JPH11344748A - Ccd camera apparatus for retrieving visually - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a CCD camera apparatus able to confirm, encourage and immediately rescue a survivor by guiding a camera part which can be folded through plural cushions to a desired spot to be retrieved, visually retrieving a video and performing two-way communication between the camera part and a head set. SOLUTION: The camera part 10 at the tip of a flexible hollow arm 30 is inserted in the desired spot to be retrieved of collapsed building and house and the like, and easily guided to the desired spot to be retrieved at a required angle by the elongating and contracting action of a flexible clamping bar and the bending action of the arm 30, especially by folding the arm 30 through plural cushions. The obtained video is transmitted to a television receiver in a control box 70 through a cable 44. Simultaneously, the voice of a surviving person to be retrieved is picked up and talk in response to calling is realized by a speaker for calling and a microphone of the camera part 10 for picking up the voice, whereby the distinct picture of the required spot to be retrieved is transmitted to the television receiver.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a C for visual search.
More specifically, in the case of a collapsed building in a disaster, search for survivors such as houses, narrow places such as inside pipes where humans are difficult to enter, dark areas or places with danger, or underwater, etc. Regarding a CCD camera device for visual search used for visual search and confirmation, etc., particularly, by improvement of the invention of Japanese Patent Application No. 272801 of the present applicant, not only voice communication on land, but also The present invention relates to a CCD camera device for visual search that is suitable for use while maintaining waterproofness underwater and that promptly checks and rescue unknown persons.

[0002] The applicant of this patent is to search for survivors such as collapsed buildings and houses in the event of a disaster, narrow places such as inside pipes where humans are difficult to enter at construction sites, dark places or places with danger, or underwater. In addition, a CCD camera device for visual search was proposed as one used for visual search and confirmation.

[0003] This CCD camera device for visual search requires a camera section containing a small CCD television camera, an illumination lamp, a speaker for interrogation, and a condenser microphone for voice collection via a telescopic gripping rod. The video from the desired search location obtained by the small-sized CCD television camera is visually searched with a television receiver at a desired or remote location by guiding the user to the search location and using the longitudinal motion and the swinging motion. And confirm that bidirectional communication is possible between the camera unit and the head set,
It also enhances lighting, sound collection and conversation functions.

[0004]

Conventionally, finding and rescuing victims trapped in buildings, houses, and the like that have collapsed due to an earthquake or the like has been urgently needed, and there is no time to delay. Must be implemented on time.

[0005] However, searchable places such as collapsed buildings and houses are often narrow places where humans cannot easily enter, or are often dark places or places with danger, so that visual search and confirmation work is not easy. In some cases, it is necessary to urgently perform a visual search even underwater.

[0006] Police dogs and disaster rescue dogs, together with trainers, rush to the buildings, houses, etc. and rubble to find people who are buried or trapped under collapsed buildings, houses, etc. or rubble. Sniff the odor of humans to signal the existence of survivors. However, the number of police dogs and rescue dogs was extremely small, and in the case of a collapse due to a large earthquake, effective detection was almost impossible.

In view of this, the applicant of the present patent has proposed a telescopic gripping rod to which a camera section containing a small CCD television camera, an illumination lamp, an interrogation speaker, and a condenser microphone for sound collection is fixed. A flexible CCD camera device for visual search has been proposed. However, even if the camera section is guided to a required search location, the search cannot be performed effectively.

In addition, since a small CCD television camera and an illumination lamp are provided in the curved case of the narrow tip camera section, the light of the illumination lamp emits light in the curved case of the camera section. Halation is caused by the reflector, howling occurs when the voice collecting condenser microphone and the interrogation speaker are close to each other, and when the camera unit is strongly inserted into a required search location, an impact is received.
There was a major defect that clear images could not be transmitted to the television receiver.

[0009] Then, it takes time to produce a mold for a waterproof casing of a known CCD camera device for visual search, and the product must be expensive.

