JPH09261521A - Image pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device with which the durability of a focus driving system for a lens is improved and an object can be easily focused by providing a means for operating an autofocus function once just after the stop of a specified operation. SOLUTION: The image of the object is passed through a zoom lens 1, outputted through a video signal processing part 3 to a remote controller 9 and can be watched through a monitor device 10. A remote control signal from the remote controller 9 is multiplexed on a video signal, this control signal is demultiplexed by a remote control signal demultiplexing part 6 and decoded by a microcomputer part 4, and an operating instruction is outputted to a lens control part 2 or a turn table control part 5. Next, when the operating instruction of a horizontal/vertical turn table 8 is outputted from the remote controller 9, the microcomputer part 4 instructs stop to the turn table control part 5 and after the stop of the horizontal/vertical turn table 8 is confirmed, immediately, the starting instruction of autofocus is outputted to the lens control part 2. Besides, the zoom operation of a zoom lens 1 is activated through a procedure similar to this operation as well.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus having a horizontal / vertical rotary base and a zoom lens having an autofocus function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an increasing number of types of use of image pickup devices are of a type in which image pickup of a subject is remotely controlled at a place distant from the image pickup device (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-245).
724).

A conventional remote operation procedure will be described below. (1) Operate the turntable to point the camera toward the subject. (2) Operate the zoom function of the lens to determine the angle of view you want to capture. (3) Operate the focus function of the lens to focus on the subject. Repeat the above steps (1) to (3).

In the case of a camera having an autofocus function, there are the following two methods for focusing on a subject. (a) Always keep the autofocus function working. (b) Only when you want to focus, manually operate the autofocus only once, for example, by pressing the autofocus switch.

Generally, in the case of (a), since the focus is restarted when the object is out of focus, the autofocus cannot work unless there is a certain amount of deviation in the focusing accuracy. Focusing accuracy is inferior to that of method (b).

[0006]

However, the above-described conventional autofocus activation method has the following problems. First, in the case of (a), since the autofocus is always operating, there is a problem in the durability of the motor and gear of the focus drive system of the lens. In particular, when the power is kept on for 24 hours a day for monitoring, a lens with a long life is required. In case (b), the autofocus switch must be pressed to activate autofocus each time the rotary base or lens zoom function is operated.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and to provide an image pickup apparatus capable of improving the durability of a focus drive system of a lens and easily focusing on an object. .

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image pickup apparatus with a horizontal / vertical rotary base and a zoom lens having an autofocus function.
When the zoom function of the vertical turntable or the zoom lens is operated, the autofocus function is operated only once immediately after the operation is stopped. This makes the focus drive system of the lens durable. And the subject can be easily focused.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is a horizontal / vertical rotary base in an image pickup device equipped with a horizontal / vertical rotary base operable by remote control and a zoom lens having an autofocus function. When the camera is operated or the zoom operation of the lens is performed, a means for operating the autofocus function only once immediately after the operation is stopped is provided, thereby improving the durability of the focus drive system of the lens. Thus, it is possible to easily focus on the subject.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a microcomputer unit for decoding a control signal from a remote control device, a rotary base control unit for operating a horizontal / vertical rotary base according to a control signal from the microcomputer unit, It is equipped with a lens control unit that operates the zoom function and autofocus function of the zoom lens according to the control signal from the microcomputer unit, and operates the horizontal / vertical rotary base and the zoom lens according to the control signal from the remote control device. be able to.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an image pickup apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a zoom lens, and 2 is a lens controller, which controls the zoom function and the autofocus function of the zoom lens 1. 3 is a video signal processing unit,
An image captured by the zoom lens 1 is converted into an electric signal.
Reference numeral 4 is a microcomputer unit, which controls the entire apparatus. Reference numeral 5 denotes a rotary base control unit that rotationally drives the horizontal / vertical rotary base 8 on which the image pickup device 7 is mounted. 6 is a remote control signal separation unit,
The control signal from the remote control device 9 is separated from the video signal. Reference numeral 7 is an image pickup device, and 8 is a horizontal / vertical turntable. Reference numeral 9 is a remote control device, 10 is a monitor device, and the imaging device 7 and the remote control device 9 are connected by wire or wirelessly.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The image of the subject is output to the remote control device 9 through the zoom lens 1 and the image signal processing unit 3, and can be viewed via the monitor device 10. The remote control signal from the remote control device 9 is multiplexed with the video signal, separated by the remote control signal separation unit 6, decoded by the microcomputer unit 4, and issues a command to the lens control unit 2 and the rotary base control unit 5. . When an operation command for the horizontal / vertical turntable 8 is issued from the remote control device 9, the microcomputer unit 4 decodes this command and the turntable control unit 5
Give an operation instruction to. Next, when a command to stop the horizontal / vertical turntable 8 is issued from the remote control device 9, the microcomputer unit 4 issues a stop instruction to the turntable control unit 5 to confirm that the horizontal / vertical turntable 8 has stopped. Lens controller 2 immediately after
To the autofocus activation instruction. Also, for the zoom operation of the zoom lens 1, the same procedure is used.
After the zoom operation is stopped, auto focus is activated.

