Miniaturized turret-mounted camera assembly

• US 8,000,588 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BBG Aerosystems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Brandebury Tool Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Harvey, William B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney; Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/770,913
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 396/7, 396/12, 396/419, 396/428, 396/427, 348143-144
• US Class Current: 396/12
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04

Abstract

A light weight camera mounting assembly allowing for tilt and pan of a camera through a significant portion of a spherical rang of view with minimal parts count, minimal weight and minimal weight in the rotated portion of the assembly. A retraction/extension assembly for a light weight camera with minimal weight and complexity. Doors which open to allow a camera to extend beyond the surface of a vehicle and close to protect the camera and allow for landing of the vehicle without external skids.

Claims

1. A camera mount comprising:

a housing;

a retraction assembly within said housing;

said assembly including an output arm being extended and retracted with respect to said housing;

a camera semi-shell pivotally mounted to the output arm;

a pan servo to rotate the camera semi-shell about a pan axis;

a tilt servo to rotate the camera semi-shell about a tilt axis, wherein a rotational displacement of the camera semi-shell about the tilt axis is controlled by a control cable driven by the tilt servo; and

a retract servo to retract and extend the camera semi-shell with respect to the housing.

2. The camera mount of claim 1, wherein said camera semi-shell is in communication with a controller.

3. The camera mount of claim 2, wherein said controller communicates position of the camera semi-shell including retraction, extension, pan and tilt displacement.

4. The camera mount of claim 1, wherein said housing includes a pair of doors through which the camera semi-shell is retracted and extended.

5. The camera mount of claim 4, further comprising a door servo to operate said doors.

6. The camera mount of claim 1, wherein said control cable is controlled by a crank driven by the tilt servo.

7. The camera mount of claim 1, wherein extension and retraction assembly employs a carbon fibre plate chassis and pivot point that are integral with pan and tilt mounting bolts.

8. An aeronautical vehicle comprising:

a housing having an interior section;

a retractable camera assembly mounted within the housing; and

a mechanism in communication with the assembly, the mechanism to move said camera assembly between a retracted position and an extended position, wherein the retracted position maintains the assembly within the housing, and the extended position extends the assembly from an interior section of the housing to an area external to the housing and beyond a mounting surface, wherein a rotational displacement of a camera semi-shell about a tilt axis is controlled by a control cable driven by a tilt servo.

9. The vehicle of claim 8, further comprising the housing having a door assembly to separate the interior section from the external area of the housing.

10. The vehicle of claim 9, further comprising electronic coordination of the door assembly with extension and retraction of the camera assembly.

11. The vehicle of claim 10, further comprising the camera assembly in a retracted position during landing of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising the door assembly to function as a landing skid during the landing of the vehicle.

13. The vehicle of claim 11, further comprising the camera assembly to move to an extended position beyond the mounting surface external to the housing to capture a surveillance image.

14. The vehicle of claim 8, wherein the vehicle is an unmanned air vehicle.

15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is catapult launched.

16. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein the vehicle is hand launched.