Electromagnetic circuit and servo mechanism for articulated cameras

• US 20040189130A1
• Filed: 12/10/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Security Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Covi Technologies, Inc. (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Hovanky, Thao D., Washington, Richard G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,071,591 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 310/156.32
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1963 Arrangements allowing camera rotation to change view, e.g. pivoting camera, pan-tilt and zoom [PTZ]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19634 Electrical details of the system, e.g. component blocks for carrying out specific functions
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 23/54 Disc armature motors or generators
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 25/00 DC interrupter motors or generators

Abstract

An electromagnetic circuit that may be advantageously employed in an articulated camera, such as a CCTV camera, as a part of a servo mechanism to directly drive the camera and optical lens assembly, for example, in the pan and/or tilt axes. In one embodiment, the coil assembly of the servo mechanism may comprise four separate coils that rotate about the center of the ring shape of a single one-piece ring-shaped permanent magnet that has been pre-magnetized in two pair of opposing polarities. The magnet assembly that includes the magnet ring, may be bonded to a circular plate made of ferrous metal.

Claims

1. A servo mechanism, comprising:

a coil assembly, said coil assembly comprising at least one motor coil; and

a magnet assembly, said magnet assembly comprising a one-piece continuous magnet having at least two sets of poles and being configured in a full ring shape;

wherein said coil assembly and said magnet assembly are rotatably coupled together in operative relationship.

2. The servo mechanism of claim 1, wherein said coil assembly further comprises a coil support platter rotatably coupled to said magnet assembly, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter.

3. The servo mechanism of claim 2, wherein said coil support platter comprises a first printed circuit board having first circuitry.

4. The servo mechanism of claim 3, wherein said magnet assembly further comprises a second printed circuit board having second circuitry, said second printed circuit board being fixedly coupled to said magnet;

and wherein said servo mechanism further comprises a dynamic signal interface between said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board and said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board.

5. The servo mechanism of claim 4, wherein said first printed circuit board and said second printed circuit board define a slip ring boundary therebetween;

and wherein said first and second circuitry comprise position feedback circuitry.

6. The servo mechanism of claim 4, wherein said first and second circuitry comprise servo mechanism operational circuitry.

7. The servo mechanism of claim 2, wherein a magnetic flux path return mechanism of said magnet assembly comprises a magnet base plate fixedly coupled to said one-piece continuous magnet so that said one-piece continuous magnet is disposed between said magnet base plate and said coil assembly.

8. The servo mechanism of claim 1, wherein said coil assembly is a moving coil assembly and wherein said magnet assembly is a stationary magnet assembly.

9. The servo mechanism of claim 1, wherein said coil assembly is a stationary coil assembly and wherein said magnet assembly is a moving magnet assembly.

10. The servo mechanism of claim 1, wherein one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly is configured to be coupled to an optical block so as to impart rotation to said optical block.

11. The servo mechanism of claim 10, wherein said optical block comprises a closed circuit television camera optical block.

12. A servo mechanism, comprising:

a coil assembly, said coil assembly comprising at least one motor coil having coil conductor terminals; and

a magnet assembly, said magnet assembly comprising a one-piece continuous magnet having at least two sets of poles and being configured in a full ring shape;

wherein said coil assembly and said magnet assembly are rotatably coupled together so that at least one of said coil assembly and said magnet assembly rotates in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil.

13. The servo mechanism of claim 12, where said coil assembly comprises a plurality of motor coils, said plurality of motor coils being oriented in a configuration so that at least one of said motor coils is positioned across a pole boundary between individual poles of at least one of said at least two sets of poles in all relative rotational positions of said coil assembly and said magnet assembly.

14. The servo mechanism of claim 12, wherein said coil assembly is a moving coil assembly that rotates in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil;

and wherein said magnet assembly is a stationary magnet assembly.

15. The servo mechanism of claim 14, wherein said moving coil assembly further comprises a first printed circuit board rotatably coupled to said stationary magnet assembly, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said first printed circuit board, and said first printed circuit board comprising first circuitry;

wherein said stationary magnet assembly further comprises a second printed circuit board fixedly coupled to said magnet, said second printed circuit board having second circuitry; and

wherein said servo mechanism further comprises a dynamic signal interface between said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board and said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board.