Further, when a known CCD camera device for visual search is used underwater, the CCD camera device and the illumination lamp are housed in separate casings. Because of the need for a shaped container, the overall configuration was necessarily inevitably large.

In addition, in the known visual search CCD camera device, since the rubber cap coated on the waterproof camera unit is not removable, it is extremely inconvenient for emergency use on land or in water. The operation was difficult.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned defects in a conventional visual search CCD camera device. A first gist of the present invention is to provide a small CCD camera.
A television camera and an illumination lamp are housed in a waterproof cylindrical casing, and are housed in a transparent pressure-resistant glass in a waterproof manner, and a speaker for interrogation and a condenser microphone for sound collection are provided on the side of the cylindrical casing. A camera part, a flexible hollow arm for search angle adjustment having one end connected to the rear part of the camera part, and a plurality of telescopic gripping bars connected to the other end of the flexible hollow arm for search angle adjustment. A cable having one end connected to the small CCD television camera, penetrating the flexible hollow arm and the inside of the telescopic gripping rod, and the other end connected to the control box of the telescopic gripping rod. A cable having one end connected to the illumination lamp and the other end connected to the control box of the telescopic gripping bar, the voice collecting condenser microphone and the interrogation switch. Cable, one end of which is connected to the control box of the telescopic gripping bar, the other end of which is connected to the control box, the television receiver which incorporates the other end of the cable, and the DC power supply. A control box having a control box connected to the control box; and a headset connected to the control box and having an earphone for listening to voice and a microphone for interrogation. The camera unit is guided to a desired search position by being bent by a plurality of cushions by the longitudinal movement and the swinging movement of the flexible hollow arm for adjusting the search angle, and the small CCD television.
A visual search for a video obtained from a desired search location obtained by a camera using a television receiver at a handy or distant desired location and enabling a two-way communication between the camera unit and the head set. It is a CCD camera device.

A second gist of the present invention is that a frame provided in a camera section has first and second openings formed at a predetermined distance from each other at a position where a speaker and a microphone are located. A board integrally provided on a frame with an IC component or the like interposed therebetween, a speaker integrally provided below the first opening of the frame via a holder, and provided in the second opening. The other end of each of the cables respectively connected to the microphone and the small CCD television camera and the plurality of illumination lamps provided on the substrate via a holder are connected to the rear end of the frame. This is a CCD camera device for visual search which is connected to the control box by penetrating through the through hole of the right angle plate having the through hole provided at a right angle and the inside of the telescopic gripping rod.

A third aspect of the present invention is a visual search CCD camera device characterized in that a flexible hollow arm and a telescopic gripping bar are fixed or telescopic.

A fourth gist of the present invention is that a waterproof rubber cap covered on a waterproof cylindrical casing removably fitted to a camera section is used at the time of use on land, at the rear of the cylindrical casing. This is a CCD camera device for visual search, characterized in that it is temporarily turned up and can be re-covered when used underwater again.

[0016]

As described above, in the CCD camera device for visual search according to the present invention, a small CCD television camera and an illumination lamp are built in the front surface inside a waterproof cylindrical casing, and an interrogation device is provided. Speaker and condenser for voice collection
A microphone provided on a side surface of the cylindrical casing, a camera portion, a flexible hollow arm for adjusting a search angle having one end connected to a rear portion of the camera portion, and a plurality of microphones connected to the other end of the flexible hollow arm. The gripping rods are extendable and retractable, a waterproof cylindrical case is detachably fitted to the camera unit, one end is connected to the small CCD television camera, and the flexible hollow arm and the telescopic gripper are connected. Since the flexible hollow arm is penetrated through the inside of the rod and the other end is connected to the control box, the flexible hollow arm can be bent by a plurality of cushions by the longitudinal movement and the swinging movement of the flexible hollow arm, and the flexible hollow arm is guided to a desired search position. The video from the desired search location obtained by the television camera is visually searched with the television receiver at the desired or remote desired location, and two-way communication between the camera unit and the head set is enabled. And a CCD camera system for visual search made as enable two-way communication between the camera unit and the headset.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment shown in the drawings of a CCD camera device for visual search according to the invention described in claim 1 of the present application will be described. 1 to 14, a camera unit 10 is an aluminum cylinder casing 12 having a tapered rear end and a small diameter, an opening 12a formed at the tip thereof, an opening 12b formed at a small diameter rear end, A second formed in the longitudinal direction at a position where an interrogating speaker 22 and a voice collecting microphone 24 of a built-in speaker / microphone set to be described later formed at a predetermined distance around the cylindrical casing 12. 1 opening 12c
And a second opening 12d, and a screwing groove 12a 'is formed around the opening 12a.

