Automatic tracking camera system

• US 5,223,875 A
• Filed: 08/30/1991
• Issued: 06/29/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yanagisawa, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAN, JANG K
• Application Number:
  US07/753,214
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 354/131, 354/266, 354/81, 367/127, 358/108, 358/125
• US Class Current: 396/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/786 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/38 Releasing-devices separate from shutter integral with shutter G03B9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A camera system which is controllable with a remote-control device is arranged to detect the incoming flight direction of a signal sent from the remote-control device, to adjust the facing direction of the camera to the incoming flight direction of the signal, and to be capable of shifting the facing direction of the camera to a given direction according to an instruction signal coming from the remote-control device after the facing direction of the camera is adjusted to the incoming flight direction of the signal.

Claims

1. A photographing system having a remote-control device and a camera which is controllable with a signal coming from said remote-control device, comprising:

a) a signal receiving circuit part arranged to receive a signal from said remote-control device;

b) a driving circuit arranged to detect an incoming flight direction of the signal from said remote-control device and to direct a photo-taking optical system of said camera to the incoming flight direction of the signal; and

c) a control circuit arranged to direct the photo-taking optical system to a predetermined direction designated by the signal received by said signal receiving circuit part from said remote-control device irrespectively of the incoming flight direction of the signal.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said signal receiving circuit part is arranged to detct an incident position of the signal coming from said remote-control device, and wherein said driving circuit is arranged to control a facing direction of the photo-taking optical system in such a way as to make the incident position coincide with a given position.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said signal receiving circuit part is disposed at said camera.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said control circuit is arranged to operate in response to a signal transmitted from said remote-control device after the photo-taking optical system is directed to the incoming flight direction of the signal by said driving circuit.

5. A photographing system having a remote-control device and a camera which is controllable with a signal coming from said remote-control device, comprising:

a) a signal receiving circuit part arranged to receive a signal sent from said remote-control device; and

b) a control circuit having a first mode in which said control circuit detects an incoming flight direction of the signal from said remote-control device and controls a facing direction of a photo-taking optical system of said camera on the basis of the detected incoming flight direction and a second mode in which said control circuit controls the facing direction of the photo-taking optical system of said camera to a direction designated by the signal from said remote-control device irrespectively of the incoming flight direction of the signal.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said control circuit includes a setting circuit arranged to judge a form of the signal received by said signal receiving circuit part and to set said control circuit in the second mode when the signal received is judged to be a specific signal.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said setting circuit is arranged to set said control circuit in the second mode when the specific signal is received by said signal receiving circuit part after completion of control over the facing direction of the photo-taking optical system in the first mode.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said control circuit includes a first driving signal forming circuit arranged to detect the incoming flight direction of the signal from said remote-control device and to form a first driving signal for driving the photo-taking optical system in the incoming flight direction of the signals, a second driving signal forming circuit arranged to form a second driving signal for driving, to a given extent, the photo-taking optical system to shift the driving direction of the photo-taking optical system to a predetermined direction when the signal from said remote-control device is the specific signal, a driving circuit arranged to change the driving direction of the photo-taking optical system in response to the first or second driving signal, and a switching circuit arranged to transmit the first driving signal to said driving circuit when said control circuit is in the first mode and to transmit the second driving signal to said driving circuit when said control circuit is in the second mode.

9. A system according to claim 6, wherein said signal receiving circuit part includes a sensor part arranged to detect a position of the received signal and a judging circuit part arranged to judge the form of the received signal, and wherein said control circuit is arranged to detect the incoming flight direction of the signal on the basis of the position detected by said sensor part and to control a mode setting action-of said setting circuit to the second mode on the basis of the signal form judged by said judging circuit part.

10. A camera system arranged to be controllable on the basis of a signal from a remote-control device, comprising:

a) a signal receiving circuit part arranged to receive a signal sent from said remote-control device; and

b) a control circuit having a first mode in which said control circuit detects an incoming flight direction of the signal from said remote-control device and controls a facing direction of a photo-taking optical system of said camera on the basis of the detected incoming flight direction and a second mode in which said control circuit controls the facing direction of the photo-taking optical system of said camera to a direction designated by teh signal from said remote-control device irrespectively of the incoming flight direction of the signal.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said control circuit includes a setting circuit arranged to judge a form of the signal received by said signal receiving circuit part and to set said control circuit in the second mode when the signal received is judged to be a specific signal.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said setting circuit is arranged to set said control circuit in the second mode when the specific signal is received by said signal receiving circuit part after completion of control over the facing direction of the photo-taking optical system in the first mode.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein said control circuit includes a first driving signal forming circuit arranged to detect the incoming flight direction of the signal from said remote-control device and to form a first driving signal for driving the photo-taking optical system in the incoming flight direction of teh signals, a second driving signal forming circuit arranged to form a second driving signal for driving, to a given extent, the photo-taking optical system to shift the driving direction of the photo-taking optical system to a predetermined direction when the signal from said remote-control device is the specific signal, a driving circuit arranged to change the driving direction of the photo-taking optical system in response to the first or second driving signal, and a switching circuit arranged to transmit the first driving signal to said driving circuit when said control circuit is in the first mode and to transmit the second driving signal to said driving circuit when said control circuit is in the second mode.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein said signal receiving circuit part includes a sensor part arranged to detect a position of the received signal and a judging circuit part arranged to judge the form of the received signal, and wherein said control circuit is arranged to detect the incoming flight direction of teh signal on the basis of the position detected by said sensor part and to control a mode setting action of said setting circuit to the second mode on the basis of the signal form judged by said judging circuit part.