Image input apparatus having interchangeable image pickup device and pan head

• US 6,445,410 B2
• Filed: 10/24/1995
• Issued: 09/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawano, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILSON, JACQUELINE B
• Application Number:
  US08/547,201
• Publication Number:
  US 20010043271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,506 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211, 348/214, 348/552, 348/143, 348/373, 348/376, 348/15, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/141, 352/243, 352/242, 352/244, 396/424, 396/427, 396/532, 396/71, 396/419, 396/428, 396/422
• US Class Current: 348/211.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

An image input apparatus has a pan head for mounting an image pickup device thereon and for changing the image pickup direction of the image pickup device. The image pickup device has an engaging device, and control terminals capable of transmitting specification information about an operation of the pan head from the image pickup device to the pan head. The pan head has a holding device to be engaged with the engaging device so as to interchangeably hold the image pickup device, identifying terminals capable of receiving the specification information when the image pickup device is held by the holding device, and a selection circuit for selecting an operation of the pan head corresponding to the held image pickup device based on the received specification information.

Claims

1. A pan head for mounting an image pickup device thereon and for changing the image pickup direction of the image pickup device, said pan head comprising:

(a) a holding member for selectively holding one of a plurality of different image pickup devices each of which has a control mode which is different from the other image pickup devices;

(b) a receiving device that receives from the attached image pickup device an identifying signal that identifies the type of image pickup device being held by said holding member, the identifying signal specifying a pan head operation.

2. A pan head according to claim 1, further comprising a selection device that selects a pan head operation corresponding to the image pickup device mounted on said holding member.

3. A pan head according to claim 2, wherein said selection device generates information used to select the pan head operation based on the identifying signal received by said receiving device.

4. A pan head according to claim 3, further comprising a drive device that executes the pan head operation based on the selection of said selection device.

5. A pan head according to claim 4, further comprising a memory that stores data on operations of said pan head corresponding to different image pickup devices.

6. A pan head according to claim 5, wherein said drive device reads out data on the pan head operation from said memory based on the selection of said selection device when the image pickup device is mounted on said holding member.

7. A pan head according to claim 6, wherein the data on the operation of said pan head comprises data representing at least either the driving voltage or the driving speed of said drive device.

8. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device has a plurality of control terminals for providing the identifying signal, and wherein said receiving device has a plurality of identifying terminals corresponding to the plurality of control terminals of the image pickup device.

9. A pan head according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of terminals that contacts a corresponding plurality of terminals on the image pickup device, and a plurality of switches respectively coupled to the plurality of pan head terminals, said switches outputting the identifying signal, which identifies operational characteristics of the image pickup device.

10. A pan head according to claim 9, wherein said pan head terminals are disposed in said holding member.

11. A pan head according to claim 9, wherein said detecting device judges a connection state between the terminals when the image pickup device is mounted on said holding member.

12. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device has a lens mounted thereon, and wherein the identifying signal comprises information representing at least either a weight or a focal length of the lens mounted on the image pickup device.

13. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup device has an input/output terminal for providing a control signal relating to control of the image pickup device, and further comprising a pan head input/output terminal to be connected to the input/output terminal of the image pickup device for receiving the signal relating to control of the image pickup device when the image pickup device is mounted on said holding member.

27. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the identifying signal corresponds to a weight of said image pickup device.

28. A pan head according to claim 27, further comprising a pan head controller that controls pan head movement in accordance with the weight of the image pickup device.

29. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the identifying signal identifies at least one of (i) a weight and (ii) a focal length of said image pickup device, said pan head further comprising:

a pan head memory that stores pan head driving data regarding at least one of (i) image pickup device weight and (ii) image pickup device focal length; and

a pan head controller that controls a driving operation of said pan head based on the stored pan head driving data and the identifying signal received from the image pickup device.

30. A pan head according to claim 29, wherein said identifying signal corresponds to the weight of the image pickup device, and wherein the stored pan head driving data corresponds to pan head driving voltage.

31. A pan head according to claim 29, wherein said identifying signal corresponds to the focal length of the image pickup device, and wherein the stored pan head driving data corresponds to pan head driving speed.

44. A pan head according to claim 1, wherein the identifying signal comprises a non-video signal which comprises information regarding a range for changing the focal length.