In the cylindrical casing 12, a frame 14 on which a small CCD television camera 26 and a plurality of illumination lamps 28 to be described later are mounted is arranged. The frame 14 is provided with a circular through hole 14a for a speaker and a circular through hole 14b for a condenser microphone at a position corresponding to the first opening 12c and the second opening 12d in the longitudinal direction of the casing 12. A vertical piece 14c having a through opening 14d of the flexible hollow arm 30 for adjusting a search angle is provided at a position corresponding to the rear end opening 12b.

An IC component 18 and the like are interposed between the first substrate 16 and the second substrate 16a on the frame 14 so as to be integrated, and a holder 20a is provided below the first opening 12c of the frame 14 via a holder 20a. An interrogation speaker 22 is provided integrally, a voice collecting microphone 24 is provided in the second opening 12d, and a capacitor 17 is provided on the second substrate 16a.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 11, the holder 36 has through holes 36a, 36b and 36c, and the small CCD television camera 26 is inserted into the through holes 36a.
Partially penetrates the tip of the illumination lamps 28, 28 into the 36b, 36c, and the small CCD television camera 26, the illumination lamp 28,
28, and one end of each of the cables 44... Is connected to the opening 14 of the vertical piece 14 c.
d, penetrate the flexible hollow arm 30 and the like, and connect it to a television receiver (not shown) of the rear control box 70 via the holding ring 46, the packing 46a, and the cable holder 46b. .

In FIGS. 8 to 10, the rear ends of the small CCD television camera 26 and the illumination lamps 28, 28 have respective through holes (not shown) of a holder 38 having a shape corresponding to the holder 36. ), Is integrated through an O-ring 37, and after the O-ring 37 is brought into contact with the front surface of the holder 36, the O-ring 37 is firmly attached to the threaded groove 12 a ′ of the cylindrical casing body 12. A screw 40 is formed by screwing a cap 40 having a transparent plate 40a made of heat-resistant, transparent acrylic or the like having a waterproof structure, and formed around the inside of the small-diameter rear end opening 12b.
Then, the threaded grooves 30a, 30a formed around the front and rear ends of the flexible hollow arm 30, respectively, are screwed via nuts 48 and integrally connected.

The small CCD television camera 26,
The illumination lamps 28, 28 are connected to the frame 14, the substrate 16
And housed and arranged in the cylinder-shaped casing 12. If desired, the through holes 3 in the holder 36 and the holder 38
6b, 36c, the number of the illumination lamps 2 to be fitted.
8 so that it can be increased.

12 to 14, the flexible hollow arm 30 having one end connected to the waterproof cylindrical camera unit 10 is connected to a plurality of telescopic gripping rods 50 by a ball joint 49 and a cylindrical connector 52. Connect through. That is,
A threaded groove 52d is formed inside a rear opening 52c of the cylindrical connector 52 having a through-hole 52b of the hollow arm 30 at the center of the tapered closing tip 52a.
A screwing sleeve 54 is screwed and integrated into 2d, and a C-shaped ring 56 is fitted into the cylindrical connector 52 so that the hollow arm 30 penetrating from the through hole 52b can be gripped and fixed. The C-shaped ring 56 has a through hole 56 a through which the hollow arm 30 passes, a cutout 56 b for rotating and reducing the diameter of the cylindrical connector 52, and a cutout 56 b outside the C-shaped ring 56. A recess 56c on the opposite side of the cut 56b for facilitating reduction and enlargement of the diameter;
They are integrated via a bushing 51.

