Pan and tilt camera

• US 8,228,377 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Original Assignee: Logitech Europe S A (Logitech International SA)
• Inventors: Chardon, Jean-Michel, Miyamura, Howard, Roberov, Arkadiy, Moayer, Ali, McAlpine, Paul, Miauton, Patrick, Zimmermann, Remy
• Primary Examiner(s): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US10/871,139
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,958 Days
• Field of Search: 348/357, 348/169, 348/143, 348/155, 396/133
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings

Abstract

A camera comprises a camera support; a camera housing rotatably disposed on the camera support for pan movement relative to the camera support; a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing for tilt movement relative to the camera housing; a pan motor coupled with the camera housing to drive the camera housing in pan movement relative to the camera support; and a tilt motor coupled with the camera lens to drive the camera lens in tilt movement relative to the camera housing.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a camera housing;

a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing and disposed to rotate with respect to the camera housing,

a camera support coupled to the camera housing, wherein the camera housing is rotatably disposed on the camera support;

a DC motor having a plurality of rotors and coupled with the camera lens to pan the camera lens along with the camera housing relative to the camera support or tilt the camera lens relative to the camera housing;

a sensor configured to track a subject;

a controller coupled with the DC motor to control the DC motor and to the sensor to receive position information of the subject being tracked;

a back EMF encoder coupled with the DC motor and configured to detect pulses from rotations of the rotors; and

a pulse counter coupled to the back EMF encoder and configured to count the pulses detected by the back EMF encoder and determine from the count a number of rotations of the rotors;

wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the DC motor based on the position information received from the sensor, the position information including a target position at which the subject stops, and the number of rotations; and

wherein the controller is configured to reverse a polarity of the DC motor before the camera lens reaches the target position to slow movement of the camera lens and avoid overshooting the target position.

2. The camera of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of the DC motor at least five pulses before the camera lens reaches the target position.

3. The camera of claim 1 wherein the sensor detects a degree of movement of the subject from a start position to the target position, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate a total number of pulses for the DC motor to move the camera lens from the start position to the target position.

4. The camera of claim 1 wherein the controller includes a constant current control to regulate an energy supplied to the DC motor.

5. A camera comprising:

a camera housing;

a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing and configured to rotate with respect to the camera housing;

a DC motor having a plurality of rotors and coupled to the camera lens to tilt the camera lens relative to the camera housing;

a sensor configured to track a subject;

a controller coupled with the DC motor to control the DC motor and to the sensor to receive position information of the subject being tracked;

a back EMF encoder coupled with the DC motor and configured to detect pulses from rotations of the rotors; and

a pulse counter coupled to the back EMF encoder and configured to count the pulses detected by the back EMF encoder and determine from the count a number of rotations of the rotors;

wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the DC motor based on the position information received from the sensor, the position information including a target position at which the subject stops, and the number of rotations; and

wherein the controller is configured to reverse a polarity of the DC motor before the camera lens reaches the target position to slow movement of the camera lens and avoid overshooting the target position.

6. The camera of claim 5, further comprising a camera support rotationally coupled to the camera housing and configured to support the camera housing, wherein the DC motor is coupled to the camera support and the camera housing to pan the camera lens and the camera housing relative to the camera support.

7. The camera of claim 5, wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of the DC motor at least five pulses before the camera lens reaches the target position.

8. The camera of claim 5, wherein the sensor detects a degree of movement of the subject from a start position to the target position, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate a total number of pulses for the DC motor to move the camera lens from the start position to the target position.

9. The camera of claim 5, wherein the controller includes a constant current control to regulate an energy supplied to the DC motor.

10. A camera comprising:

a camera housing;

a camera lens rotatably disposed in the camera housing and configured to rotate with respect to the camera housing,

a camera support coupled to the camera housing, wherein the camera housing is rotatably disposed on the camera support;

a DC motor having a plurality of rotors and coupled with the camera lens to pan the camera lens along with the camera housing relative to the camera support and tilt the camera lens relative to the camera housing;

a sensor configured to track a subject;

a controller coupled with the DC motor to control the DC motor and to the sensor to receive position information of the subject being tracked;

a back EMF encoder coupled with the DC motor and configured to detect pulses from rotations of the rotors; and

a pulse counter coupled to the back EMF encoder and configured to count the pulses detected by the back EMF encoder and determine from the count a number of rotations of the rotors;

wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the DC motor based on the position information received from the sensor, the position information including a target position at which the subject stops, and the number of rotations; and

wherein the controller is configured to reverse a polarity of the DC motor before the camera lens reaches the target position to slow movement of the camera lens and avoid overshooting the target position.

11. The camera of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of the DC motor at least five pulses before the camera lens reaches the target position.

12. The camera of claim 10, wherein the sensor detects a degree of movement of the subject from a start position to the target position, and wherein the controller is configured to calculate a total number of pulses for the DC motor to move the camera lens from the start position to the target position.

13. The camera of claim 10, wherein the controller includes a constant current control to regulate an energy supplied to the DC motor.