to FIG. 4, which schematically shows the internal circuit configuration, the transmitter 20 includes an ultrasonic transmitting unit 21 that continuously transmits pulsed ultrasonic waves having a constant period.
And an infrared irradiator 22 for irradiating infrared rays as radio waves as needed.

The ultrasonic wave transmitting section 21 includes an ultrasonic oscillation IC section 211, a square wave oscillation IC section 212, a NAND gate 2
13, an amplifier 214, and an ultrasonic emission unit 215. On the other hand, the infrared irradiation unit 22 is a light emitting diode IC.
Light emitting unit 22 including unit 221 and light emitting diode for infrared rays
In addition to the above, the transmission of the above-described left rotation designation signal, right rotation designation signal, upward rotation designation signal, and downward rotation designation signal for designating the rotation in the left-right and up-down directions as necessary. Operation buttons 223L, 223R, 22 to be activated respectively
3U, 223D. Further, the operation mode of the transmitter 20 is stopped, and the ultrasonic wave transmitting unit 21 is turned on (hereinafter referred to as AD
F "Automatic Direction Fin
An operation mode changeover switch 224 is provided for setting whether the infrared irradiation unit 22 is turned on (hereinafter, referred to as a REM “Remote” mode).

By the way, as is apparent from FIG. 3, the ultrasonic wave emitting section 215 is provided near the top end of the transmitter case, and the infrared light emitting section 222 is provided at the top end of the transmitter case. A hook 225 for hanging the transmitter 20 on a breast pocket or the like of a person's clothes as a subject is provided on the upper surface of the transmitter case and at a position closer to the center than the installation location of the ultrasonic emission unit 215. I have. This is because, when using the transmitter 20 in the REM mode, the transmitter 20 is held by hand and the light emitting unit 222 is directed toward the camera platform 11 and the operation buttons 223L, 223R, and 223 are manually operated.
U, 223D by pressing and holding any of them.
When the transmitter 20 is used in the ADF mode by selectively irradiating any one of the types of rotation designation signals, the transmitter 2
This is because pulse-like ultrasonic waves having a constant period are continuously transmitted while 0 is applied to the breast pocket of the clothes. In other words, when the transmitter 20 is used in the ADF mode, the ultrasonic wave is continuously transmitted, so that it is not necessary to hold the transmitter in hand. You only have to hang it. At this time, the ultrasonic emission unit 2
15 is desirably placed exposed from the breast pocket, and this is made possible by the positional relationship between the ultrasonic emission section 215 and the hook 225 described above.

Next, a feature of the present invention is that a video camera 13 is provided.
In order to follow the movement of the transmitter 20, that is, the movement of the subject, so that only three ultrasonic receivers are required to detect the ultrasonic waves transmitted from the transmitter 20. This will be described below.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a signal processing circuit, a control unit, and a motor driving unit built in the camera platform 11. In FIG. 5, the signal processing circuit includes a band-pass filter 31R, an amplifier 32R, and a detector 33R as a circuit for processing an ultrasonic detection signal detected by the ultrasonic receiver 16R. Similarly, a bandpass filter 31L, an amplifier 32L, and a detector 33L are used as a processing circuit for the ultrasonic detection signal detected by the ultrasonic receiver 16L to process the ultrasonic detection signal from the ultrasonic receiver 16U. , Band-pass filter 31U, amplifier 32U, detector 33U
Are provided. Further, an IC processing circuit 34 for processing four types of rotation designation signals detected by the infrared sensor 14 is provided.
May be built in.

As the control mode switching means, the rotation control in the ADF mode and the REM mode is only left and right rotation control (contact 35a side) or left and right and up and down rotation control (contact 35b side). A) There is a rotation mode changeover switch 35 for changing over. This takes into account the case where there is no need to follow up and down,
When the rotation mode changeover switch 35 is on the contact 35a side, the control unit 50 controls the rotation only in the left and right directions based on the ultrasonic wave or the rotation designation signal from the transmitter 20.