Further, the telescopic gripping bar 50 is fitted into the cylindrical connector 52, and a rattling prevention metal fitting 58 is fitted to the rear end of the telescopic gripping bar 50, and then the cylindrical connector 52 is fitted.
Is rotated, the C-shaped ring 56 and the threaded sleeve 54
Thus, the telescopic gripping bar 50 is firmly fixedly gripped and connected.

The small CCD television camera 26,
The cables 44... Connected to the illumination lamps 28, 28, the interrogation speaker 22, the voice collection microphone 24, etc. are connected to the flexible hollow arm 30 and the plurality of telescopic gripping bars 50. The other end is connected to a DC power supply (not shown) in the control box 70 to supply current and operate.

In the control box 70, a headset having an earphone for voice listening and a microphone for interrogation (both not shown), a DC input connection cord, an AV input connection cord, and a head set connection terminal , A camera power switch, an illumination lamp, a television receiver power switch, a speaker volume control knob, a sound collection microphone volume control knob, etc. (both not shown).

3 to 5 showing an embodiment of the present invention, the inner diameter of the waterproof cylindrical casing 60 which is detachably fitted to the camera unit 10 from the rear is the same as that of the camera unit 1.
0, the transparent plate 62 is fitted into the front opening 60a in a waterproof manner, and the outer rear portion 6
0b, the waterproof rubber cap 64 can be integrally covered, and the fitted waterproof rubber cap 64 is partially turned to the rear.

[0028]

(1) The camera unit 10 at the end of the flexible hollow arm 30 is inserted into a required search location such as a collapsed building or a house, and the telescopic operation of the telescopic gripping bar 20 and the flexibility are performed. The refracting operation with the hollow arm 30, particularly the bending of the flexible hollow arm 30 by a plurality of cushions, makes it possible to easily guide the camera unit 10 to a desired search location at a required angle.

(2) If necessary, the number of the illuminating lamps 28, 28 to be turned on is selected to facilitate the search for the small CCD television camera 26, and the image obtained by the CCD television camera 26 is obtained. Is transmitted to the television receiver in the control box 70 via the cable 44, and at the same time, the interrogation speaker 22 of the camera unit 10 is transmitted.
And the voice collecting microphone 24, it is possible to collect the voice of the surviving person to be searched and talk by interrogation, and to transmit a clear image of the required searched portion to the television receiver. Confirmation, encouragement, and immediate rescue.

(3) Therefore, it is used for searching for survivors such as collapsed buildings and houses in the event of a disaster, and for visual search and confirmation in narrow, dark or dangerous places such as inside pipes where humans are difficult to enter at construction sites. And the small CCD television
The camera 26 facilitates visual and audio checking operations, and can quickly perform rescue activities.

(4) As described above, the CCD camera device for visual search according to the present invention, when used on land, attaches the waterproof rubber cap 64 to the waterproof cylindrical casing 6.
0 is temporarily turned up at the rear, and can be re-covered when used in water again. This provides a CCD camera device for visual search, and a waterproof rubber cap 6 re-covered at the rear.
4 is completely adhered to the cylindrical camera unit 10 by the water pressure, so that the waterproofness becomes perfect.

(5) And the waterproof rubber cap 64
Since the waterproof cylindrical casing 60 having the above structure can be freely fitted to and removed from the cylindrical camera section 10, conversion from a land-based CCD camera apparatus to an underwater search CCD camera apparatus or vice versa. Conversion becomes extremely easy.

(6) Since the interrogating speaker 22 and the sound collecting microphone 24 provided in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical camera unit 10 are provided at a predetermined distance, a howling phenomenon as in the prior art can be prevented. .

