Surveillance camera capable of adjusting position and a controlling method thereof

• US 20060098092A1
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanwha Vision Company Limited (Hanwha Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Eun-young
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A surveillance camera capable of adjusting a position thereof, and a controlling method thereof are disclosed. The surveillance camera capable of adjusting a position to photograph or capture video images of a monitored area by adaptively driving a camera part in accordance with a predetermined monitoring mode selected by an external controller, includes a pan sensor detecting a standard position of a pan motor that transversely rotates the camera part; a tilt sensor detecting a standard position of a tilt motor that perpendicularly rotates the camera part; and a control part outputting a driving control signal for driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor, adaptively, according to the received monitoring mode selecting signal, such that standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected respectively by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor by a certain period set according to the monitoring mode. Accordingly, positions of the pan motor and the tilt motor are adaptively initialized during the operation thereof, and therefore, position error caused by loss of driving pulse can be compensated, thereby enabling more correct monitoring work.

Claims

1. A surveillance camera capable of adjusting a position to photograph a monitored area by driving a camera part according to a predetermined monitoring mode selected by an external controller, the surveillance camera comprising:

a communication interface receiving a monitoring mode selecting signal corresponding to the predetermined monitoring mode;

a pan sensor detecting a standard position of a pan motor that transversely rotates the camera part;

a tilt sensor detecting a standard position of a tilt motor that perpendicularly rotates the camera part;

a control part outputting a driving control signal driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor, according to the received monitoring mode selecting signal, such that standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected respectively by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor by a certain period set according to the monitoring mode; and

a motor driver rotating the pan motor and/or the tilt motor in a certain direction according to the output driving control signal.

2. The surveillance camera of claim 1, wherein, if the received monitoring mode selecting signal is a preset mode signal, the preset mode in which a plurality of preset monitored areas are sequentially monitored, the control part outputs to the motor driver the driving control signal such that the camera part passes through the plurality of monitored areas along a certain path, and

when the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are not detected respectively by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor in the certain period, the control part outputs to the motor driver the driving control signal such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively.

3. The surveillance camera of claim 1, wherein, if the received monitoring mode selecting signal is an auto-panning mode signal, the auto-panning mode monitoring two preset monitored areas through reciprocal movement, the control part outputs the driving control signal such that the camera part monitors between the two monitored areas by the reciprocal movement and counts each reciprocal movement, and

when the count is equal to or greater than a standard number of reciprocal movements, the control part outputs the driving control signal to the motor driver, such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively.

4. The surveillance camera of claim 3, wherein the standard number of the reciprocal movements are varied by the external controller.

5. The surveillance camera of claim 1, wherein, if the received monitoring mode selecting signal is a pattern mode signal, in which an operation pattern of the camera part, operated for a certain time and stored by the external controller, is performed, the control part outputs the driving control signal such that the camera part operates corresponding to the stored operation pattern and counts a number of times of performing the operation pattern, and

if the counted number is equal to or greater than a standard number of performing the operation pattern, the control part outputs the driving control signal to the motor driver such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor.

6. The surveillance camera of claim 1, wherein, when the surveillance camera is turned on, the control part rotates the pan motor and/or the tilt motor from an initial position in a certain direction such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively, and

when a standard position detecting signal for the pan motor and/or the tilt motor is received, the control part outputs the driving control signal to the motor driver such that the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are rotated back to the initial position.

7. A method of controlling a surveillance camera which is capable of adjusting a position for photographing a monitored area by driving a camera part according to a predetermined monitoring mode selected by an external controller, the method comprising:

rotating a pan motor and/or a tilt motor from an initial position in a certain direction such that standard positions of the pan motor that transversely rotates the camera and the tilt motor that perpendicularly rotates the camera are detected by a pan sensor and/or a tilt sensor, respectively, when the surveillance camera is turned on;

rotating the pan motor and/or the tilt motor back to the initial position when the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor; and

driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor according to the selected monitoring mode, such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected respectively by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor by a certain period set according to the monitoring mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the selected monitoring mode is a preset mode, the preset mode comprising sequentially monitoring a plurality of preset monitored areas, the driving comprises driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor such that the camera part passes through the plurality of the preset monitored areas along a certain path, and

when the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are not detected respectively by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor when the camera part passes through the plurality of monitored areas along the certain path, the driving comprises driving the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the selected monitoring mode is an auto-panning mode, the auto-panning mode monitoring two preset monitored areas through reciprocal movement, the driving comprises:

counting a number of reciprocal movements;

comparing the counted number to a standard number of reciprocal movements; and

when the counted number is equal to or greater than the standard number, driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein, if the selected monitoring mode is a pattern mode, which comprises performing an operation pattern of the camera part, for a certain time and stored by the external controller, the driving comprises:

counting a number of times of the performing the operation pattern of the camera part operated according to the stored operation pattern;

comparing the counted number of times of the performing the operation pattern to a standard number; and

when a result of the comparing the counted number is equal to or greater than the standard number, driving the pan motor and/or the tilt motor such that the standard positions of the pan motor and/or the tilt motor are detected by the pan sensor and/or the tilt sensor, respectively.

11. A surveillance camera, comprising:

an input part which receives a mode selection from a user;

a movable camera part which captures images;

a first motor which rotates the camera part in a first direction;

a second motor which rotates the camera part in a second direction;

a controller which initializes the first motor and the second motor at a standard position, and drives the first motor and/or the second motor according to the selected mode in the first and/or second direction until a threshold is exceeded, and then re-initializes the first motor and the second motor at the standard position.

12. The surveillance camera of claim 11, wherein the selected mode is one of an auto panning mode, a preset mode, a pattern mode or a general monitoring mode.

13. The surveillance camera of claim 12, wherein when the selected mode is the auto panning mode the threshold comprises movement of the camera through a predetermined number of reciprocations between a first camera position and a second camera position.

14. The surveillance camera of claim 12, wherein when the selected mode is the preset mode the threshold comprises movement of the camera through a predetermined number of cycles through a plurality of monitoring areas.

15. The surveillance camera of claim 12, wherein when the selected mode is the pattern mode the threshold comprises a predetermined number of executions of a pattern of movement of the camera.

16. The surveillance camera of claim 11, wherein the threshold comprises a predetermined period of time.

17. A method of controlling a position of a surveillance camera, comprising:

initializing the camera at a standard position;

driving the camera according to a selected operation mode starting from the standard position; and

re-initializing the camera at the standard position when a threshold corresponding to the driving the camera is exceeded.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the threshold comprises a predetermined period of time.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected operation mode is one of an auto panning mode, a preset mode, a pattern mode or a general monitoring mode.