JPH0993471A - Panorama television camera and video monitor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the television camera in which a panorama image is obtained by containing plural television cameras and a board for processing a video signal onto a box and arranging them around a mount frame within a horizontal plane at a required interval. SOLUTION: Each television camera 1 is fixed to a mount frame 2 and arranged at a prescribed interval so that a tip of an optical system 11 is projected at the surrounding. The 6-sets of the television cameras 1 have the same focus and image forming points are in matching and arranged to the mount frame 2 via a vertical plane inner angle adjustment mechanism 7 radially on the same plane. In order to cover 360 degrees by the 6-sets of the cameras, a field angle of each camera 1 is selected to be 65 degrees or over and the coverage borders are somewhat overlapped with each other. A video signal processing boards 3 correspond to each camera 1 and are stood on a box 4 above the frame 2 and contained in parallel.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television camera device, particularly a panoramic television camera device having a wide field of view and suitable for capturing the surroundings of a desired place, and a panoramic image captured by the same. The present invention relates to a video monitor device suitable for.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Heretofore, a fisheye lens has been used for observing or monitoring a wide range around an arbitrary point on a television. When this fish-eye lens is used, a visual field of about 180 degrees is secured, but the image obtained by this fish-eye lens has a large optical system distortion, and only an unnatural image different from the actual one can be reproduced. Further, in order to capture an image of a wide range of surroundings using a normal lens with a narrow viewing angle, a mechanism for additionally mounting and rotating a pan head was added to the camera, and so-called panning, tilting, and other movements of the visual field were performed. Furthermore, in order to perform unmanned operations such as panning and tilting on the rooftop, a remote control platform that can be operated remotely must be installed, which makes it difficult to miniaturize, becomes complicated and expensive, and is mechanically expensive. Since a rotation / rotation mechanism is required, it is difficult to maintain good reliability and maintainability.

[0003]

By the way, in the above-mentioned observation or monitoring, it is sometimes required to be able to instantaneously determine the shape, state, etc. of the object to be imaged from the imaged image. . However, in a conventional television camera device using a fish-eye lens, it is extremely difficult to recognize the presence or the movement of an object because the image is greatly distorted, and it is very difficult to know the details of the object as a subject. There is a problem. Also, when trying to observe or monitor by panning and tilting the camera with the remote control, it is necessary to constantly watch the monitor image while turning the camera, so it is unavoidable to overlook or overlook it. There is a problem that it is very difficult to grasp the situation of the entire surroundings. The present invention was invented to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a first object thereof is a television capable of picking up an image with a wide field of view and obtaining a panoramic television image with a relatively simple structure. It is to provide a camera device. A second object of the present invention is to provide a television camera device capable of easily and accurately setting a desired tilt angle in accordance with a place of use and a situation of use in addition to the above first purpose. . Furthermore, a third object of the present invention is to provide a television camera device which is inconspicuous as much as possible and does not spoil the scenery in addition to the above-mentioned object. A fourth object of the present invention is, in addition to the first object, a panoramic television image obtained by picking up a surrounding image in a wide field of view can be appropriately reproduced as it is, and the entire surrounding area can be instantaneously displayed. An object of the present invention is to provide a video monitor device suitable for monitoring and observation that makes it easy to grasp the situation.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above first object, the first invention of the present invention is a means for picking up an image of the surroundings of the device itself, and is obtained by an image pickup part for picking up an image pickup object. A plurality of TV camera units having an output circuit for outputting a video signal, a horizontal plane around a mounting frame having a box accommodating a plurality of video signal processing boards for processing the video signals output from each TV camera unit. It has a structure in which it is attached at a required interval inside.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the second invention of the present invention is, in a means for imaging the surroundings of its own device, an imaging section for imaging an imaging target, and outputs a video signal obtained by the imaging section. A plurality of TV camera units each having an output circuit are arranged in a horizontal plane around a mounting frame having a box containing a plurality of video signal processing boards for processing video signals output from each TV camera unit. In addition, it is configured to be attached via a vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism.

The vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism may individually change the field of view of each TV camera unit in the vertical direction, or may change the field of view of each TV camera unit in the vertical direction at the same time. It may be allowed to. As an example of the former of the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism, there are first and second supporting portions of the television camera body and upper and lower portions of the supporting portion which are connected to each other via a hinge.
So that the tilt angle of the main body can be individually changed by fixing the first leg of each main body to the frame and moving the second leg in the radial direction via the adjusting means. There is a configuration that is. An example of the latter of the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism is a support part of the TV camera body, a first leg connected to the upper part of the TV camera part via a hinge, and a first leg connected to the lower part of the support part via a hinge. A main body having two legs, a third leg hinged to the second leg, and a fourth leg hinged to the third leg;
The legs are fixed to the outer diameter side and the inner diameter side of the mounting frame, respectively, and the second leg portions of the respective main bodies are moved in parallelogram by the adjusting means that can move up and down at a position separated from the mounting frame. There is a configuration in which the tilt angle of each body can be changed.

In order to achieve the third object, the third invention of the present invention is the same as the first invention or the second invention, wherein the television camera body and the mounting frame are a housing in which a front portion of the photographing portion is transparent. It is configured to be stored and fixed to the ceiling or the column in this state. Further, in order to achieve a fourth object, a fourth invention of the present invention is to arrange on a horizontal plane in correspondence with the number and arrangement order of a plurality of TV camera units attached to the TV camera device of the first invention or the second invention. By providing a plurality of video monitors arranged adjacent to each other, by inputting a plurality of video output signals output from the video signal processing board of the television camera device to the video input terminals of each of these video monitors, respectively, in the order of arrangement, The reproduction images on the video monitor are connected to form a panoramic field of view.
In this case, an input section having a video signal switching circuit is provided between the output section of the video signal processing board and the input terminal of the video monitor, and a plurality of video output signals output from the video signal processing board are output to the video signal switching circuit. It is preferable that a specific position in the arrangement sequence can be sequentially moved by inputting to the video input terminals of a plurality of video monitors via the same.

[0008]

In the first aspect of the present invention, the image pickup section for picking up the image pickup object and the plurality of TV camera sections 1 for outputting the image signals obtained by the image pickup section are mounted around the frame 2 at a required interval in a horizontal plane. Since they are attached, the respective fields of view of the TV camera body 1 are in different directions, and the surroundings of the device can be captured as a continuous image, a so-called panoramic image. Then, the video signal obtained by the image pickup section of each TV camera body 1 is transmitted from the camera board 12 to the video signal processing board 3 corresponding to each of the plurality of TV camera bodies 1.
The plurality of video signal processing boards 3 are output to and processed by the board housing box 4 mounted on the mounting frame 2.
It is housed in. That is, the television camera body 1 and the video signal processing board 3 are configured separately. Therefore, the mounting frame 2 for mounting the plurality of TV camera units 1 can be made extremely small, and the TV camera unit 1 can be moved while having a wide field of view from one place to 360 degrees. In addition, since a complicated mechanism for rotating the camera is not required, the entire device can be made compact and inconspicuous.

According to the second aspect of the invention, since the plurality of television camera units 1 are attached to the attachment frame 2 via the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7, the television camera units 1 can be picked up at the level of the object to be imaged. The tilt angle can be set according to the mounting posture. In the third aspect of the invention, the television camera body 1 and the mounting frame 2 are housed in a housing in which the front part of the photographing part is transparent and are fixed to the ceiling or the columns in this state.
For this reason, it is possible to make the presence of dust and the like inconspicuous and not conspicuous, and it is possible to obtain a good appearance without impairing the scenery of the place of use. Further, in the fourth invention, the video signals picked up by the plurality of TV camera units 1 are reproduced on the plurality of video monitors so as to form a so-called panorama of the surroundings as they are, so that the entire surroundings are momentarily displayed. The situation can be grasped, which is suitable for observation and monitoring.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment (first invention and second invention) of a television camera device according to the present invention. 1 to 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a television camera body, which includes an optical system (lens system) 11, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) as an optical / electrical conversion element (not shown), and a camera substrate (so-called CCD board) 12. ing.
The optical system preferably has an automatic adjustment function such as auto focus and auto iris, and the CCD is used as the optical / electrical conversion element in this embodiment.
Any device such as an ade Device) may be used. The optical system 11 and the CCD form an image pickup unit, and the CCD is soldered and fixed on the camera substrate 12, which is a printed wiring board, together with other circuit elements such as ICs.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a mounting frame for the television camera body 1, and each television camera body 1 is mounted and fixed at predetermined intervals so that the tip of the optical system 11 projects to the surroundings. In this embodiment, six TV camera units 1 having the same focal length are mounted radially with the respective image forming points being coincident with each other in the same horizontal plane and through the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7. It is arranged on the frame 2. The horizontal angle between adjacent TV camera units 1 is
Fix according to the viewing angle determined by the focal length of the lens. This positioning is not exact, and the boundaries of the fields of view of adjacent cameras are adjusted so that they slightly overlap. That is, since the six cameras cover the entire circumference of 360 degrees, the viewing angle of each TV camera body 1 is usually set to 65 degrees or more, and the boundaries of the fields of view are thereby slightly overlapped. This is possible because the optical system including the image plane and the CCD are small and compact.

