Pan and tilt camera

• US 20050057656A1
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Miyamura, Howard, Roberov, Arkadiy, McAlpine, Paul, Miauton, Patrick, Zimmermann, Remy, Moayer, Ali, Chardon, Jean-Michel
• Granted Patent: US 8,228,377 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A camera comprises a camera support; a camera housing rotatably disposed on the camera support for pan movement relative to the camera support; a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing for tilt movement relative to the camera housing; a pan motor coupled with the camera housing to drive the camera housing in pan movement relative to the camera support; and a tilt motor coupled with the camera lens to drive the camera lens in tilt movement relative to the camera housing.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a video module including a camera lens and an actuator configured to move the camera lens; and

an audio module coupled with the video module, the audio module including an audio component disposed in an audio housing configured to substantially insulate acoustically the audio component from the video module.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein the audio housing comprises a plurality of layers of different materials.

3. The camera of claim 2 wherein the different materials include metals and nonmetals.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein the audio housing comprises a shock absorption material.

5. The camera of claim 1 further comprising mechanical isolators disposed between the audio housing and the video module.

6. A camera comprising:

a camera support;

a camera housing rotatably disposed on the camera support for pan movement relative to the camera support;

a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing for tilt movement relative to the camera housing;

a pan motor coupled with the camera housing to drive the camera housing in pan movement relative to the camera support; and

a tilt motor coupled with the camera lens to drive the camera lens in tilt movement relative to the camera housing.

7. The camera of claim 6 further comprising a gear reduction mechanism for at least one of the pan motor and the tilt motor, wherein the gear reduction mechanism includes worm gears.

8. The camera of claim 7 wherein the worm gears are used in a first stage of gear reduction.

9. The camera of claim 6 wherein the camera housing has a range of pan movement relative to the camera support, and wherein an end of travel in pan movement is detected if no signal is received from the pan motor for a preset period of time.

10. A camera comprising:

a camera lens;

a DC motor coupled with the camera lens to move the camera lens; and

a back EMF encoder coupled with the DC motor to receive a signal from the DC motor and to detect a position of the DC motor based on a number of transitions of the received signal.

11. The camera of claim 10 wherein the back EMF encoder comprises an amplifier and filter to amplify and filter a signal received from the motor;

a comparator coupled with the back EMF encoder to detect the transitions based on the amplified and filtered signal; and

a time domain filter.

12. The camera of claim 10 further comprising a pulse counter configured to count a number of pulses corresponding to the transitions to produce position data of the DC motor.

13. A camera comprising:

a camera lens;

a DC motor coupled with the camera lens to move the camera lens;

a sensor configured to track a subject; and

a controller coupled with the motor to control the motor and to the sensor to receive position information of the subject being tracked;

wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the motor based on the position information received from the sensor, the position information including a target position at which the subject stops; and

wherein the controller is configured to reverse a polarity of the DC motor before the camera lens reaches the target position to slow movement of the camera lens and avoid overshooting the target position.

14. The camera of claim 13 wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of the DC motor at least about five pulses before the camera lens reaches the target position.

15. The camera of claim 13 wherein the sensor detects a degree of movement of the camera lens from a start position to the target position, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate a total number of pulses for the DC motor to move the camera lens from the start position to the target position.

16. The camera of claim 13 wherein the controller includes a constant current control to regulate an energy supplied to the motor.

17. A method of operating a camera, the method comprising:

moving a camera lens of a camera in pan movement to measure pan limit positions in pan movement;

moving the camera lens in tilt movement to measure tilt limit positions in tilt movement; and

automatically moving the camera lens to a home position with respect to the pan limit positions and the tilt limit positions upon initial start-up of the camera.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the home position is a reset position disposed at a center disposed substantially equidistant between the pan limit positions and substantially equidistant between the tilt limit positions.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising allowing a user to set the home position.

20. A method of operating a camera, the method comprising:

determining a calibration offset for positioning a camera lens of a camera;

storing the calibration offset; and

using the calibration offset as a correction to control movement of the camera lens in pan and tilt to improve position accuracy of the camera lens.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the calibration offset is determined during manufacturing of the camera.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

moving the camera lens in pan movement to measure pan limit positions in pan movement; and

moving the camera lens in tilt movement to measure tilt limit positions in tilt movement,

wherein the calibration offset is determined with respect to the pan limit positions and tilt limit positions.