14. An image pickup device mountable on a pan head which is capable of changing an image pickup direction of said image pickup device, the pan head having a holding member which detachably holds one of a plurality of image pickup devices each of which has a control mode different from each other, said image pickup device comprising:

(a) an engaging member engageable with the holding member of the pan head; and

(b) a transmission device that transmits from the image pickup device to the pan head an identifying signal that identifies the type of image pickup device engaged with the holding member, the identifying signal specifying an operation of the pan head with said image pickup device.

15. An image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein said transmission device has a control terminal for specifying an operation of the pan head.

16. An image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein the pan head has an input/output terminal, and further comprising an image pickup device input/output terminal to be connected to the input/output terminal of the pan head, for transmitting to the pan head input/output terminal a signal relating to the control of said image pickup device when said image pickup device is mounted on the holding member.

32. An image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein said transmission device comprises a plurality of differently-shaped terminals whose shapes correspond to operational characteristics of said image pickup device.

33. An image pickup device according to claim 32, wherein said plurality of terminals are disposed in said engaging member.

35. An image pickup device according to claim 32, wherein the plurality of terminals have a pattern of different shapes based on a focal length of the image pickup device.

36. An image pickup device according to claim 14, further comprising a camera controller for controlling camera operations based on a signal output from a controller of the pan head.

45. An image pickup device according to claim 14, wherein the identifying signal comprises a non-video signal which distinguishes the attached image pickup device from other image pickup devices and comprises information regarding a range for changing the focal length.

17. An image input apparatus having a pan head for mounting an image pickup device thereon and for changing the image pickup direction of said image pickup device, said image input apparatus comprising:

(a) said image pickup device comprising;

an engaging member; and

a transmission device that transmits from the image pickup device to said pan head specification information which specifies the control mode of an operation of said pan head with said image pickup device before an image pickup operation of the attached image pickup device is started, said specification information comprising an identification signal identifying said image pickup device,

(b) said pan head comprising;

a holding member being engageable with said engaging member to interchangeably connect said pan head with one of a plurality of image pickup devices each of which has a control mode different from each other;

a receiving device that receives from said transmission device the specification information of the control mode of the image pickup device; and

a selection device that selects an operation of said pan head corresponding to the connected image pickup device based on the received specification information.

18. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said selection device provides selection information for selecting the operation of said pan head based on the specification information received by said receiving device.

19. An image input apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a pan head drive device that executes the operation of said pan head based on the selection information of said selection device.

20. An image input apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a pan head memory that stores data on operations of said pan head corresponding to different image pickup devices.

21. An image input apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said drive device (i) reads out from said memory data on the operation of said pan head based on the selection information when said image pickup device is mounted on said holding member, and (ii) executes the operation of said pan head based on the read data.

22. An image input apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the data on the operation of said pan head comprises data representing at least either the driving voltage or the driving speed of said drive device.

23. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said image pickup device includes a lens mounted thereon, and wherein the specification information for specifying the operation of said pan head comprises information representing at least either a weight or a focal length of the lens.

24. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said transmission device has a plurality of control terminals that transmits the specification information, and wherein said receiving device has a plurality of identifying terminals corresponding to said plurality of control terminals.

25. An image input apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said selection device (i) determines a connection state between said control terminals and said identifying terminals when said image pickup device is mounted on said holding member, and (ii) generates the selection information based on the determination result.

26. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a connecting device that transmits from said pan head to said image pickup device a signal that controls said image pickup device when said image pickup device is mounted on said holding member.

37. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said transmission device comprises a plurality of differently-shaped terminals, the shape of the terminals corresponding to an operational characteristic of said image pickup device, and wherein said selection device detects the different shapes of the image pickup device terminals and varies the operation of the pan head based on the shape of the image pickup device terminals.

40. An image input apparatus according to claim 37, wherein the shape of the image pickup device terminals corresponds to a focal length of the image pickup device, and wherein said pan head selection device automatically varies an operation of the pan head in accordance with the focal length of the image pickup device.

41. An image input apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the pan head selection device varies a driving speed of the pan head based on the focal length of the image pickup device.