16. The servo mechanism of claim 15, wherein said first and second circuitry comprise servo mechanism operational circuitry.

17. The servo mechanism of claim 16, wherein a magnetic flux path return mechanism of said stationary magnet assembly comprises a magnet base plate fixedly coupled to said one-piece continuous magnet so that said one-piece continuous magnet is disposed between said magnet base plate and said moving coil assembly.

18. The servo mechanism of claim 14, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to be coupled to an optical block so that said optical block is rotatable with said moving coil assembly relative to said stationary magnet assembly.

19. The servo mechanism of claim 18, wherein said optical block comprises a closed circuit television camera optical block.

20. The servo mechanism of claim 18, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to be coupled to said optical block so as to impart rotation to said optical block in a pan axis direction.

21. The servo mechanism of claim 18, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to be coupled to said optical block so as to impart rotation to said optical block in a tilt axis direction.

22. A rotary drive optical block assembly, comprising:

a coil assembly, said coil assembly comprising;

at least one motor coil having coil conductor terminals, and

a coil support platter comprising a first printed circuit board having first circuitry and first dynamic interface components, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter;

a magnet assembly rotatably coupled to said coil assembly so that one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly is a moving assembly that rotates in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil, and the other of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly is a stationary assembly, said magnet assembly comprising;

a continuous magnet having at least two sets of poles, and

a second printed circuit board fixedly coupled to said magnet, said second printed circuit board having second circuitry and second dynamic interface components electrically coupled to said first dynamic interface components; and

an optical block coupled to said moving assembly, so that said moving assembly imparts rotation to said optical block relative to said stationary assembly when said moving assembly rotates relative to said stationary assembly;

wherein said first dynamic interface components of said first printed circuit board and said second dynamic interface components of said second printed circuit board together form a dynamic signal interface between said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board and said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board.

23. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 22, wherein said continuous magnet comprises a one-piece magnet.

24. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 23, where said coil assembly comprises a plurality of motor coils, said plurality of motor coils being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter in a configuration so that at least one of said motor coils is positioned across a pole boundary between individual poles of at least one of said at least two sets of poles in all relative rotational positions of said moving assembly and said stationary assembly.

25. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 24, wherein said coil assembly is said moving assembly;

and wherein said magnet assembly is said stationary assembly.

26. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 23, wherein said first and second circuitry comprise image processing circuitry, servo mechanism operational circuitry, or a combination thereof.

27. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 26, wherein said coil assembly is said moving assembly;

and wherein said stationary assembly is said magnet assembly.

28. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 27, wherein said optical block comprises a closed circuit television camera optical block.

29. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 25, wherein a magnetic flux path return mechanism of said stationary magnet assembly comprises a magnet base plate fixedly coupled to said one-piece continuous magnet so that said one-piece continuous magnet is disposed between said magnet base plate and said moving coil assembly.

30. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 25, wherein said one-piece continuous magnet is configured in a full ring shape so that said moving coil assembly is rotatable through 360 degrees of rotation in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

31. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 30, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to impart rotation to said optical block in a pan axis direction.

32. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 25, wherein said one-piece continuous magnet is configured in a partial ring shape so that said moving coil assembly is rotatable through less than 360 degrees of rotation in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

33. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 32, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to impart rotation to said optical block in a tilt axis direction.

34. The rotary drive optical block assembly of claim 22, wherein said first printed circuit board and said second printed circuit board define a slip ring boundary therebetween;

and wherein said first and second circuitry comprise position feedback circuitry.

35. A method of operating a servo mechanism, comprising:

providing a servo mechanism, comprising;

a coil assembly, said coil assembly comprising at least one motor coil having coil conductor terminals, and

a magnet assembly, said magnet assembly comprising a one-piece continuous magnet having at least two sets of poles and being configured in a full ring shape,

wherein said coil assembly and said magnet assembly are rotatably coupled together in operative relationship; and

imparting rotation to at least one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising providing a coil support platter rotatably coupled to said magnet assembly, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said coil support platter comprises a first printed circuit board having first circuitry;

and wherein said method further comprises;

providing a second printed circuit board having second circuitry, said second printed circuit board being fixedly coupled to said magnet;

providing a dynamic signal interface between said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board and said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board; and

transmitting at least one signal from said first circuitry to said second circuitry across said dynamic signal interface.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said first and second circuitry comprise servo mechanism operational circuitry.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein said coil assembly is a moving coil assembly;

wherein said magnet assembly is a stationary magnet assembly; and

wherein said method comprises imparting rotation to said moving coil assembly.