Reference numeral 3 is a video signal processing board (so-called process board). In this embodiment, six video signal processing boards 3 are fixed to the upper part of the mounting frame 2 in correspondence with the six TV camera bodies 1. It stands in a box 4 and is housed side by side. The video signal processing board 3 and the camera board 1
As shown in FIG. 4, the cable 6 is connected to the cable 2 and the connector 2. The cable 6 may be connected via a flexible flat cable or the like including a control signal in addition to a video signal. FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of one system, and an output from the video signal processing board 3 is connected to a cotter 52 for external output provided in the box 4 via a connector 51 and a cable 61. This external output connector 52 is a coaxial cable 6 for outputting a video signal.
A so-called BNC type coaxial connector suitable for 2 is suitable, and for example, six connectors 52 may be arranged on the upper surface of the box 4 as shown in FIG. 6), six connectors 52 may be arranged on the side surface of the box 4.

The vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 is for changing the optical axis of the television camera body 1 in the vertical direction and setting the tilt angle θ as desired. In this embodiment, six television camera portions are used. The optical axis of the body 1 is individually moved up and down. More specifically, the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 forms the same number of main bodies 7a as the TV camera body 1, the lower plate 70 spaced apart from the mounting frame 2, and the lower plate 70 facing each other. The adjusting means 7b including the tightening plate 71 and the clamp means 7e for fixing the angle setting state by the adjusting means 7b are provided.

As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the main body 7a has a supporting portion 1 for supporting the camera substrate 12 of the television camera body 1.
3, the support portion 13 may have a frame shape, but in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the support portion 13 has an upward U-shape or a substantially U-shape. As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right arms with which the left and right edge portions of the screw are abutted are provided with insertion holes for the screws 120 that penetrate the left and right edge portions.
The camera substrate 12 is fixed by screwing a nut onto the. A first leg portion 14 is connected to the upper ends of the left and right arms of the support portion 13 via a hinge 140 in a bent shape, and each first leg portion 14 is fixed with a screw or the like as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is fixed to the lower edge region of the mounting frame 2 by means 143. Here, the mounting frame 2 is formed of a plate having a circular plane shape or a regular polygonal shape. On the other hand, a second leg portion 15 is connected in a bent shape to the lower end of the support portion 13 at the center in the width direction via a hinge 150. And the second
An elongated hole 152 for adjusting the angle is formed in the leg portion 15 in the longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, an intermediate hinge 150 ′ is provided in the starting end area of the second leg portion 15. The lower plate 70 and the tightening plate 71 have a disk shape, and the mounting frame 2
Located concentrically below. The second leg 15 of each main body 7a is narrowly mounted between the lower plate 70 and the tightening plate 71 so as to be movable in the radial direction. A screw shaft 700 is planted on the lower surface of the lower plate 70 so as to extend through the elongated hole 152 of the second leg portion 15, and the tightening plate 71 is provided at the same position as the screw shaft 700. Through hole 71 that allows the penetration of
0 is provided. Each screw shaft 700 protrudes through the through hole 710, and the nut 700 ′ is screwed into the screw shaft 700 to fix each second leg portion 15 to form the clamp means 7 e.

