JPH03289893A - Visual field sharing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow a command center at a remote location to observe a similar picture to a visual field of the operator by providing a means correcting the direction of a camera so as to make the direction of the image pickup camera match for the visual field of the operator. CONSTITUTION:A visual field common use camera 1 is fitted so as to be directed to a headline of the head of the operator or the like. The visual field common use camera is turned horizontally by a camera turning drive section 2. An output from a constant headline angle detection switch device 3 drives the camera turning drive section 2, the visual field common use camera 1 is driven by the right side detection output to the right by a prescribed angle (visual head angle; angle of difference between headline and visual line), and the visual field common use camera 1 is driven by the left side detection output to the left by a prescribed angle. In this case, a housing 21 supporting a small sized pickup camera 20 or the like is fitted to sidepieces of eyeglass, and it is also possible to fit the case to an object in following to the movement (horizontal turning operation) of the operator or the like such as a brim of a hat.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Required 4Q] The present invention provides a visual field sharing device that captures images seen by field workers using an injury camera, transmits them to a command center in a remote location, and displays the images at the control center. A means for correcting the direction of the camera is provided in order to make the direction of the camera match the field of view of the worker.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a visual field sharing device that uses images and audio to transmit images seen by field workers to a command center in a remote location.

[Prior Art] Collaborative work support between remote locations using images and audio is beginning to attract attention. In that case, the work format is that one worker takes a picture of the work object with a shared field of view camera (video camera), displays the image (including audio) on a remote TV device, and the dispatcher watches it and works on-site. A method of giving instructions is adopted.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional visual field sharing device.

In FIG. 6, 60 is a visual field sharing device.

61 is a small field-of-view sharing camera (referred to as a thumb-sized camera LHCV+B 5ized camera) attached to a hat or glasses on the head of a worker at the site, and 62 is a field-of-view image sent from the field-of-view coexisting camera. This is a display device that displays images, and this display screen is viewed by an instructor at a remote command center.

A worker at the site goes to a predetermined site and directs his/her line of sight to the device to be observed based on a voice instruction from an instructor at a command center. Then, an image of the device to be observed is sent by the field-of-view sharing camera 61 to the command center via the communication line, and an image of the worker's field of view is displayed on the first display device 62. A skilled instructor at the command center looks at the displayed content (for example, the indicated value of a meter) and gives operational instructions to the site by voice, and the site workers operate the equipment according to the instructions.

[11 Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above-mentioned field-of-view sharing device, it is necessary for the image sent by a worker at the site to the command center to match the image actually seen by one worker. If the image you see with your own eyes and the image captured by the shared field of view camera are out of sync, there is a high possibility that the person giving instructions at the command center will issue the wrong instructions.

However, such discrepancies often occur.

The reason for this will be explained with reference to FIG.

As shown in Figure 7A, the orientation of the two people's bodies (shoulders, I
If the direction of the torso including II etc.) is the body line.

When humans look to the right (or left), they sometimes turn their bodies in that direction, but when they look only for a short time, they often turn only their heads. In this case, the direction in which one horse is facing is defined as an inclination line, and the angle formed by the body line and the inclination line is defined as an inclination angle.

When looking at an object by turning the head in this way, the line of sight that a person actually looks at is to the outside of the inclined line (to the right in the figure, but if you look to the left, to the left), as shown in A. The investigation revealed that there was a shift. If the angle of the inclination line with respect to the 9 body line at this time is the inclination angle, and the angle of the line of sight is the line of sight angle, then the results of an actual investigation of the relationship between the line of sight angle and the 1 inclination angle are shown in Figure 7B. .

In the figure, the points surrounded by small squares are sample values, which are 1
As can be seen in the figure, the line of sight is in a position that precedes the inclined line. 5 It is not possible to obtain an accurate line of sight of the worker simply by fixing a small camera to the head.

Expressing the line connecting the center points of these distributions as an equation, Y=2.
It becomes 148 +0.5905X.

In this way, with conventional field-of-view sharing devices, the camera transmitting an image is out of line with the worker's line of sight, so the image displayed at a remote command center does not match what the worker is actually seeing. There was a problem.

