Remote viewing apparatus
First Claim
1. A remotely operable optical viewing apparatus, including a lens having rotatable adjustments, a camera attachable to the lens, and means for directionally supporting and optically adjusting the camera and lens for remote viewing said supporting and adjusting means comprising:
- a drive housing;
a tilt platform mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a tilt axis, said tilt platform being tiltable about the tilt axis through a first angle of at least 90 degrees;
a pan base mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a pan axis perpendicular to the tilt axis, said pan base being rotatable relative to the drive housing about the pan axis through a second angle of at least 350 degrees;
a plurality of housing drives mounted in the drive housing, including a tilt drive means coupled to the tilt platform for driving the tilt platform through said first angle and a pan drive means coupled to the pan base for driving said pan base through said second angle; and
a lens support for supporting the lens therein, said lens support being hinged to the tilt platform for rotation of the lens and the camera when attached thereto into and out of an operating position about an axis parallel to the central axis of the lens, said lens support including at least one endless slippable drive coupled to each lens adjustment for rotatably driving the lens adjustment between extreme positions and slipping at said extreme positions so as not to overdrive and damage the lens adjustments.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pan and tilt apparatus for supporting a miniature television camera and an adjustable lens is disclosed. A lens support is hinged to the pan and tilt apparatus for rotation about an axis parallel to the central axis of the lens. The camera is supported by the lens when attached thereto. Parallel mounted drive trains in a drive housing operate the pan and tilt functions and endless slippable drives in the lens support are operative for providing powered lens adjustments.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A remotely operable optical viewing apparatus, including a lens having rotatable adjustments, a camera attachable to the lens, and means for directionally supporting and optically adjusting the camera and lens for remote viewing said supporting and adjusting means comprising:
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a drive housing; a tilt platform mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a tilt axis, said tilt platform being tiltable about the tilt axis through a first angle of at least 90 degrees; a pan base mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a pan axis perpendicular to the tilt axis, said pan base being rotatable relative to the drive housing about the pan axis through a second angle of at least 350 degrees; a plurality of housing drives mounted in the drive housing, including a tilt drive means coupled to the tilt platform for driving the tilt platform through said first angle and a pan drive means coupled to the pan base for driving said pan base through said second angle; and a lens support for supporting the lens therein, said lens support being hinged to the tilt platform for rotation of the lens and the camera when attached thereto into and out of an operating position about an axis parallel to the central axis of the lens, said lens support including at least one endless slippable drive coupled to each lens adjustment for rotatably driving the lens adjustment between extreme positions and slipping at said extreme positions so as not to overdrive and damage the lens adjustments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A remotely operable optical viewing apparatus, including a lens having rotatable adjustments, a camera attachable to the lens and means for directionally supporting and optically adjusting the camera and lens for remote viewing said supporting and adjusting means comprising:
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a drive housing; a tilt platform mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a tilt axis, said tilt platform being tiltable about the tilt axis through a first angle of at least 90 degrees; a pan base mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a pan axis perpendicular to the tilt axis, said pan base being rotatable relative to the drive housing about the pan axis through a second angle of at least 350 degrees; a plurality of housing drives mounted in the drive housing, including a tilt drive means coupled to the tilt platform for driving the tilt platform through said first angle including a tilt motor mounted parallel to the tilt axis, a tilt gear train driven by said tilt motor mounted parallel to the tilt axis and a tilt drive shaft driven by the tilt gear train mounted in the housing, said tilt drive shaft having slotted end portions extending through apertures in the housing for engagement with corresponding mating portions of the tilt platform keyed to the slotted portions of the tilt drive shaft, and an internal tilt angle limiter responsively coupled to the tilt drive shaft for deenergizing the tilt motor at extreme ends of the tilt platform rotation through said angle and a pan drive means coupled to the pan base for driving said pan base through said second angle; and a lens support for supporting the lens therein, said lens support being hinged to the tilt platform for rotation of the lens and the camera when attached thereto into and out of an operating position about an axis parallel to the central axis of the lens and camera, said lens support including at least one endless slippable drive coupled to each lens adjustment for rotatably driving the lens adjustment between extreme positions and slipping at said extreme positions so as not to overdrive and damage the lens adjustments.
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11. A remotely operable support for a lens having rotatable adjustments and a camera attachable thereto comprising:
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a drive housing; a tilt platform mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a tilt axis, said tilt platform being tiltable about the tilt axis through a first angle; a pan base mounted to the drive housing for rotation about a pan axis perpendicular to the tilt axis, said pan base being rotatable relative to the drive housing about the pan axis through a second angle;
P1 a plurality of housing drives mounted in the drive housing, including a tilt drive means coupled to the tilt platform for driving the tilt platform through said first angle and a pan drive means coupled to the pan base for driving said pan base through said second angle; anda lens support for supporting the lens therein, said lens support being hinged to the tilt platform for rotation of the lens and the camera when attached thereto into and out of an operating position about an axis parallel to the central axis of the lens, said lens support including at least one endless slippable drive coupled to each lens adjustment for rotatably driving the lens adjustment between extreme positions and slipping at said extreme positions so as not to overdrive and damage the lens adjustments. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification