Gravity center adjustment mechanism and related camera device

• US 10,443,780 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Ting-Yao, Yang, Chen-Pu, Hwang, Chwen-Tyng, Huang, Ya-Shian, Lin, Yi-Ching
• Primary Examiner(s): Selby, Gevell V
• Application Number:
  US15/662,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20180299062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/123 the axis of rotation intersecting in a single point, e.g. by using gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/18 with mechanism for moving the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2078 with ball-joint ball-jointed hinges F16C11/06
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/42 with arrangement for propelling the support stands on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/041 for balancing rotational movement of the head
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/02 Bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/561 Support related camera accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 29/00 Combinations of cameras, projectors or photographic printing apparatus with non-photographic non-optical apparatus, e.g. clocks or weapons; Cameras having the shape of other objects combinations with flash apparatus G03B15/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils

Abstract

A camera device includes a base, an image sensing component and a gravity center adjustment mechanism. The image sensing component is located on the base. The gravity center adjustment mechanism includes a circuit board disposed on the base, an adjusting module and a weight component. An angle detecting unit on the circuit board is used to detect an inclined angle of the circuit board related to a reference surface. The adjusting module is disposed on the circuit board. The weight component is connected to the circuit board via the adjusting module. An processing unit on the circuit board drives the adjusting module to rotate the weight component according to the inclined angle, so as to change position of a gravity center of the camera device and to adjust a capturing angle of the image sensing component.

Claims

1. A gravity center adjustment mechanism, comprising:

a circuit board, having a processing unit and an angle detecting unit, the angle detecting unit being utilized to detect an inclined angle of the circuit board relative to a reference surface;

an adjusting module disposed on the circuit board; and

a weight component movably connected to the circuit board via the adjusting module, the processing unit determining a rotary angle of the weight component based on change of the inclined angle and then driving the adjusting module to move the weight component to the determined rotary angle when the inclined angle is changed, and to adjust rotation of the circuit board relative to the reference surface.

2. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the weight component is a pendulum, an end of the pendulum has a weight block, and the other end of the pendulum is pivotally connected to the adjusting module.

3. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the adjusting module comprises a first counterweight adjusting unit and a second counterweight adjusting unit, the weight component comprises a first counterweight portion and a second counterweight portion, an oscillating variation of the first counterweight portion rotated by the first counterweight adjusting unit is different from an oscillating variation of the second counterweight portion rotated by the second counterweight adjusting unit.

4. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 3, wherein a first rotating direction of the first counterweight portion is identical with or opposite to a second rotating direction of the second counterweight portion.

5. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 3, wherein an included angle is formed between a first rotating direction of the first counterweight portion and a second rotating direction of the second counterweight portion.

6. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the weight component comprises a supporting seat and a plurality of weight blocks, the supporting seat has a plurality of accommodating structures, and the plurality of weight blocks having different weight is respectively disposed inside the plurality of accommodating structures.

7. The gravity center adjustment mechanism of claim 6, wherein the adjusting module utilizes an orthogonal gear set to rotate the weight component.

8. A camera device, comprising:

a base;

an image sensing component disposed on the base and utilized to obtain image information; and

a gravity center adjustment mechanism, comprising;

a circuit board disposed on the base, the circuit board having an processing unit and an angle detecting unit, the angle detecting unit being utilized to detect an inclined angle of the circuit board relative to a reference surface;

an adjusting module disposed on the circuit board; and

a weight component movably connected to the circuit board via the adjusting module, the processing unit determining a rotary angle of the weight component based on change of the inclined angle and then driving the adjusting module to move the weight component to the determined rotary angle when the inclined angle is changed and to adjust a capturing angle of the image sensing component.

9. The camera device of claim 8, further comprising:

a spherical housing where inside the base, the image sensing component and the gravity center adjustment mechanism are disposed, the image sensing component facing a transparent region of the spherical housing; and

a rolling kit disposed on the base and contacting an inner wall of the spherical housing in a rolling manner.

10. The camera device of claim 9, wherein the adjusting module rotates the weight component in a specific direction for guiding the rolling kit to be rolled in the specific direction.

11. The camera device of claim 9, further comprising:

a control motor disposed on the base and connected to the rolling kit, the control motor being adapted to drive rotation of the rolling kit.

12. The camera device of claim 9, further comprising:

a positioning wheel set disposed on a position on the base different from the rolling kit, and contacting the inner wall in the rolling manner.

13. The camera device of claim 9, further comprising:

an audio sensing component electrically connected to the processing unit, the processing unit driving rotation of the rolling kit in accordance with a sensing result of the audio sensing component.

14. The camera device of claim 8, further comprising:

a visual angle adjustment module disposed on the base and adapted to adjust a rotary angle of the image sensing component relative to the base.

15. The camera device of claim 8, wherein the weight component is a pendulum, an end of the pendulum has a weight block, and the other end of the pendulum is pivotally connected to the adjusting module.

16. The camera device of claim 8, wherein the adjusting module comprises a first counterweight adjusting unit and a second counterweight adjusting unit, the weight component comprises a first counterweight portion and a second counterweight portion, an oscillating variation of the first counterweight portion rotated by the first counterweight adjusting unit is different from an oscillating variation of the second counterweight portion rotated by the second counterweight adjusting unit.

17. The camera device of claim 16, wherein a first rotating direction of the first counterweight portion is identical with or opposite to a second rotating direction of the second counterweight portion.

18. The camera device of claim 16, wherein an included angle is formed between a first rotating direction of the first counterweight portion and a second rotating direction of the second counterweight portion.

19. The camera device of claim 8, wherein the weight component comprises a supporting seat and a plurality of weight blocks, the supporting seat has a plurality of accommodating structures, and the plurality of weight blocks having different weight is respectively disposed inside the plurality of accommodating structures.

20. The camera device of claim 19, wherein the adjusting module utilizes an orthogonal gear set to rotate the weight component.