(Operation of the First Embodiment) In the first embodiment, if the second leg portion 15 of each main body 7a is moved most in the radial direction, the support portion 7a is vertical or not as shown in FIG. The optical axis C of the television camera body 1 is horizontal or at an angle close to this. On the other hand, nut 7
00 'is loosened and the second leg 15 is attached to the lower plate 70 and the tightening plate 7
1 is slid and inserted into the back, the support portions 7a move up and down the hinges 140, 150, as shown by the phantom lines in FIG.
The television camera body 1 tilts with 150 'as the fulcrum. At this time, since the screw shafts 700 and the long holes 152 mutually exert a guiding action, the support portion 7a is not twisted. Further, since the lower hinges 150 and 150 ′ are provided in duplicate, the position of the lower plate 70 remains horizontal without changing when adjusting the tilt of each camera.
There is no impact on others. Then, when the nut 700 ′ is tightened at the position where the desired inclination is obtained, the second plate 15 is clamped and fixed by the lower plate 70 and the tightening plate 71, and thus the second leg 15 is fixed.
A desired tilt angle θ is set as shown in FIG.
In this embodiment, the tilt angle θ of each television camera body 1 is individually set, and therefore, a plurality of types of tilt angles θ can be arbitrarily set at 360 degrees. A friction coefficient reducing element such as a Teflon film may be stretched or coated on any of the lower plate 70, the tightening plate 71, and the second leg portion 15.

8 to 12 show a second embodiment of the television camera device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 having a function of simultaneously changing the tilt angles of all the TV camera bodies 1 is provided. This vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 has a number of main bodies 7a corresponding to the television camera body 1, adjusting means 7b that can move up and down below the mounting frame 2, and adjusting means 7.
Clamping means 7e for fixing the angle setting state by b.

Further, in this embodiment, each main body 7a has an angle fine adjustment mechanism 8 for finely adjusting the tilt angle individually. More specifically, the camera board 12 of the television camera body 1 is fixed to the auxiliary plate 8a on both sides with screws 120 as shown in FIG. 11A, and the auxiliary plate 8a is attached to the main body 7a via the fine adjustment screw 8b. The angle is variable. That is, the auxiliary plate 8
Reference numeral a denotes two parallel plates as shown in FIG. 11A, or an upward U-shape, and the camera substrate 12 is fixed by a screw 120 at the center in the height direction. Then, screw insertion holes 121 are provided at four corners of the auxiliary plate 8a. On the other hand, the main body 7a has a supporting portion 13 for the auxiliary plate 8a as shown in FIG. 11 (b). The supporting portion 13 may have a frame shape, but in this embodiment, it has a front upward U-shape or U-shape, and the screw insertion hole 12 of the auxiliary plate 8a is formed.
The screw holes 122 are arranged at the positions (4 positions) corresponding to 1. Auxiliary plate 8a to which the camera substrate 12 is attached
Is located on the front side of the support 13, and the fine adjustment screw 8
10b penetrates the screw insertion hole 121 of the auxiliary plate 8a as shown in FIG. 10B, and the screw hole 12 of the support portion 13 is passed through the spring 8c interposed between the auxiliary plate 8a and the support portion 13.
The television camera body 1 is supported by the threaded portion 2 of the television camera body 1. Of course, the fine adjustment mechanism 8 can be applied to the first embodiment.

A first leg portion 14 is connected to the upper ends of the left and right arms of the support portion 13 in a bent shape via a hinge 140. On the other hand, a second leg portion 15 is continuously connected to the lower end of the support portion 13 in the widthwise center of the support portion 13 via a hinge 150 so that the bending angle is variable. Then, at the tip of the second leg portion 15, the third leg portion 1 having substantially the same length as the support portion 13 is provided.
6 are continuously arranged via a hinge 151 in a variable refraction angle, and a fourth leg 17 having substantially the same length as the first leg 14 is provided at the tip of the third leg 16 via a hinge 160 to change the bending angle. Have been serialized. A biasing element 18 is provided between the third leg 16 and the fourth leg 17 for constantly biasing the fourth leg 17 in the opening direction, that is, the angle toward the vertical direction. Each of the legs is composed of a lever or a strip, and the biasing element 1
In this example, a cancel spring is used as 8,
The free ends are fixed to the third leg 16 and the fourth leg 17 by welding or the like. Further, the lower surface of the second leg portion 15 is a friction coefficient reducing surface 15a, which is realized by bonding or coating a low friction material typified by Teflon or the like. FIG. 10 shows an assembled state of the main body 7a and the television camera body 1a. Each assembly is incorporated in the mounting frame 1, and the first leg portion 14 is mounted by the fixing means 143 such as screws as shown in FIG. The fourth leg 17 is fixed to the lower surface edge area of the frame 2, and the fourth leg portion 17 is fixed to the lower surface edge area of the mounting frame 2 at a position radially inward of the first leg portion 14 such as a screw.
The main body 7a and the mounting frame 2 form a parallelogram link. The adjusting means 7b that can move up and down below the mounting frame 2 includes a shaft 19 that vertically descends from a central portion of the lower surface of the mounting frame 2.
And the shaft 1 so as to face the mounting frame 2.
9 is provided with a push-up plate 20 fitted with a boss portion 200. The upper surface of the push-up plate 20 is the main body 7a.
Is positioned so as to contact the lower surface of the second leg portion 15. The clamp means 7e is made of a double nut in this example, and is screwed to the male screw portion 190 of the shaft 19 so as to come into contact with the pushing plate 20.