[If the means code to solve the problem FIG. 1 shows a basic configuration diagram of the present invention.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a field-of-view sharing camera, 2 is a camera rotation drive unit, and 3 is a constant tilt angle detection unit that generates a corresponding detection output when the difference between the tilt angle and the viewing angle occurs to the right or left side by a certain angle or more. Sinch mechanism.

Reference numeral 4 denotes body line indicating means for indicating the direction of the body line, which serves as a reference for the inclination angle and line of sight angle.

In the present invention, when the angle formed by the five-head line and the body line (this is called the tilt angle) in which the direction of the field-of-view sharing camera, which normally faces in the same direction as the tilt line, exceeds a certain angle, the direction of the field-of-view sharing camera is adjusted to further match the line of sight. The correction is made by rotating the field-of-view sharing camera at a fixed angle in the outward direction (to the right or left).

[Function] In FIG. 1, the field-of-view sharing camera (2) is attached so as to face the inclined line of the head of the worker, etc. This field-of-view sharing camera is rotated to the right and left by a camera rotation drive unit 2. On the other hand, the direction of the reference body line is indicated by the body line indicating means 4 and is input to the constant inclination angle detection switch mechanism 3. The current direction (representing the inclination line) of the shared field of view camera is input as the other input of the constant inclination angle detection switch mechanism 3, and the constant inclination angle detection switch mechanism 3 detects the inclination line formed by both angles. A detection output is generated when the corner reaches a certain angle to the right or left side. In this case, a detection output corresponding to the right or left is generated.

The output from the constant inclination angle detection switch mechanism 3 is as follows.

The camera rotation drive unit 2 is driven, and the detection output on the right side drives the two-view sharing camera 1 to further rotate to the right by a predetermined angle (by the head viewing angle; the angle of the difference between the tilt line and the line of sight), and the detection output on the left side The field-of-view sharing camera l is driven to rotate to the left by a predetermined angle.

[Example code] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment.

In FIG. 2, A shows the overall configuration, and B shows the overall configuration.

is a sectional view of the detection switch, C0 is an external view of the detection switch, and D is a switch contact portion.

In Fig. 2A, 20 is a small imaging camera (corresponding to the field-of-view sharing camera in Fig. 1), 2I is a support casing that supports the small imaging camera, etc., 22 is a motor, and 23 is a motor that rotates the motor in the right angle direction (
A gear box 24 houses a gear that converts rotation into vertical direction (vertical direction), and 24 is a small camera support shaft (
25 is a drive shaft,
26 is a detection switch connected to the drive shaft 25 and detects a constant inclination angle between the body line and the inclination line; 27 is connected to the detection switch 2 at both ends;
This wire is fixed to the body line indicator 6 and the body line indicating plate 28 and transmits mutual rotation (twisting) between the two body lines and the inclined line.

In the case of this embodiment, the housing 21 that supports the small image camera 20 etc. is attached to the temple of the glasses. It is also possible to attach it to etc. Also,
The pair indicator board 28 is attached to the chest of the worker's clothes (using a clip or the like) and follows the movement of the worker to indicate the direction.

Next, the structure of the detection switch 26 of the embodiment is shown in FIGS.
, will be explained using.

An upper plate 261 and a lower Fi 262 are integrally formed in the support plate 260, and holes are provided in the upper Fi 261 and the lower plate 262 so that the upper Fi 261 and the lower plate 262 can rotate freely with respect to the drive shaft 25 passing through each plate. The tip of the upper plate 261 is B and C.
As shown in 1, it is configured as a switch lever (indicated by SL) that is curved downward and gradually becomes thinner.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, these upper plate 261 and lower plate 262 are supported by support members (screws, etc.) 264 attached to positions (above and below) of the drive shaft 25 that sandwich each plate.

Further, a switch plate 263 whose tip is split into two is fixed to the drive shaft 25, and inside the two forks are two small switches SWI as shown in C5D and C5D.

SW2 is provided. The switch 5WISW2 is a contact type switch that is composed of a movable contact and a fixed contact, and is turned on when the movable contact is pushed by the switch lever SL of the upper plate 261 and turned off when it is released.

Next, the motor drive circuit will be explained with reference to FIG.

The motor (22 in FIG. 2) is rotated in the positive direction by the battery 30 when the switch SWI is turned on, and rotated in the negative direction by the battery 31 of the opposite polarity when the switch SW2 is turned on.

