JPH0954356A - Micro intelligent eye - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a micro intelligent eye small in size and light in weight and to accurately control a visual point by embedding a compact camera in a sphere and directly rotating the sphere by an ultrasonic motor. SOLUTION: The compact camera 3 and a stator 2 are respectively connected to a camera control unit 5 and a motor control unit 4, and a selection means 6 selecting the visual point of the camera 3 is connected to the unit 4. The trunk part of the camera 3 is embedded on the center axis of the sphere 1 and a lens at the top is arranged projectingly from a surface on the center axis of the sphere 1. The unit 4 controls the temporal phase difference of AC voltage impressed on the stator 2 corresponding to the position data of the selection means 6, and rotates a rotor 1 in an optional direction interlocked with the selection means 6. Therefore, this micro intelligent eye is miniaturized and a gear such as a reduction gear is not required, whereby the visual point is accurately controlled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a micro-intelligent eye, and more particularly to a micro-intelligent eye capable of selecting an arbitrary viewpoint with two or more degrees of freedom.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a surveillance camera used for crime prevention is generally a fixed type that is fixed to a ceiling or a pillar and monitors a predetermined viewpoint. However, since the viewpoint is limited, a plurality of viewpoints are limited. Had to install a camera. However, since installation of a plurality of cameras requires facility costs, an operation type camera is provided that can achieve the same effect as a plurality of cameras by freely changing the viewpoint with one camera. .

[0003]

However, the actuating type camera requires a plurality of motors and a complicated transmission mechanism, and the positioning accuracy is lowered due to the elastic deformation of the transmission mechanism and the influence of backlash, and the mechanism is large and heavy. There was a problem that the installation became heavy and the installation method and installation location were limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a micro-intelligent eye which is small in size, light in weight and capable of controlling the viewpoint with high accuracy.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a micro-intelligent eye according to the present invention has a sphere supporting a small camera and a driving means for driving the sphere with at least two degrees of freedom. It is characterized by having the requirements of. (A) The small camera is embedded on the central axis of the sphere, and the tip of the small camera is exposed on the surface on the central axis of the sphere. (B) The driving means is a spherical surface having the spherical body as a rotor. It consisted of ultrasonic motor

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a micro intelligent eye. Reference numeral 1 is a sphere, 2 is driving means, 3 is a small camera, and driving means 2 is a motor control unit 4 and a small camera 3.
Is connected to the camera control unit 5, the motor control unit 4 is connected to selection means 6 for selecting the viewpoint of the small camera, and the camera control unit 5 is connected to the monitor television 7.

The driving means 2 can be realized by a spherical ultrasonic motor. As shown in FIG. 2, this spherical ultrasonic motor includes a spherical body (hereinafter referred to as a rotor) 1 which is a rotor, and four annular rings which are arranged so as to face each other on the diameter of the rotor 1 and are orthogonal to each other. The stator 2, 2 ...
And a retainer 8 for holding the stator. The stator 2 is pressed against the rotor 1 with an appropriate pressure, and the piezoelectric element 2 is provided on the back surface of each stator 2.
a is attached, and by applying a high frequency voltage in a two-phase ultrasonic region to the piezoelectric element 2a, a traveling wave whose phase advances with time is excited in the stator circumferential direction on the surface of the stator 2 to form a traveling wave apex. The rotor 1 in contact is provided so as to start rotating, and by controlling the time phase difference of the two-phase AC voltage applied to each stator 2, the rotor 1 can move in two degrees of freedom. It is provided in.

The rotor 1 is an engineering
The plastic and the stator 2 are made of brass.

The small camera 3 can be realized by an ultra-small CCD camera. As shown in FIG. 2, the small camera 3 has a body portion 3a embedded on the central axis of the sphere 1 and a lens 3b at the tip thereof. It is arranged so as to project from the surface on the central axis of the sphere 1.

The small camera 3 and the stator 2 are connected to a camera control unit 5 and a motor control unit 4, respectively, and the motor control unit 4 is connected to a selection means 6 for selecting the viewpoint of the small camera 3.

The camera control unit 5 performs various settings such as automatic gain control, white balance, electronic shutter, pedestal level, horizontal phase and subcarrier phase at the time of external synchronization from the operation panel, and high-quality video signals. It is provided so as to output through an S-video terminal corresponding to a VTR or a composite terminal. This video signal can be monitored by the monitor television 7, and can be recorded on a recording medium such as a video tape by a video deck (not shown).