(Operation of the Second Embodiment) Since the urging element 18 urges each third leg 16 outward, the second leg 15 of each parallelogram body 7a pushes up the plate. The parallel state with 20 is always maintained and the uniform contact is made. Since the supporting portion 13 has a predetermined inclination, the optical axis C of the television camera body 1 is horizontal or moderately inclined downward as shown in FIG. From this state, in order to adjust the visual field direction of the television camera body 1 downward, one nut of the clamp means 7e may be loosened and the other nut may be rotated. By doing so, the nut moves in the axial direction of the shaft 19, so that the push-up plate 20 is pushed up. Since this pushing-up force is larger than the biasing force of the biasing element 18,
The second leg portion 15 of each main body 7a escapes in the inner diameter direction of the push-up plate 20, whereby the hinges 140, 150, 151, and
Through 160, the parallelogram link tilts inward as shown in FIG. As a result, the supporting portion 1 of the entire main body 7a
At the same time, the inclination of 3 is increased, and the optical axes of the television camera bodies 1 are simultaneously directed downward. The tilt angle of the support portion 13 is arbitrarily adjusted by rotating the nut. Then, when the other nut is rotated until it comes into contact with the one nut when the desired angle is reached, each television camera body 1 is set to the desired tilt angle.

In this embodiment, the camera board 12 of the television camera body 1a is fixed to the auxiliary plate 8a,
The auxiliary plate 8a is supported by the support portion 13 of the main body 1a at four places on the left and right by fine adjustment screws 8b with springs. Therefore, if the required fine adjustment screw 8b is rotated as needed, the angle of the auxiliary plate 8a with respect to the support portion 13 changes according to the amount of rotation. Therefore, the television camera body 1 can be individually finely adjusted by a few degrees to have a desired inclination in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. Since the other points are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 13 shows a third embodiment of the television camera device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 in the second embodiment is not manually operated but is automated by using a power source and can be remotely operated. For this reason, in the third embodiment, as the adjusting means 7d, the driven gear 26 in which the low friction coefficient material 25 typified by Teflon is stretched is arranged below the pushing plate 20 and the shaft 1 is provided.
It is screwed with 9. A knurled boss 27 is integrally formed on the lower side of the driven gear 26. A double nut as a clamping means 7e is screwed onto the shaft 19 below the boss 27 to determine the lowermost position of the boss 27. A motor fixing plate 28 is fitted between the two nuts of the clamp means 7e, and a remote control operation type reversible rotary motor 29 is fixed to the tip of the motor fixing plate 28, and is attached to the rotary shaft of the motor 29. A drive side gear 30 meshing with the driven side gear 26 is attached. Therefore, in this embodiment, the drive gear 30 rotates in an arbitrary direction by the rotation of the motor 29, and the driven gear 26 rotates in accordance with the rotation direction of the drive gear 30.
The rotation of the driven gear 26 causes the driven gear 26 to move up or down along the shaft 19. Since the drive-side gear 30 is formed to be long, the driven-side gear 2
The up / down movement of 6 does not cause disengagement. Then, since the pushing plate 20 also moves up and down as the driven side gear 26 moves up and down, the angle of the parallelogram link changes as in the second embodiment, whereby the inclination of the support portion 13 is changed, and the television camera portion. The view direction of the body 1 is changed. The third embodiment has an advantage that the tilt angle of the television camera body 1 can be changed by driving the motor 29 by operating the remote controller while looking at the screen imaged by the television camera body 1. Others are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and therefore, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The television camera bodies 1 may be mounted around the mounting frame 2 with a fixed vertical in-plane angle, as the case may be. In this case, the mounting frame 2 has a structure in which the upper plate and the lower plate are connected by a face plate to form an enclosure wall, or the upper plate and the lower plate are connected by a plurality of vertical connecting plates, and the face plate and the vertical connecting plate are respectively connected. The camera board 12 of the television camera body 1 may be fastened and fixed with screws or the like. The present invention is originally suitable for securing a horizontal field of view of 360 degrees, but as another application mode, for example, when a television camera device is mounted on a wall, a field of view of 180 degrees is secured. Therefore, in this case, three TV camera units 1 are enough. Furthermore, when it is desired to secure a visual field in the vertical direction, the television camera device of the present invention may be attached and used while being rotated by 90 degrees,
Further, when it is necessary to secure a downward field of view, a downward facing television camera body may be added to the television camera device of the present invention.

