JPH1182877A - Control method for camera pan head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate a malfunction of a pan head that it rotates beyond its range of rotating operation, and its damage caused by the malfunction, by detecting either an origin position or an end of an operating range of the pan head by using a non-contact type sensor and stopping its operation by the detected signal. SOLUTION: A light shielding plate 13 is attached to a turn table 11 with a light shielding plate so that an edge 8 for an origin is placed at the origin position, and an CW direction end edge 9 and an CCW direction end edge 10 are placed at the end of an operating range L. A photo sensor 7 is equipped with a light source and a light receiver, and it is structured that signal light emitted from the light source is received by the light receiver and the light pass is shielded by the light shielding plate 13. When the turn table 11 with the light shielding plate reaches the end of the operating range L as it is rotating in the CW direction, the photo sensor 7 is put in a light receiving status changed from a light shielding status by the CW direction end edge 9, and therefore, a driving motor 1 is stopped by detecting this status change. In the same way, when the table 11 rotates in the CCW direction, it stops by detecting the status change.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for controlling a camera platform, and more particularly, to a method for controlling a camera platform that performs a rotation operation and an elevation operation by a drive motor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional camera head control method.

The conventional camera platform comprises a drive motor 1, a cam 6, a rotary table with cam 5, an origin limit switch 2, a CW direction limit switch 3, a CCW direction limit switch 4, and an arm 12.

The power of the drive motor 1 is transmitted to the cam-equipped rotary table 5 via gears and the like. Rotary table with cam 5
Repeats a reciprocating motion as shown by a symbol L in FIG.
As you rotate in the clockwise (CW) direction,
The cam 6 contacts the CW direction limit switch 3 to detect the end of the operating range L. Similarly, CCW (CounterClockWis
e; counterclockwise), the cam 6
The end of the operating range L is detected by contacting the W-direction limit switch 4. When the end of the operation range L is detected, the drive motor 1 stops.

When performing the home return operation of the rotary table with cam 5, the rotary table with cam 5 is first rotated in the CCW direction, and the end of the operating range L is detected by the cam 6 and the CCW direction limit switch 4. Next, the rotary table with cam 5 is rotated in the CW direction, and when the cam 6 comes into contact with the limit switch 2 for the origin, the drive motor 1 is stopped to terminate the origin return operation.

An actual camera platform is provided with the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 at orthogonal two-axis coordinates so that the camera can be rotated and raised.

[0007]

The conventional camera head control method has the following problems.

An origin limit switch 2, a CW direction limit switch 3, a CCW direction limit switch 4, and 3
Since two switches were required, it was difficult to reduce the size of the camera head.

Further, since the switch is a contact type, the arm 12 is deformed and damaged during repeated operations, and the switch does not operate. As a result, the origin and the end of the operation range L cannot be detected, and there is a problem that the rotary head with cam 5 rotates beyond the operation range L and the camera platform is damaged.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide a camera head which can be miniaturized without malfunction or damage to the camera head beyond the rotational operation range. It is to provide a control method.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a camera head control method in which a drive motor performs a turning / elevating operation. One of them is detected by using a non-contact type sensor, and the operation of the camera platform is stopped by the detection signal.

[0012] The sensor may be a photo sensor.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a method of controlling a camera platform according to the present invention.

In this embodiment, the drive motor 1, the light shielding plate 13,
It is characterized by comprising a turntable with a light-shielding plate 11 and a photosensor 7.

A light-shielding plate 13 is mounted on the turntable 11 with a light-shielding plate so that an origin edge 8 is located at an origin position, and a CW-direction end edge 9 and a CCW-direction end edge 10 are located at an end of an operating range L. .

Although not shown, the photosensor 7 is provided with a light source and a light receiver. The light receiver receives the signal light emitted from the light source, and the light path is shielded by a light shielding plate 13. ing.

When the rotary table 11 with the light shielding plate reaches the end of the operating range L while rotating in the CW direction, the photo sensor 7
Is changed from the light-shielded state to the light-receiving state by the end edge 9 in the CW direction.
To stop.

Similarly, the turntable 11 with the light shielding plate is CC
When the end of the operation range L is reached while rotating in the W direction, the state of the photo sensor 7 changes from the light receiving state to the light blocking state by the end edge 10 in the CCW direction. Therefore, the state change is detected and the drive motor 1 is stopped. Further, when performing the return-to-origin operation of the turntable 11 with the light shielding plate, first, the light receiving state of the photo sensor 7 is detected. If the photo sensor 7 is in the light receiving state, the turntable 11 with the light blocking plate is rotated in the CW direction, and the drive motor 1 is stopped when the photo sensor 7 is changed to the light blocking state by the origin edge 8. Conversely, if the photo sensor 7 is in the light shielding state, the turntable 11 with the light shielding plate is rotated in the CCW direction, and the drive motor 1 is stopped when the photo sensor 7 changes to the light receiving state by the origin edge 8.

Since the detection of the light receiving state by the photo sensor 7 is of a non-contact type, the reliability is high and the turntable 11 with the light shielding plate does not operate beyond the end of the operating range L.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of a camera platform in which the mechanism shown in FIG. 1 is provided on only one of the two orthogonal axes and the camera is raised.

This camera platform comprises a drive motor 1, a photosensor 7, a turntable 11 with a light-shielding plate, a camera box 15, and a camera 14. A camera box 15 is mounted on the turntable 11 with the light shielding plate, and a camera 14 is installed in the camera box 15.
Therefore, the movement of the turntable 11 with the light-shielding plate becomes the raising movement of the camera 15 as it is. The CW direction is the upward direction, the CCW direction is the downward direction, and the position of the origin is the position where the camera 14 faces the front.

The method of controlling the camera platform of the present invention is not limited to the camera platform, and can be applied to an industrial robot having a limited rotation range.

[0023]

According to the camera head control method of the present invention, the following remarkable effects are exhibited, and it is industrially useful.

(1) Malfunctions beyond the range of rotation and damage to the camera platform due to the malfunction are eliminated.

(2) Since the three switches are replaced by one photo sensor, the size of the camera platform can be reduced.

(3) Since it is a non-contact type, reliability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a camera head control method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of a camera platform that performs a raising operation using the method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional camera head control method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Drive motor 2 Origin limit switch 3 CW direction limit switch 4 CCW direction limit switch 5 Cam rotation table 6 Cam 7 Photosensor 8 Origin edge 9 CW direction end edge 10 CCW direction end edge 11 Rotation table with light shielding plate 12 Arm 13 Shade 14 Camera 15 Camera box L Rotational operation range

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method of controlling a camera platform for performing a turning and raising operation by a drive motor, wherein at least one of an origin position and an end of an operation range of the camera platform is detected using a non-contact type sensor, and a detection signal thereof is provided. Stopping the operation of the camera platform by means of a camera head. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is a photo sensor.