The motor control unit 4 controls the time phase difference of the AC voltage applied to the stator 2 in accordance with the position data of the selecting means 6 which will be described later, so that the rotor 1 is selected by the selecting means 6 described above.
It is provided so that the viewpoint of the small camera 3 embedded in the rotor 1 can be moved to the viewpoint desired by the operator by rotating the camera in any direction in conjunction with.

The selecting means 6 can be realized by a pointing device such as a joystick or a mouse. The selecting means 6 is provided so as to output angle data corresponding to the inclination and direction of the operating lever 6a and rotation data corresponding to the push button switch 6b to the motor control unit 4.

Since the micro intelligent eye is constructed as described above, its usage will be described.

FIG. 3 shows a micro-intelligent eye used in a monitoring device. The micro-intelligent eye is fixed to a holder 8 so that the rotor 1 in the portion where the lens portion 3b of the small camera 3 projects is exposed from the ceiling 10. ,
A monitor TV 7 connected to the camera control unit 5,
The selection means 6 connected to the motor control unit 4 is arranged in the monitoring room so that the operator 11 can freely move the viewpoint of the small camera 3 while monitoring the monitor TV 7.

When the operator tilts the operation lever 6a,
The angle data and the rotation data output from the selection means 6 are converted into the movement amount of the rotor 1 by the motor control unit 4,
Since the AC voltage applied to the stator 2 is controlled, the sphere 1 rotates in conjunction with the operation lever 6a, and the viewpoint of the small camera 3 embedded in the rotor 1 can be moved to the operator's desired viewpoint. .

Since the portion exposed from the ceiling of the micro intelligent eye thus arranged is much smaller than that of the conventional TV camera, it is difficult for an intruder or the like to recognize the presence of the surveillance camera and the surveillance effect is obtained. It can be raised significantly.

Further, since the body portion 3a of the small camera 3 is embedded in the rotor 1 and only the lens portion 3b projects from the spherical surface, conventional monitoring is performed even if the rotor 1 is rotated to change the viewpoint of the small camera 3. It is difficult to see that the camera is moving compared to the camera, and it is possible to further improve the monitoring effect.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the micro intelligent eye is used for the exploration device. The micro intelligent eye is arranged in front of the traveling body 12 traveling by remote control. For example, the traveling body 12 is put inside the pipe 13 and the camera is used. Monitor TV 7 connected to the control unit 5
And a selection means 6 connected to the motor control unit 4,
A control device 15 for remotely controlling the drive device 14 of the traveling body 12 is arranged outside the pipe 13, and an operator remotely controls the traveling body 12 with the control device 15 while monitoring the monitor TV 7 to observe the viewpoint of the small camera 3. Is to be moved by the selection means 6.

When the micro intelligent eye is attached to the traveling body 12 as described above, the micro intelligent eye is smaller than the traveling body 12 and therefore a narrower area can be searched as compared with the conventional searching device. Since the viewpoint of the camera can be moved, it is possible to search not only the frontal state but also the vertical and horizontal states.
As a result, it is possible to provide an optimal intelligent eye for an exploration device that effectively functions also for exploring the inside of a building collapsed by an earthquake.

Further, the field of application of this intelligent eye is not limited, and for example, it can be used for medical fields, industrial fields, pipeline inspections, disaster rescue, nuclear power plants, etc. in the field of endoscopes. In the field of industry, it can be used for crime prevention, exploration, periscope, non-destructive inspection, robot, and in the field of welfare, it can be used for guiding the blind and artificial eyes for the blind. Further, since the reduction gear used in the surveillance camera using the conventional electric motor as a drive source is not required, the position control accuracy is improved, and the internal viewing angle when two cameras are used can be accurately measured. It can be used for precise distance measurement.

[0023]

According to the micro-intelligent eye of the present invention, a small camera is embedded in a sphere, and the sphere is directly rotated by an ultrasonic motor, so that it can be made smaller than a conventional surveillance camera. Since no gear such as a reduction gear is required, the viewpoint can be controlled with high accuracy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a micro intelligent eye configuration according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a drive mechanism.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a usage example of the micro intelligent eye.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of use of the micro intelligent eye.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sphere 2 Driving Means 3 Small Camera 4 Motor Control Unit 5 Camera Control Unit 6 Selection Means 7 Monitor TV

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A micro-intelligent eye having a sphere supporting a small camera and a driving means for driving the sphere with at least two degrees of freedom, and having the following requirements. (A) The small camera is embedded on the central axis of the sphere, and the tip of the small camera is exposed on the surface on the central axis of the sphere. (B) The driving means is a spherical surface having the spherical body as a rotor. It consisted of ultrasonic motor