42. An image input apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said engaging member includes a plurality of terminals which connect with a corresponding plurality of terminals in said pan head holding member, the specification information being transmitted from the image pickup device terminals to the pan head terminals.

34. An image pickup device mountable on a pan head which is capable of changing an image pickup direction of said image pickup device, the pan head having a holding member, said image pickup device comprising:

(a) an engaging member engageable with the holding means of the pan head; and

(b) a transmission device that transmits from the image pickup device directly to the pan head information about an operation of the pan head with said image pickup device, said information comprising a non-video signal, wherein said transmission device comprises a plurality of differently-shaped terminals whose shapes correspond to operational characteristics of said image pickup device,

wherein the plurality of terminals have a pattern of different shapes based on the weight of the image pickup device.

38. An image input apparatus having a pan head for mounting an image pickup device thereon and for changing the image pickup direction of the image pickup device, said image input apparatus comprising:

(a) said image pickup device comprising;

an engaging member; and

a transmission device that transmits from the image pickup device directly to said pan head specification information which specifies an operation of said pan head with said image pickup device, said specification information comprising an identification signal identifying said image pickup device,

(b) said pan head comprising;

a holding member engageable with said engaging member to interchangeably connect said image pickup device and said pan head;

a receiving device that receives directly from said transmission device the specification information when said image pickup device is connected to said holding member; and

a selection device that selects an operation of said pan head corresponding to the connected image pickup device based on the received specification information, said selection device automatically varying an operation of said pan head based on the identification signal,

wherein said image pickup device transmission device comprises a plurality of differently-shaped terminals, the shape of the terminals corresponding to an operational characteristic of said image pickup device, and wherein said pan head selection device detects the different shapes of the image pickup device terminals and varies the operation of the pan head based on the shape of the image pickup device terminals,

wherein the shape of the image pickup device terminals corresponds to a weight of the image pickup device and wherein said pan head selection device automatically varies an operation of the pan head based on the weight of the image pickup device.

39. An image input apparatus according to claim 38, wherein said selection device varies a pan head driving voltage based on the weight of the image pickup device.

43. An image pickup device mountable on a pan head which controls said image pickup device, said image pickup device comprising:

a transmission device that transmits information from the image pickup device to said pan head, said information comprising information regarding the weight of the image pickup device.

46. An image pickup device according to claim 43, wherein said information comprises the weight of a lens of said image pickup device.

47. An image pickup device according to claim 43, wherein said pan head changes a driving voltage for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

48. An image pickup device according to claim 43, wherein said pan head changes a driving speed for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

49. A pan head for mounting an image pickup device thereon and for controlling said image pickup device, said pan head comprising:

a holding device the interchangeably holds the image pickup device; and

a receiving device that receives information comprising information regarding the weight of said image pickup device.

50. A pan head according to claim 49, wherein said information comprises the weight of a lens of said image pickup device.

51. A pan head according to claim 49, further comprising:

a driving device that drives the pan head based on said information.

52. A pan head according to claim 51, wherein said driving device changes a driving voltage for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

53. A pan head according to claim 51, wherein said driving device changes a driving speed for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

54. A control method for controlling a pan head on which an image pickup device is mounted, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information from the image pickup device, said information comprising information regarding a weight of the image pickup device; and

controlling said pan head based on said information.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein said information comprises the weight of a lens of said image pickup device.

56. A method according to claim 54, further comprising:

controlling a driving voltage of said pan head for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

57. A method according to claim 54, further comprising:

controlling a driving speed of said pan head for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on said information.

58. A control method for controlling a pan head on which an image pickup device is mounted, the method comprising the steps of:

selectively holding one of a plurality of different types of image pickup devices each of which has a control mode which is different from other types of image pickup devices;

receiving from the attached image pickup device an identifying signal that identifies the type of image pickup device being held, the identifying signal specifying a pan head operation; and

controlling said pan head based on the identifying signal.

59. A method according to claim 58, wherein the identifying signal comprises a weight of said image pickup device.

60. A method according to claim 58, wherein the identifying signal comprises a weight of a lens of said image pickup device.

61. A method according to claim 58, further comprising:

controlling a driving voltage of said pan head for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on the identifying signal.

62. A method according to claim 58, further comprising:

controlling a driving speed of said pan head for changing a direction of the image pickup device based on the identifying signal.