(7) By swinging the camera unit 10, the camera unit 10 can be bent with a plurality of cushions as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, and can be easily guided to a desired search location at a required angle. Each operation becomes much easier.

(8) The CCD camera device for visual search according to the present invention has a simple structure as compared with the known CCD camera device. Since the whole can be made small and compact, manufacturing and assembly are inexpensive.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a state of an embodiment in which a searcher wears a CCD camera device for visual search according to the present invention and performs a search operation.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side view of a part of the embodiment in which only the camera section of the visual search CCD camera apparatus of FIG. 1 is taken out.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the camera unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially transparent side view schematically showing a state in which a waterproof cylindrical casing is removed from a distal end portion of the camera unit in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the waterproof cylindrical casing shown in FIG. 4;

6 is a sectional view taken along line V1-V1 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of a camera unit and a flexible hollow arm.

8 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where members accommodated in a cylindrical casing of the camera unit of FIG. 7 are further disassembled.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a state where the cylinder-shaped casing of FIG. 8 is further disassembled.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of the cylinder-shaped casing of FIGS. 8 and 9 further disassembled, and particularly showing an assembling relationship between the frame and the substrate.

FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing the assembling relationship of the holder in FIGS.

FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of a camera unit.

FIG. 13 is a partially enlarged sectional view showing a connection relationship between a flexible hollow arm and a telescopic gripping rod.

14 is an enlarged front schematic view of a C-shaped ring used to connect the flexible hollow arm and the telescopic gripping bar in the embodiment of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a partial front view showing a swing operation of the camera unit.

FIG. 16 is a partial front view of another example of the swing operation of the camera unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 camera section; 12 cylindrical casing; 12c first opening; 12d second opening; 14 frame; 14a circular through hole for speaker; ... Circular through hole for condenser microphone; 16 ... First substrate, 16a ... Second substrate; 22 ... Speaker; 24 ... Sound collecting microphone; 26 ... Small CCD television camera; 28 illumination lamp; 30 flexible hollow arm; 37 O-ring; 40 cap; 44 cable; 52 ... a cylindrical connector; 54 ... a screwing sleeve; 56 ... a C-shaped ring; 70 ... a control box.

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 27, 1998

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Name of invention

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

CCD camera system for visual search [Title of the Invention]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0031

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

(4) As described above, the CCD camera device for visual inspection and search according to the present invention has the waterproof rubber cap 64 temporarily attached to the rear part of the waterproof cylindrical casing 60 when used on land. When the camera is used underwater, it becomes a re-coverable CCD camera device for visual search. The waterproof rubber cap 64, which is re-covered at the rear, is attached to the cylindrical camera unit 10 by water pressure. As they are in close contact, waterproofing is complete.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0035

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0035] (8) CCD camera system for visual search of the present invention, since the structure is simple compared to that of known, the camera unit 10, the type of production of other components is facilitated, Since the entire apparatus can be made small and compact, the production and assembly are inexpensive. ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] May 10, 1999

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claims

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Claims]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0001

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a C for visual search.
More specifically, in the case of a collapsed building in a disaster, search for survivors such as houses, narrow places such as inside pipes where humans are difficult to enter, dark areas or places with danger, or underwater, etc. The present invention relates to a CCD camera device for visual search used for visual search and confirmation, and particularly, on land by improving the inventions of the present patent application No. 0778421 and No. 272801. The present invention relates to a CCD camera device for visual search, which is suitable not only for communication by voice but also for use while maintaining waterproofness underwater, and promptly confirms an unknown person and prompts a rescue.

