Outdoor housing for TV camera

• US 6,674,476 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Application Number:
  US09/337,556
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/375, 348/143, 348/207.99, 396/427, 396/114, 318/444, 318/483, 318/466
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A housing for a TV camera has an automatic wiping mode for automatically driving a wiper, which is provided at a front window of the housing, at predetermined time intervals. The execution of the automatic wiping mode while the TV camera is unused prevents a large amount of snow and frost, etc. from adhering to the front window. The wiper and two nozzles of a window-washing device for jetting a washing liquid are provided on the front window of the housing in a pan/tilt head. If the pan/tilt head is set to the automatic wiping mode, the wiper and the window-washing device automatically operate at predetermined time intervals. This prevents the snow and the frost from adhering to the front window while the pan/tilt head is not operated, e.g., at night. Thus, the shooting can be begun quickly when the need arises.

Claims

1. A housing for a TV camera, comprising:

a box for containing the TV camera, the box having a window through which the TV camera captures an image;

a wiper for wiping the window;

a motor for driving the wiper;

a temperature sensor for sensing at least one of an atmospheric temperature and a temperature of the window;

a commanding device for commanding execution of an automatic wiping mode to automatically control the wiper when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is below a preset temperature; and

a wiper controller for operating the wiper at predetermined time intervals by the motor in the automatic wiping mode,

wherein in each of operations of the wiper at the predetermined time intervals, the wiper controller reciprocates the wiper with a predetermined number of wiper reciprocation times required for wiping off snow and/or frost adhering to the window during each of the predetermined intervals.

2. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, wherein the wiper controller changes the predetermined number of wiper reciprocation times in each of the operations of the wiper in accordance with the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

3. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a load measuring device for measuring a load applied to the motor, wherein the wiper controller changes the predetermined number of wiper reciprocation times in each of the operations of the wiper in accordance with the load applied to the motor measured by the load measuring device.

4. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a washing device for jetting a washing liquid to the window, wherein the wiper controller drives the washing device to jet the washing liquid to the window when the wiper is driven.

5. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is above a preset temperature.

6. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, wherein the wiper controller finishes the automatic wiping mode when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is above a preset temperature.

7. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a water detector for detecting water on the window, wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper when the water detector detects no water on the window.

8. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a water detector for detecting water on the window, wherein the wiper controller finishes the automatic wiping mode when the water detector detects no water on the window.

9. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a shooting operation detector for detecting that the TV camera is shooting, wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper when the shooting operation detector detects that the TV camera is shooting.

10. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a shooting operation detector for detecting that the TV camera is shooting, wherein the wiper controller finishes the automatic wiping mode when the shooting operation detector detects that the TV camera is shooting.

11. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a manual operation detector for detecting that the housing is manually operated, wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper when the manual operation detector detects that the housing is manually operated.

12. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a manual operation detector for detecting that the housing is manually operated, wherein the wiper controller finishes the automatic wiping mode when the manual operation detector detects that the housing is manually operated.

13. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a load measuring device for measuring a load applied to the motor, wherein the wiper controller temporarily stops driving the wiper when the load applied to the motor measured by the load measuring device is below a predetermined value.

14. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, wherein the wiper controller starts the automatic wiping mode when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor is below a preset temperature.

15. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a water detector for detecting water on the window, wherein the wiper controller starts the automatic wiping mode when the water detector detects the water on the window.

16. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, wherein the wiper controller changes the predetermined time intervals in accordance with the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

17. The housing for the TV camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a water detector for detecting water on the window, wherein the wiper controller changes the predetermined time intervals in accordance with presence of the water on the window detected by the water detector.