Imager apparatus with rotatable camera head

• US 5,903,706 A
• Filed: 08/22/1995
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Manabu, Aizawa, Iwao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier, Robert
• Application Number:
  US08/517,925
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/117, 386/118, 386/107, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/58 Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An upside-down image, generated when a video camera is rotated about a horizontal axis to face to substantially the same direction as a display unit does, is electrically corrected to be an upright image. A video camera unit made compact to realize a reduction in weight of a video camera rotating mechanism. An image arrangement convertor circuit is provided between the video camera unit and a liquid crystal display serving as a display unit or a recording unit. A switch is provided in a housing for detecting an angular position of the video camera unit. The video camera, which has an imager device and a lens, is pivoted on an edge of the housing for rotation about an axis parallel to the edge. The image arrangement convertor circuit is operated unitarily in accordance with an angular position of the video camera to automatically correct an upside-down image to an upright image. Since the video camera unit is composed of minimally necessary parts and is rotatably pivoted on an edge of the housing, a rotatable joining portion of the video camera unit with the housing can be reduced in size and weight. This structure also allows the user to adjust the angle of the video camera unit only with the thumb and index finger.

Claims

1. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing for pivoting said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit for generating write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit for generating read addresses for said random access memory; and

(3) signal switching means for controlling the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch whether said read address generator circuit is forced to generate read addresses in the same order as or in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator has generated write addresses.

2. An imager apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor disposed in said housing for displaying video signals outputted from said image arrangement convertor circuit.

3. An imager apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a recorder disposed in said housing for recording video signals outputted from said image arrangement convertor circuit.

4. An imager apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a character/figure generator circuit, disposed between said video camera and said monitor, including a read address generator circuit for changing the direction of read scanning in accordance with said signal switching means, and a read only memory for storing character information, wherein said character/figure generator circuit generates a character or figure which is identifiable if said character or figure is turned over or turned around laterally, and said character or figure is displayed on said monitor.

5. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing for pivoting said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit for generating write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit for generating read addresses for said random access memory in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator circuit has generated the write addresses;

(3) a monitor unit for outputting said video signal outputted from said image arrangement converter circuit; and

(4) signal switching means for controlling the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch between a case where said camera circuit is directly connected with the monitor unit and a case where said camera circuit is connected with said monitor unit through said image arrangement convertor circuit intervening therebetween.

7. An imager apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said signal switching means disconnects said image arrangement convertor circuit from said power supply circuit.

9. An imager apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a character/figure generator circuit, disposed between said video camera and said monitor unit, including a read address generator circuit for changing the direction of read scanning in accordance with said signal switching means, and a read only memory for storing character information, wherein said character/figure generator circuit generates a character or figure which is identifiable if said character or figure is turned over or turned around laterally, and said character or figure is displayed on said monitor unit.

6. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing for pivoting said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit for generating write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit for generating read addresses for said random access memory in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator circuit has generated the write addresses;

(3) a recorder for recording said video signal outputted from said image arrangement converter circuit; and

(4) signal switching means for controlling the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch between a case where said camera circuit is directly connected with said recorder and a case where said camera circuit is connected with said recorder through said image arrangement converter circuit intervening therebetween.

8. An imager apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said signal switching means disconnects said image arrangement convertor circuit from said power supply circuit.

10. An imager apparatus further comprising:

(a) a housing including;

(1) a monitor unit; and

(b) a video camera pivoted for rotation about a vertical rotating axis of said housing unitarily determined by said monitor unit, including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to generate an opto-electrically converted signal;

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

signal switching means disposed in said housing for performing a signal switching operation corresponding to a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing; and

horizontal scanning means disposed in said monitor unit for inverting the horizontal scanning direction,

wherein said signal switching means switches said horizontal scanning means.

11. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a housing including;

(1) a monitor unit; and

(b) a video camera pivoted for rotation about a vertical rotating axis of said housing unitarily determined by said monitor unit, including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to generate an opto-electrically converted signal;

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

further comprising a character/figure generator circuit, disposed between said video camera and said monitor, including a read address generator circuit for changing the direction of read scanning in accordance with a signal switching means, and a read only memory for storing character information, wherein said character/figure generator circuit generates a character of figure which is identifiable if said character or figure is turned over or turned around laterally, and said character or figure is displayed on said monitor unit.

12. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a substantially rectangular housing including;

(1) a monitor unit; and

(b) a video camera positioned on an edge portion of said housing for rotation about an axis parallel to said edge portion, including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to generate an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal,

wherein said video camera is rotated such that said lens faces a plane of said housing so that said plane conceals and protects said lens.

13. An imager apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising a recorder disposed in said housing which records video signals outputted from said camera circuit.

14. An imager apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said edge portion is an upper edge portion.

15. An imager apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said edge portion is a side edge portion.

16. A imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit for generating a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing for pivoting said video camera for rotation about a predetermined axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit for generating write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit for generating read addresses for said random access memory; and

(3) signal switching means for controlling the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch whether said read address generator circuit is forced to generate read addresses in the same order as or in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator has generated write addresses.

17. A imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head which opto-electrically converts light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit which generates a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing which pivots said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit which generates write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit which generates read addresses for said random access memory; and

(3) switching circuit which controls the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch whether said read address generator circuit is forced to generate read addresses in the same order as or in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator has generated write addresses.

18. An imager apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a monitor disposed in said housing which displays video signals outputted from said image arrangement convertor circuit.

19. An imager apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a recorder disposed in said housing which records video signals outputted from said image arrangement convertor circuit.

20. An imager apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a character/figure generator circuit, disposed between said video camera and said monitor, including a read address generator circuit which changes the direction of read scanning in accordance with said switching circuit, and a read only memory for storing character information, wherein said character/figure generator circuit generates a character or figure which is identifiable if said character or figure is turned over or turned around laterally, and said character or figure is displayed on said monitor.

21. A imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head which opto-electrically converts light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit which generates a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing which pivots said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit which generates write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit which generates read addresses for said random access memory in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator circuit has generated the write addresses;

(3) a monitor unit for outputting said video signal outputted from said image arrangement converter circuit; and

(4) switching circuit which controls the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch between a case where said camera circuit is directly connected with the monitor unit and a case where said camera circuit is connected with said monitor unit through said image arrangement convertor circuit intervening therebetween.

22. An imager apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said switching circuit disconnects said image arrangement convertor circuit from said power supply circuit.

23. An imager apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a character/figure generator circuit, disposed between said video camera and said monitor unit, including a read address generator circuit for changing the direction of read scanning in accordance with said signal switching means, and a read only memory for storing character information, wherein said character/figure generator circuit generates a character or figure which is identifiable if said character or figure is turned over or turned around laterally, and said character or figure is displayed on said monitor unit.

24. A imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head which opto-electrically converts light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit which generates a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing which pivots said video camera for rotation about a horizontal axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit which generates write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit which generates read addresses for said random access memory in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator circuit has generated the write addresses;

(3) a recorder which records said video signal outputted from said image arrangement converter circuit; and

(4) switching circuit which controls the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch between a case where said camera circuit is directly connected with said recorder and a case where said camera circuit is connected with said recorder through said image arrangement converter circuit intervening therebetween.

25. An imager apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said switching circuit disconnects said image arrangement convertor circuit from said power supply circuit.

26. An imager apparatus comprising:

(a) a video camera including;

(1) a lens;

(2) a camera head for opto-electrically converting light focused by said lens to an opto-electrically converted signal; and

(3) a camera circuit which generates a video signal from said opto-electrically converted signal; and

(b) a housing which pivots said video camera for rotation about a predetermined axis, including;

(1) a power supply circuit;

(2) an image arrangement convertor circuit having a random access memory for temporarily storing a video signal from said camera circuit, a write address generator circuit for generating write addresses for said random access memory, and a read address generator circuit for generating read addresses for said random access memory; and

(3) switching circuit which controls the operation of said image arrangement convertor circuit in accordance with a rotating angular position of said video camera relative to said housing to switch whether said read address generator circuit is forced to generate read addresses in the same order as or in the order reverse to the order in which said write address generator has generated write addresses.