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0012

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned deficiencies in a conventional visual search CCD camera device.
A television camera and an illumination lamp are waterproofly housed in a waterproof cylindrical casing with a transparent pressure-resistant glass, and a speaker for interrogation and a condenser microphone for sound collection are also provided on the side surface of the cylindrical casing. A camera part provided in a waterproof manner, a flexible hollow arm for adjusting a search angle having one end connected to the rear part of the camera part, and a plurality of telescopic units connected to the other end of the flexible hollow arm for adjusting search angle universal and gripping rod, one end connected to the small-type CCD television camera, the flexible hollow arms, through the said telescopic gripping bars in the other end the telescopic gripping rods hand control box And one end of the cable connected to the lighting lamp, and the other end of the control
A cable connected to the box, the interrogation speaker,
Each one end is connected to the voice collecting condenser microphone, and cables connected to the control box of the telescopic grip bar on hand at the other end, and a television receiver with a built-in each of the other end of the cable, A headset having a control box connected to a DC power supply and having the control box, a voice listening earphone built in the control box, and an interrogation microphone; The flexible gripping arm guides the camera section to a desired search position by bending the plurality of cushions by a longitudinal movement and a swinging movement of the flexible hollow arm for adjusting the search angle. The obtained video from the desired search location is visually searched with a television receiver at the desired or remote desired location, and the camera A CCD camera system for visual search made as enable two-way communication between parts and the head set.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0028

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0028]

(1) CCD camera for visual search according to the present invention
Camera devices are small and lightweight, so they are easy to carry and handle.
Then, the camera unit 10 at the tip of the flexible hollow arm 30 is inserted into a required search location such as a collapsed building or a house, and the telescopic operation of the telescopic gripping rod 20 and the flexible hollow arm 3
The bending operation of the flexible hollow arm 30 by a plurality of cushions makes it possible to easily guide the camera unit 10 to a desired search position at a required angle.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A compact CCD television camera and an illumination lamp are waterproofly housed in a waterproof cylindrical casing with a transparent pressure-resistant glass, and an interrogation speaker and a voice collecting condenser microphone are also provided. A camera portion provided on the side surface inside the cylindrical casing in a waterproof manner; a flexible hollow arm for adjusting a search angle having one end connected to a rear portion of the camera portion; another end of the flexible hollow arm for adjusting a search angle A plurality of telescopic gripping rods connected to the small CCD television camera, one end of which is connected to the flexible hollow arm and the telescopic gripping rod, and the other end of which is telescopic. Cable connected to the control box of the gripping rod;
A cable having one end connected to the lighting lamp and the other end connected to the control box of the telescopic gripping bar; one end connected to the interrogation speaker and the other end to the sound collecting condenser microphone; A cable having the other end connected to the control box of the telescopic gripping rod; a television receiver having the other end of the cable incorporated therein; and a DC power supply, and the control box being connected to the control box. A control box having; an earphone for listening to audio contained in the control box;
A head set having an interrogation microphone; the telescopic gripping bar allows the camera part to be bent with a plurality of cushions by a longitudinal movement and a swing movement of the flexible hollow arm for adjusting the search angle. The video from the desired search location obtained by the small CCD television camera is visually searched with a television receiver at a desired or remote location, and the camera unit and the head. A CCD camera device for visual search that enables two-way communication between sets. 2. A frame provided in the camera section, having first and second openings formed at a predetermined distance from each other at a position where the speaker and the microphone are located. A board integrally provided on the frame with components and the like interposed therebetween, the speaker integrally provided below the first opening of the frame via a holder, and a speaker provided in the second opening; The other end of each of the cables respectively connected to the microphone, the small CCD television camera and the plurality of illumination lamps provided on the substrate via a holder, is perpendicular to the rear end of the frame. 2. The CCD camera device for visual search according to claim 1, wherein said CCD camera device is connected to said control box by penetrating through said through hole of said right angled plate having a through hole and said inside of said telescopic gripping bar. 3. The CCD camera device for visual search according to claim 1, wherein said flexible hollow arm and said telescopic gripping bar are fixed or telescopic. 4. A waterproof rubber cap covered with a waterproof cylindrical casing removably fitted to the camera section is partially turned up to the rear. CCD camera device for visual search.