Next, FIGS. 14 and 15 show an embodiment of a housing-retractable television camera device according to the third invention of the present invention. In this embodiment, reference numeral PTV is a television camera device, and the configuration of the television camera device itself is the same as that of the first to third embodiments.
The same parts are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 14 shows a case where the TV camera device PTV of the present invention is embedded in a ceiling T inside a hall, an airport lobby, an underground mall, or the like. The television camera device TV is covered with a housing 9 at least below the mounting frame 2. The housing 9 has a box-like shape, and the bottom portion 90 is made of an opaque material such as metal, colored glass, or plastic, and the side surface portion 91, which is the view direction of the television camera body 1, is entirely or at least in the axial direction of the lens. Only the portion corresponding to is made of transparent material such as transparent glass and plastic. The box 4 above the mounting frame 2 is fitted into the opening t of the ceiling T, and is fixed to the back side of the ceiling T by the mounting bracket s. FIG. 15 shows an example in which the TV camera device PTV of the present invention is installed on a pole 34 such as a pole that is installed outdoors. In this case, the upper box 4 and the housing 9 are covered by the housing 9. The lower end is fixed to the pillar P. The housing 9 is composed of two upper and lower bodies, the upper body 9a is made of an opaque material such as metal, and the lower body 9b is made of a transparent material such as transparent glass or plastic.

Next, an embodiment of a video monitor device according to the fourth invention of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. M is a video monitor device, which is provided at an arbitrary location remote from the TV camera device PTV. The video monitor device M includes a plurality of (six in this example) images horizontally arranged adjacent to each other so as to match the number and arrangement order of the plurality of TV camera units 1 attached to the TV camera device P. Monitor 63
A to 63F, the video input terminals of the video monitors 63A to 63F, and the ends of a plurality of (six in this example) coaxial cables 62 for sending video output signals from the video processing board 3. The input unit 64 is provided. The video monitors 63A to 63F are of a type that finely adjusts the horizontal deflection width in order to improve the connection of the fields of view of the reproduced video and form a continuous panoramic image, and uses a type in which adjacent monitor boundaries are as inconspicuous as possible. It is effective.

The input section 64 includes the video monitors 63A to 63A.
The video output signals are input to the 63F in the order of arrangement, and a ring counter type video signal switching circuit 640 and an operation unit 641 for simultaneous shift switching are provided as shown in FIG. 16 (b). are doing. According to this circuit, each video output signal output from each TV camera body 1 of the TV camera device PTV is always once input to the video input terminals of the video monitors 63A to 63F via the video signal switching circuit 640. , A specific position in the sequence order can be moved sequentially. In FIG. 16B, x indicates an array in which the image of a becomes the leftmost image monitor 63A, and Δ indicates an array in which the image of b becomes the leftmost image monitor 63A. In this way, it is possible to shift the output image of the camera that focuses on the central portion of the spread of the panoramic image, which allows important information on the screens of multiple systems to be reproduced in the case of remote monitoring, for example. The source can be brought to the center for easy visual recognition. Furthermore, by providing the optical system 11 with a zoom function, it is possible to zoom only this screen of interest and observe the imaged object with a magnified image. It is preferable that the plurality of video monitors 63A to 63F are arranged on the table 65 so as to have a circular shape or an arc shape with the observer N as a center. Also, the monitor screen in front of the observer may be made larger than the other monitor screens to ensure the visibility in the case of an enlarged screen, for example. From the images obtained respectively, a continuous image around the device is displayed, for example, 36
Since the display means for displaying a 0-degree panoramic image is provided, the observer looks as if he / she is at the position of the television camera body 1 by seeing the continuous images with little distortion displayed on the display means. It becomes possible to observe the surroundings.