40. The method of claim 35, wherein said coil assembly is a stationary coil assembly;

wherein said magnet assembly is a moving magnet assembly; and

wherein said method comprises imparting rotation to said moving magnet assembly.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising providing an optical block coupled to one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly so that said optical block is rotatable with said one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly relative to the other of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly;

and imparting rotation to said optical block by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil to impart rotation to said one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly to which said optical block is coupled.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said optical block comprises a closed circuit television camera optical block.

43. A method of rotating an optical block assembly, comprising:

providing a servo mechanism, said servo mechanism comprising;

a coil assembly including at least one motor coil having coil conductor terminals, and a coil support platter comprising a first printed circuit board having first circuitry and first dynamic interface components, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter,

a magnet assembly rotatably coupled to said coil assembly so that one of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly is a moving assembly that rotates in response to application of voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil and the other of said coil assembly or said magnet assembly is a stationary assembly, said magnet assembly comprising a continuous magnet having at least two sets of poles, and a second printed circuit board fixedly coupled to said magnet, said second printed circuit board having second circuitry and second dynamic interface components electrically coupled to said first dynamic interface components,

wherein said first dynamic interface components of said first printed circuit board and said second dynamic interface components of said second printed circuit board together form a dynamic signal interface between said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board and said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board;

providing an optical block coupled to said moving assembly of said servo mechanism so that said optical block rotates with said moving assembly of said servo mechanism relative to said stationary assembly of said servo mechanism;

imparting rotation to said optical block by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly; and

transmitting at least one signal from said first circuitry to said second circuitry across said dynamic signal interface.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said continuous magnet comprises a one-piece magnet.

45. The method of claim 44, where said coil assembly comprises a plurality of motor coils, said plurality of motor coils being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter in a configuration so that at least one of said motor coils is positioned across a pole boundary between individual poles of at least one of said at least two sets of poles in all relative rotational positions of said moving assembly and said stationary assembly.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said coil assembly is said moving assembly;

and wherein said magnet assembly is said stationary assembly.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein said first and second circuitry comprise image processing circuitry, servo mechanism operational circuitry, or a combination thereof.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said coil assembly is said moving assembly;

and wherein said stationary assembly is said magnet assembly.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said optical block comprises a closed circuit television camera optical block.

50. The method of claim 46, wherein said one-piece continuous magnet is configured in a full ring shape;

and wherein said method further comprises imparting rotation to said optical block through 360 degrees of rotation by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to impart rotation to said optical block in a pan axis direction;

and wherein said method further comprises imparting rotation to said optical block in a pan axis, direction by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

52. The method of claim 46, wherein said one-piece continuous magnet is configured in a partial ring shape;

and wherein said method further comprises imparting rotation to said optical block through less than 360 degrees by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said moving coil assembly is configured to impart rotation to said optical block in a tilt axis direction;

and wherein said method further comprises imparting rotation to said optical block in a tilt axis direction by applying voltage across said coil conductor terminals of said at least one coil of said coil assembly.

54. A coil assembly for a servo mechanism, comprising:

at least one motor coil having coil conductor terminals; and

a coil support platter comprising a first printed circuit board having first circuitry and first dynamic interface components, said at least one coil being fixedly coupled to said coil support platter;

wherein said coil assembly is configured to be rotatably coupled to a magnet assembly comprising a second printed circuit board, said second printed circuit board having second circuitry and second dynamic interface components; and

wherein said first dynamic interface components of said first printed circuit board are configured to form a dynamic interface together with said second dynamic signal interface components of said second printed circuit board so that said dynamic signal interface electrically couples said first circuitry of said first printed circuit board to said second circuitry of said second printed circuit board.