As another control mode switching means, a follow-up mode (contact point 36a) in which a follow-up operation is performed based on a signal from the transmitter 20 or a reciprocating rotation in the left-right direction simply by separating from the transmitter 20 is repeated. Monitor mode (contact 36
b) There is an operation mode changeover switch 36 for changing the operation mode. The surveillance mode considers using the video camera 13 as a surveillance camera. 3
Reference numeral 7 denotes an angle setting device for setting the left-right rotation angle in the monitoring mode. The voltage set here is A / A
The signal is converted into a digital signal by the D converter 38 and input to the control unit 50.

The control unit 50 controls the rotation in the left-right direction and the up-down direction based on the signals from the signal processing circuit, the mode changeover switch, and the angle setting unit, and is realized by a microprocessor.

Next, as a drive unit by a motor, a drive system in the left and right direction (drive system of the camera platform 11) including a driver 41RL and a motor 42RL, a driver 41UD, and a motor 42RL
There is a vertical drive system including the UD (drive system for the camera mounting table 12). Rotation mode switch 35 is contact 3
5b, the operation mode changeover switch 36 is set to the contact 3
6a, the control unit 50 controls the drive system in the left-right direction based on the left / right rotation designation signal received by the infrared sensor 14, and also controls the vertical drive system based on the vertical rotation designation signal. Control the drive system. In the same state, ultrasonic receiver 16R, 16L, when there is a signal from 16U, the control unit 50 ultrasonic receiver 16R, detects a time difference t ₁ of the pulse-shaped signal from 16L this time difference t ₁ to 0
The drive system in the left-right direction is controlled so that Control unit 50
Also, based on the pulse signals from the ultrasonic wave receivers 16R, 16L, and 16U, the drive system in the vertical direction is controlled by a method described later.

The rotation angle range and rotation speed in the horizontal and vertical directions are as follows. The rotation angle in the horizontal direction is 360 degrees in all directions, and the rotation angle in the vertical direction is within a range of ± 15 degrees with respect to the horizontal state. Regarding the rotation speed, the rotation speed in the left-right direction is variable in the range of 5 to 70 degrees / sec in the ADF mode, that is, the tracking operation mode using ultrasonic waves.
In the mode and the monitoring mode, the speed is constant at 10 degrees / sec. On the other hand, the vertical rotation speed is ADF mode, REM
The constant speed is 5 degrees / sec in any of the modes.

The reason why the rotation speed in the left-right direction is variable in the ADF mode is to take into consideration that the subject may move quickly in the left-right direction. When the movement of the subject becomes faster in the left-right direction, the ultrasonic receivers 16R, 16R,
The time difference t ₁ between the pulse signals arriving at 6L increases.
The control unit 50 increases the left-right rotation speed as the time difference t ₁ increases, thereby improving the following performance.
However, the control unit 50 sends the drivers 41RL and 41RL.
All the signals output from the UD are signals for constant speed. Therefore, the DC / DC converter 43 is connected to the control unit 50, and the time difference t ₁ from the control unit 50 in the ADF mode.
Is supplied to the DC / DC converter 43. As a result, the DC / DC converter 43 converts the input signal, that is, a signal of a variable value corresponding to the time difference t ₁ , and supplies an acceleration or deceleration signal to the driver 41RL.

Reference numeral 44 denotes a rotation angle detector for detecting the rotation angle of the drive shaft of the drive system in the horizontal direction or the drive shaft of the drive system in the vertical direction and feeding it back. It is illustrated.

Next, three ultrasonic receivers 16R, 16R
The control operation of the control unit 50 that enables the horizontal and vertical follow-up operations with L and 16U will be described. In FIG. 6, the ultrasonic receivers 16R and 16L are on the same horizontal line 11, and the ultrasonic receiver 16U is the ultrasonic receivers 16R and 16R.
It is located above L and closer to the ultrasonic receiver 16R. In FIG. 7, the ultrasonic receivers 16R, 16L,
The signals processed from the 16U and supplied to the control unit 50 are denoted by P _R , P _L , and P _U , respectively.