[0026]

According to claim 1 of the present invention, each of the television camera units is provided with a plurality of television camera units 1 each having an image pickup unit for picking up an image pickup object and an output circuit for outputting a video signal obtained by the image pickup unit. Since a mounting frame 2 having a box 4 accommodating a plurality of video signal processing boards 3 for processing video signals output from the body 1 is mounted at required intervals in a horizontal plane, a maximum of 360 degrees from one place It is possible to pick up a continuous so-called panoramic image with a small field of view and a small amount of distortion, and therefore it can be widely used for observation, monitoring, or outlook. For example, in the case of sightseeing tours, select a model with a high camera resolution, increase the size of the video monitor, adopt a projection method, and arrange the screen in a circular manner to allow, for example, a panoramic view of the summit at the foot or underwater. You can enjoy the panorama image of the land. Further, since the TV camera body 1 and the video signal processing board 3 as the video signal processing portion are separated and arranged on the upper and lower sides, the size can be extremely reduced, and the TV camera body 1 can be made horizontal when shooting. Since it does not rotate inside, a drive mechanism for moving the camera is not required, so that a compact device can be obtained, and therefore, excellent effects such as use as an inconspicuous existence for monitoring can be obtained.

According to claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, since the plurality of television camera bodies 1 are arranged around the mounting frame 2 via the vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7. As a result, an excellent effect that an optimal panoramic image can be taken according to the installation site, the imaging target, etc. is obtained.

According to claims 3 and 4, the effect of claim 2 can be achieved with a simple and inexpensive structure, and an excellent effect such that the installation angle of the mounting frame can be flexibly dealt with can be obtained. can get. According to claim 5 and claim 6, in addition to the effect of claim 2, since the tilt angles of the plurality of TV camera bodies 1 can be adjusted all at once, the workability and work efficiency of camera installation are improved. The excellent effect of being able to do is obtained. According to claim 7, since the tilt angle of each of the plurality of TV camera bodies 1 can be automatically adjusted simultaneously by remote control, the workability of the camera installation can be further improved in the case of installation on a high place or on a pillar. And the excellent effect that the work efficiency can be improved is obtained. According to claims 9 and 10, the television camera body 1
Since the mounting frame 2 is not exposed, the appearance is good, the presence of the camera installation place is not conspicuous, and the landscape is not spoiled, which is an excellent effect. According to the eleventh aspect, it is possible to reproduce the images picked up by the respective television camera units 1 so as to form a panoramic field of view by concatenating them, and there are few oversights or oversights, and the entire wide field of view is instantaneously displayed. The excellent effect of being able to grasp the situation is obtained. According to the twelfth aspect, it is possible to bring a desired important image among a plurality of reproduced images reproduced in a panorama to the center of a plurality of image monitors that are easy to visually recognize, so that monitoring and observation are possible. The excellent effect that the effect can be enhanced is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a television camera device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of the same.

FIG. 3 shows a vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism in the first embodiment, (a) is a front view thereof, and (b) is a side view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a partial vertical sectional side view showing the connection relationship of the television camera body of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view showing a tilt adjustment completion state in the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the electrical connection configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an arrangement example of video signal output terminals in the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a bottom view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway side view of the same.

FIG. 10 shows a television camera body with a vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism according to the second embodiment, in which (a) is its side view, (b) is its partially enlarged cross-sectional view, and (c) is its sectional view. It is a rear view.

FIG. 11A is a rear view showing an assembled state of the auxiliary plate and the TV camera body in the second embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a developed front view of a main body of a vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism.

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway side view showing a tilt adjustment completed state according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway side view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a partially cutaway side view showing an example of a fourth invention of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway side view showing another example of the fourth invention of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view schematically showing an example of a video monitor device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 TV camera body 2 Mounting frame 3 Video signal processing board 4 Box 7 Vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7a Main body 7b Adjusting means 7e Clamping means 8 Angle fine adjusting mechanism 9 Housing 13 Supporting part 14 First leg 15 Second leg 16 Third leg 17 Fourth leg 18 Energizing element 19 Shaft 20 Push-up plate 63A to 63F Video monitor 64 Input unit 640 Image signal switching circuit 70 Lower plate 71 Tightening plate 140, 150, 151, 160 Hinge 152 Length Hole 700 Screw shaft 700 'Nut

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Toru Mochizuki 4-14 Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Inside NKK IT Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takeshi Oikawa 4-14 Kamiyama-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Stocks Company NCA Corporation