Next, the procedure in the case where the autofocus is activated in association with the operation of the horizontal / vertical rotary base 8 will be described below. (1) The operator inputs the horizontal / vertical turntable operation start from the remote control device 9. (2) The remote control device 9 sends a horizontal / vertical turntable operation command to the imaging device 7. (3) The microcomputer unit 4 receives a horizontal / vertical turntable operation command from the remote control device 9. (4) The microcomputer unit 4 gives an operation instruction to the rotary base control unit 5. (5) The operator inputs the horizontal / vertical turntable operation stop from the remote control device 9. (6) The remote control device 9 sends a horizontal / vertical turntable stop command to the imaging device 7. (7) The microcomputer unit 4 receives a horizontal / vertical turntable stop command from the remote control device 9. (8) The microcomputer unit 4 issues a stop instruction to the rotary base control unit 5. (9) The rotary base control unit 5 notifies the microcomputer unit 4 that the horizontal / vertical rotary base 8 has stopped. (10) The microcomputer unit 4 confirms that the horizontal / vertical turntable 8 has stopped. (11) The microcomputer unit 4 instructs the zoom lens 1 to start autofocus. (12) The zoom lens 1 performs an autofocus operation. (13) Confirm that the zoom lens 1 is in focus on the subject. (14) The zoom lens 1 notifies the microcomputer unit 4 that the autofocus has ended. (15) The microcomputer unit 4 confirms that the autofocus is completed and prepares to receive the next command.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the operation of the horizontal / vertical rotary base and the zoom operation of the zoom lens by the remote operation are completed, and at the same time, the autofocus function of the zoom lens automatically operates and the remote operation is performed. There is an effect that a subject desired to be viewed by a human can be quickly focused and the durability of the lens can be dramatically improved by operating the lens only when necessary.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of an imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Zoom Lens 2 Lens Control Section 3 Video Signal Processing Section 4 Microcomputer Section 5 Rotation Platform Control Section 6 Remote Control Signal Separation Section 7 Imaging Device 8 Horizontal / Vertical Rotation Platform 9 Remote Control Device 10 Monitor Device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device equipped with a horizontal / vertical rotary base that can be operated by remote control and a zoom lens having an autofocus function, when the horizontal / vertical rotary base or the zoom lens is zoomed. An image pickup apparatus having means for operating the autofocus function only once immediately after the operation is stopped. 2. A microcomputer unit for decoding a control signal from a remote control device, and a horizontal signal by a control signal from the microcomputer unit.
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotary base control unit that operates the vertical rotary base, and a lens control unit that operates a zoom function and an autofocus function of the zoom lens according to a control signal from the microcomputer unit.