The control unit 50 controls the signals P _R and P _L from the ultrasonic wave receivers 16R and 16L in the case of the rotation control in the left-right direction.
Then, the time difference t ₁ between the fall of these pulses is calculated, and a signal that makes this time difference t ₁ zero is output to the driver 4.
Output to 1RL. In Figure 7, since the signal P _R has arrived earlier than the signal P _L subject will be located closer to the ultrasonic receiver 16R, the case control unit 50 panhead 11 1 A signal to rotate the motor counterclockwise is output to the driver 41RL. As a result, the video camera 13
But the subject, if rotated to a position directly facing strictly speaking transmitter 20, the above-mentioned time difference t ₁ 0.

Next, in order to control the rotation in the vertical direction, usually, an ultrasonic receiver 16U and another ultrasonic receiver which is paired with respect to the vertical direction are required.
Here, if the ultrasonic receiver 16U is an ultrasonic receiver 16R
If just above the control unit 50 is made possible to rotate control of the up and down direction by comparing the signal P _U and P _R, the realization of such an arrangement is difficult. Therefore, in the present invention, the virtual horizon 11
A top assumed to have ultrasonic receiver 16D at a position directly below the ultrasonic receiver 16U, a signal P _R from the ultrasonic receiver 16R closer to the ultrasonic receiver 16U The timing of the pulse signal arriving at the virtual ultrasonic receiver 16D is calculated based on the timing. This timing is represented by the signal P time difference relative to the falling time of the _R t _a.

[0028] In FIG. 8 (a), if the transmitter 20 is located on a side close to the ultrasonic receiver 16L, timing of the pulsed signal arriving at the virtual ultrasonic receiver 16D are signal P _R
It should be as soon as the time difference t _a compared to. FIG.
In (b), if the conditions such as the distance to the transmitter 20 and the angle are the same, if the transmitter 20 is closer to the ultrasonic receiver 16R, the pulse arriving at the virtual ultrasonic receiver 16D time difference t timing of Jo signal compared to the signal P _R
a should only be slow.

Here, the distance between the ultrasonic receivers 16R and 16L and the virtual ultrasonic receiver 1 from the ultrasonic receiver 16R.
The distance to 6D is determined in advance, and the time of the fall of the pulse signal to the ultrasonic receivers 16R and 16L is also known, so the virtual ultrasonic receiver 16D can be determined from these values.
, The falling time of the pulse signal can be calculated.

From the above viewpoint, the control unit 50 calculates the time difference t _a based on certain pulses of the signals P _R and P _L ,
If the signal P _R arrives earlier than P _L (Fig. 8b), the signal P _R of the virtual to the next falling time T ₁ for two hours difference t _a the time obtained by adding the pulses of the pulse in the ultrasonic receiver 16D it is assumed that the falling time T _2. This is shown in FIG. 7 by the signal (P _R -t
_a ). Conversely, when the signal P _L arrives earlier than P _R (FIG. 8a), the control unit 50 signals P _R
To the assumed next falling time of the pulse in the ultrasonic receiver 16D virtual only fast time time difference t _a the falling time T ₁ of the pulse.

The control unit 50 further calculates a time difference t ₂ between the time T ₂ assumed as described above and the falling time T ₃ of the signal _Pu , and sets the time difference t ₂ to 0. The signal is output to the driver 41UD. In FIG. 7, the signal (P
Since _R -t _a) has arrived earlier than the signal P _U subject will be located closer to the imaginary ultrasonic receiver 16D, in this case the control unit 50 FIG camera mounting table 12 2 to output a signal to the driver 41 UD to rotate downward. As a result, if rotating the video camera 13 to the position facing the transmitter 20, the above-mentioned time difference t ₂ is 0.