The operation of the embodiment will be explained using the operation explanatory diagram of FIG. 4.

In addition, in A and C0 of Figure 2, the left side represents the worker's body line and inclination line and the direction of the small close-up camera (view sharing camera), and the right side represents the switch contact part of the detection switch (SWI,
5W2) and the state of the switch lever SL.

When the body line and the inclined line match as shown in Figure 4A, the tip of the switch lever SL is connected to the two switches SWI and SW.
It is located between 2 and the motor does not rotate.

In case B, if you turn your head to the right relative to your body direction to look at something on the right, the 1 inclination angle becomes more than a certain angle. Therefore, the body line indicator Fi28 rotates to the left relative to the inclined line, and the switch lever SL pushes the movable contact of the switch SW2 to turn it on.

Then, the motor 22 is rotated by the circuit shown in FIG. 3, and the drive shaft 25 is rotated to the left to move the switch plate 263 away from the switch lever SL as shown in FIG.
drive to the left). At this time, the gear 24 (inside the support body 21) attached to the drive shaft 25 drives the small imaging camera 20 to the right in the opposite direction to the switch plate. In this way, switch SW2 and switch lever S
When L leaves, the drive of the motor 22 is stopped, and the 5 small-sized imaging camera 20 stops facing outward from the marked line by a certain angle (head viewing angle) as shown in C8.

When the mark line returns to the front direction (same direction as the body line) from the C4 position, the switch SWI turns on and the motor 22 also rotates in the opposite direction to the above case, returning to the original A, Return to state.

In addition, if the marked line is turned in the opposite direction (left side) from state A by a predetermined angle or more, the 5 switch lever SL
By the action of the switch SW1, the small injury camera 20 is stopped at a position where the direction of the small injury camera 20 is rotated outward (to the left) by a certain angle (head viewing angle) from the marked line.

Tilt Line - 5 Switch Lever S to Correctly Correct Line of Sight
It is sufficient to adjust the widths of L and the switches SWI and SW2. The relationship between the line of sight angle and the camera angle (the angle of the camera relative to the body line) when the shared field of view camera is used in this way is shown in FIG. 5, which shows that the line of sight and the camera almost coincide.

Furthermore, if the motor drive unit of the field-of-view shared camera is configured with a combination of a potentiometer, a microcomputer, and a servo motor, even more accurate tilt-line-of-sight correction can be performed (
However, this increases the weight of the device and puts a burden on the user).

As described above, the present invention transmits images seen by workers at the site to an instructor at a remote location, which allows the instructor to give accurate work instructions to the workers.
It can be applied to various fields of application, and specific examples include instructions to workers at construction sites, instructions to medical sites, and instructions to maintenance inspectors at a power plant in a factory.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, an image similar to the field of view of a worker can be viewed at a command center in a remote location, so the field of view of one worker can be accurately shared, and the instructor can Can give accurate instructions.

In addition, when one worker is a foreign worker and the instructor is given practical education, the point of view of the foreign worker can be directly given to the instructor.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment, Fig. 3 is a motor drive circuit, Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the embodiment, and Fig. 5 is a view angle diagram according to the present invention. Camera angle relationship diagram,
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional visual field sharing device, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the inclination angle and the viewing angle. In Figure 1. L: View-sharing camera 2; Camera rotation drive unit 3; Fixed head angle detection switch; 4: Body line indicating means

Claims (1)

[Claims] A field-of-view sharing device that transmits images and sounds to a remote location includes a field-of-view sharing camera (1) attached at a position representing the head line of a worker, and a field-of-view sharing camera (1) that is configured to rotate in the left or right direction. The camera rotation drive unit (2) rotates the worker in the same direction, the head line indicated by the field-of-view sharing camera (1), and the body line indicated by the body line indicating means (4) that indicates the direction of the worker's body have a constant deviation. A camera rotation drive unit (2) is provided with a constant head angle detection switch mechanism (3) that detects that the angle is greater than or equal to the fixed head angle detection switch mechanism (3), and a left/right direction detection output from the constant head angle detection switch mechanism (3). drive the field-of-view sharing camera (
A field-of-view sharing device characterized in that the direction of (1) is rotated by a predetermined angle outward from the head line.