JPH06292072A - Underwater television camera equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To pick up an object with high sensitivity and high picture quality by using a high sensitivity image pickup tube whose sensitivity is variable and having a predetermined sensitivity at a short wavelength and controlling the sensitivity of the image pickup tube and a radiation wavelength from an under water lighting device to optimum values depending on underwater image pickup environmental condition such as underwater suspension matters. CONSTITUTION:A high sensitivity image pickup tube 3 whose sensitivity is variable is used as an image pickup device of a TV camera section 2 and a target voltage is varied to control the sensitivity so as to receive a radiation light from a long wavelength to a short wavelength at a predetermined sensitivity. The radiation light of a radiation device 6 is reflected in an image pickup object and converted and processed by the image pickup tube 3 and a signal processing section through a dome and a camera lens 8, 9 and a color separation optical system 4 to be a picture of a video monitor. When underwater suspension matters are increased and the light vanish coefficient is increased and the image pickup of the object is made difficult through the observation of the picture, a control section 7 controls the wavelength of the light from the radiation device 6 and the sensitivity of the image pickup tube 3 to optimum values. Thus, the object is picked up with high sensitivity and high picture quality.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to high sensitivity and high image quality of an underwater television camera device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional underwater television camera, one using a single-plate or three-plate CCD as an image pickup device has been reported. Here, the image pickup characteristics of the CCD have maximum sensitivity on the long wavelength side (for example, 700 nm) and little sensitivity on the short wavelength side (for example, 500 nm). On the other hand, the characteristics of light passing through water are such that long-wavelength light is difficult to pass and short-wavelength light is easy to pass. Therefore, when a camera using a CCD is used as an underwater television camera by combining it with an existing general illuminator, the extinction coefficient by which the illumination light is attenuated by the influence of suspended matter in the water becomes extremely large, and how powerful it is. Even with the illuminator of irradiation light, the range that could be photographed was limited to a few meters.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned prior art,
Since CCD is used as an imaging device and the peak sensitivity of CCD is in the long wavelength region, the extinction coefficient of illumination light in water becomes extremely large, and even if a powerful underwater illuminator is used, suspended matter in water is Because of this, the range that can be taken will be a few meters. An object of the present invention is to eliminate these drawbacks and to realize an underwater television camera device capable of shooting up to several tens of meters away without being affected by suspended matter in water.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a short wavelength (for example, 5
(00 nm) side, a high-sensitivity image pickup tube with a variable sensitivity is used, and the sensitivity of the image pickup tube and the irradiation wavelength of the underwater illuminator are controlled to optimum values according to underwater photographing environmental conditions such as the amount of suspended solids in water. It is configured.

[0005]

As a result, when the amount of suspended solids in the water increases and the extinction coefficient of the illumination light increases, the irradiation wavelength of the underwater illuminator is correspondingly changed to a short wavelength (for example, light that easily passes through the water).
(500 nm) side, and at the same time, the sensitivity of the image pickup tube is controlled to a high sensitivity that can receive the irradiation light of the underwater illuminator controlled to the short wavelength side, so that it is not affected by the underwater suspended matter and is several tens of meters. The subject can be photographed up to the previous point, and the underwater television camera can have a relative sensitivity several hundred times higher than the current underwater television camera.

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 1 denotes an underwater camera housing, and the housing 1
A dome lens 8 is inscribed in the camera lens 9 on the front surface of the. An underwater connector 10 is provided at the rear of the housing 1, and a television camera unit 2, a light control platform 5 and an illuminator 6 and a remote control unit 7 (for example, provided on a ship) are located at a distance. A cable 12 is used for connection, and signals are transmitted between them. The light control platform 5 is provided with an illuminator 6 and a control unit 7
The intensity of the illumination light, the irradiation wavelength, the irradiation angle, etc. can be adjusted by the control from. As the image pickup device of the television camera unit 2, a high-sensitivity image pickup tube with variable sensitivity is used, in which when a high voltage is applied to the target electrode, the signal charge is multiplied by the avalanche (avalanche phenomenon) multiplication effect of the signal charge in the target, By varying the target voltage, the sensitivity is controlled so that the illumination light of long wavelength to short wavelength can be received with a predetermined sensitivity.

The light emitted from the illuminator 6 is reflected by the object to be photographed, the reflected light passes through the dome lens 8, the camera lens 9, and the color separation optical system 4, and is converted into an electric signal by the high-sensitivity image pickup tube 3. To be done. The converted electric signal is processed by the signal processing unit 11 and transmitted to the control unit 7 via the camera cable 12. Here, on the ship, the shooting situation of the underwater camera is monitored while watching the image on the video monitor (not shown), and when it becomes difficult to shoot the target subject due to the influence of the floating matter in the water, for example, the amount of floating matter in the water When the light extinction coefficient increases and the light extinction coefficient increases, the illumination light wavelength control unit and the image pickup tube sensitivity control unit (not shown) provided in the control unit 7 are controlled, and corresponding control signals are sent to the camera cable 12 and the underwater. The wavelength of the illumination light of the illuminator 6 is switched to a short wavelength (for example, 500 nm) by supplying the illumination light to the illuminator 6 and the television camera section 2 via the connector 10 for use, and the high-sensitivity image pickup tube 3 is set to the short wavelength of the illumination light. Switch to high sensitivity according to the wavelength.

In this way, when the amount of suspended solids in water increases and the extinction coefficient of light increases, a target object is illuminated with illumination light of a short wavelength that is less susceptible to suspended solids in water, and a high-sensitivity image pickup tube is provided. By switching the sensitivity of 3 to high sensitivity according to this short wavelength illumination light, it is possible to shoot a subject up to several tens of meters ahead with high sensitivity and high image quality without being disturbed by suspended matter in water. it can.

[0009]

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an underwater television camera device capable of shooting a subject up to several tens of meters ahead with high sensitivity and high image quality without being affected by suspended matter in water. Therefore, it becomes easy to distinguish a distant target in water, which has been impossible until now, and it is possible to secure safe operation during underwater exploration by an underwater robot or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Underwater camera housing, 2: Television camera part, 3: High-sensitivity image pickup tube, 5: Light control platform, 6: Illuminator, 7: Control part, 10: Underwater connector, 11: Signal processing part, 12: Camera cable.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An underwater television camera device,
A high-sensitivity image pickup tube with a variable image pickup tube sensitivity is used as the image pickup device, and the sensitivity of the image pickup tube and the irradiation wavelength of the underwater illuminator are controlled to an optimum value according to the underwater photographing environmental conditions such as the amount of floating matter in the water. Underwater television camera device.