As is clear from the above description, the control unit 50
In the case of vertical rotation control, the ultrasonic receiver 16
2 adjacent for each pulse from R, 16L, 16U
Using the two pulses, the above operation is repeated until the time difference t ₂ becomes zero.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to one embodiment, the present invention can be variously modified. For example, the transmission source of the transmitter 20 is not limited to infrared rays and ultrasonic waves, but may use laser light or ordinary radio waves. Also, the ultrasonic wave receiver 16
Although U is arranged above the camera platform 11, it may be arranged below.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, only three sensors are required for following a moving object, and the number of signal processing circuits associated therewith can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a video camera side of a tracking device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the relationship between the camera platform and the camera platform in FIG. 1 when viewed from the side.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a transmitter used in the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit built in the transmitter shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control device built in the camera platform shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between three ultrasonic receivers according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a waveform of a signal obtained from the ultrasonic wave receiver for explaining a vertical rotation control operation by the control unit of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a positional relationship between a transmitter and an ultrasonic receiver for explaining a vertical rotation control operation by the control unit of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Pan head 12 Camera mounting stand 13 Video camera 14 Infrared sensor 16R, 16L, 16U Ultrasonic wave receiver 20 Transmitter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-224011 (JP, A) JP-A-3-245684 (JP, A) JP-A-4-37278 (JP, A) JP-A-56- 137173 (JP, A) Japanese Utility Model Showa 58-76268 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model Utility Model No. 1-147409 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G05D 3/00-3 / 12 G05D 1/08 H04N 5/232

Claims (4)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] An oscillator mounted on a moving body for transmitting a pulsed ultrasonic wave having a constant period, and receiving the ultrasonic wave from the oscillator, the driven body follows the movement of the moving body. And a drive control unit for displacing the drive control unit. The drive control unit includes a first control unit for detecting the ultrasonic wave on both the left and right sides of the drive control unit.
A third ultrasonic receiver for detecting one of upper and lower sides of the second ultrasonic receiver and the drive control unit, and a first ultrasonic receiver from the first and second ultrasonic receivers. Outputting a left-right drive signal for rotating the driven body in the left-right direction based on the second received signal, and outputting the first to third signals from the first to third ultrasonic receivers. A control unit for outputting a vertical drive signal for rotating the driven body in the vertical direction based on the reception signal of No. 3, and rotating the driven body in the horizontal direction based on the horizontal drive signal A tracking control device, comprising: a left-right driving system for turning the driven body up and down based on the up-down driving signal. 2. The tracking control device according to claim 1, wherein
The transmitter further includes a left / right direction designation signal generating unit for rotating the driven body in the left / right direction, and a vertical direction designation signal generating unit for rotating the driven body in the vertical direction, Transmitting means for transmitting the left / right direction designation signal and the up / down direction designation signal by radio waves, and an operation mode switching means for switching between transmission of the ultrasonic waves and transmission of the radio waves, the drive control unit further comprising: And at least one radio wave receiver for receiving the radio wave, and when receiving the first to third received signals, the left-right direction based on the first to third received signals. And performing control in a first drive mode for controlling the vertical drive system, and controlling the left and right and vertical drive systems based on the received signal when receiving a received signal from the radio wave receiver. Drive mode Follow-up control apparatus characterized by performing control by. 3. The tracking control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit detects a time difference t ₁ between respective pulses in the first and second received signals, and determines the time difference t ₁ . O is output on the imaginary line connecting the first and second ultrasonic receivers based on the respective pulses in the first and second received signals, while outputting the left-right direction drive signal to make O. Calculating the arrival timing of the ultrasonic pulse at a position directly below or directly above the third ultrasonic receiver, and then calculating a time difference t between the calculated arrival timing and the pulse in the third reception signal. follow-up control _apparatus characterized by ₂ to detect the said time difference t ₂ outputs the vertical drive signals such as to 0. 4. The tracking control device according to claim 3, wherein
Wherein the control unit, the follow-up control apparatus in the first driving mode, characterized in that the control variable speed the lateral direction drive system as rotation speed increases the greater the the time difference t _1.