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of television camera units 1 each having a plurality of television camera units 1 each having an image pickup unit for picking up an image pickup target and an output circuit for outputting a video signal obtained by the image pickup unit in a means for picking up an image of the surroundings of the own device. A panorama characterized in that it is mounted around a mounting frame 2 having a box 4 accommodating a plurality of video signal processing boards 3 for processing video signals output from the camera body 1 at a required interval in a horizontal plane. TV camera device. 2. A plurality of television camera units 1 each having a plurality of television camera units 1 each having an image pickup unit for picking up an image pickup target and an output circuit for outputting a video signal obtained by the image pickup unit in a unit for picking up an image of the surroundings of the own device. A vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 is provided around a mounting frame 2 having a box 4 accommodating a plurality of video signal processing boards 3 for processing video signals output from the camera body 1 at a required interval in a horizontal plane. A panoramic television camera device characterized by being attached via a. 3. The vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 includes a support portion 13 of the television camera body 1 and hinges 140, 150 above and below the support portion 13.
A main body 7a having first and second leg portions 14 and 15 connected to each other via the first leg portion 14 of each main body 7a is fixed to the mounting frame 2, and the second leg portion 15 is an adjusting means 7b. The panoramic television camera device according to claim 1, wherein the tilt angle of the main body 7 a is individually changed by being moved in the radial direction via the. 4. The adjusting means 7b has a lower plate 70 facing the mounting frame 2 and a tightening plate 71 for holding the second leg portion 15 between the lower plate 70 and the lower plate 70. And the tightening plate 71 penetrates the elongated hole 152 provided in the second leg portion 15 and the screw shaft 700 and the nut 700 ′ screwed to the screw shaft 700 ′.
The panoramic television camera device according to claim 3, wherein the panoramic television camera device is clamped by a clamping means 7e. 5. The vertical in-plane angle adjusting mechanism 7 includes a support portion 13 of the television camera body 1, a first leg portion 14 connected to an upper portion of the support portion 13 via a hinge 140, and a hinge 150 below the support portion 13. The second leg portion 15 connected through the third leg portion 16, the third leg portion 16 connected to the second leg portion 15 via the hinge 151, and the third leg portion 16 connected to the third leg portion 15.
A main body 7a having a fourth leg 17 connected at 0,
The first leg portion 14 and the fourth leg portion 17 are fixed near the outer diameter and the inner diameter of the mounting frame 2, respectively, and the second leg portion 15 of each main body can move up and down at a position separated from the mounting frame 2. The panoramic television camera apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tilt angles of the respective main bodies 7a are simultaneously changed by being moved in a parallelogram by the adjusting means 7b. 6. A shaft 19 on which the adjusting means 7b hangs down from the center of the mounting frame 2, and a vertically movable push-up plate 2 which faces the mounting frame 2 and fits on the shaft 19.
0, and the third leg 16 of each body 7a is the biasing element 1
The panoramic television camera device according to claim 5, wherein the panoramic television camera device is always urged toward the vertical side by 8. 7. The panoramic television camera device according to claim 5, wherein the push-up plate 20 includes a push-up plate that is vertically moved by a drive source. 8. The panorama according to claim 1, wherein the television camera body 1 includes a substrate 12 supported by a support portion 13 of a main body 7a via a fine angle adjustment mechanism 8. TV camera device. 9. The panoramic type according to claim 1, wherein the television camera body 1 and the mounting frame 2 are housed in a transparent housing 9 at a front portion of a photographing portion and fixed to a ceiling. TV camera device. 10. A television camera body 1 and a mounting frame 2
Is stored in a transparent housing 9 at the front part of the imaging unit,
The panoramic television camera device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is fixed to a column. 11. A plurality of television camera units 1 attached to the television camera device according to claim 1 or 2.
A plurality of video monitors 63A to 63F arranged adjacent to each other on a horizontal plane in correspondence with the number and arrangement order of the video monitors 63A to 63F. By inputting multiple video output signals output from each in the order of arrangement,
An image monitor device, wherein reproduced images on the image monitors 63A to 63F are connected to form a panoramic field of view. 12. An input section 64 having a video signal switching circuit 640 is provided between the output section of the video signal processing board 3 and the input terminals of the video monitors 63A to 63F, and a plurality of output sections from the video signal processing board 3 are provided. The video output signals are sent to the plurality of video monitors 63A to 63F via the video signal switching circuit 640.
12. The image display device according to claim 11, wherein the specific position in the arrangement sequence can be sequentially moved by inputting to the image input terminal of.
The video monitor device described in.