Remote control unit for an objective and for a camera

• US 9,444,986 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co., Betriebs KG (Stahl Beteiligungs- GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Arnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co., Betriebs KG (Stahl Beteiligungs- GmbH)
• Inventors: Voss, Hendrik, Preymann, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Haskins, Twyler
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trehan, Akshay
• Application Number:
  US14/734,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.02, 348/211.2, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.99, 345/156, 396 56- 59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/34 Power focusing
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/18 Signals indicating condition of a camera member or suitability of light indicating depth of field G03B13/30
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 3/12 adapted for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/663 for controlling interchangeable camera parts based on electronic image sensor signals

Abstract

A remote control unit for an objective and a camera comprises a base part, an operating element movable relative to the base part, an evaluation and control unit for generating a control signal in accordance with the position of the operating element and an output device for outputting the control signal to an associated camera. The evaluation and control device is adapted to control a feedback device of the control unit in dependence on the position of the operating element to generate at least one feedback signal perceivable by a user.

Claims

1. A remote control unit (10) for an objective and for a camera, comprising a base part (12), an operating element (18) movable relative to the base part (12), a controller (50) for generating a control signal in accordance with the position of the operating element (18), an output (54) for outputting the control signal to an associated camera, and a user indication through a feedback device in the remote control unit, wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device in dependence on the position of the operating element (18) to generate at least one feedback signal, wherein the at least one feedback signal comprises a haptic signal which is perceivable by a user of the control unit,

wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device to generate the at least one feedback signal on a reaching of a predetermined position of the operating element (18).

2. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the operating element (18) is rotatable about an axis of rotation (D) relative to the base part (12) and said position of the operating element (18) is a rotary position of the operating element (18);

or wherein the operating element (18) is displaceable along a path relative to the base part (12) and said position of the operating element (18) is a slide position of the operating element (18).

3. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device in dependence on the position of the operating element (18) to generate different feedback signals.

4. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 3,

wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device to generate a first feedback signal on a reaching of a predefined first position of the operating element (18) and to control the feedback device to generate a second feedback signal which differs from the first feedback signal on a reaching at least one of a predefined second position of the operating element (18) and a predefined positional difference of the operating element (18) relative to the predefined first position.

5. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device over at least a range of different positions of the operating element (18) relative to the base part (12) to generate the at least one feedback signal.

6. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 1,

wherein the feedback device comprises a vibrator (42) adapted to generate at least one vibration signal feelable by the user of the remote control unit.

7. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 6,

wherein the vibrator (42) is arranged at an outer side of the base part (12) or at an outer side of the operating element (18).

8. A remote control unit (10) for an objective and for a camera, comprising a base part (12), an operating element (18) movable relative to the base part (12), a controller (50) for generating a control signal in accordance with the position of the operating element (18), an output device (54) for outputting the control signal to an associated camera, and a user indication through a feedback device in the remote control unit, wherein the controller (50) is adapted to control the feedback device in dependence on the position of the operating element (18) to generate at least one feedback signal perceivable by a user of the control unit, wherein the feedback device comprises an illumination device (22) adapted to generate at least one illumination signal visible to a user of the remote control unit, wherein the remote control unit (10) has a display device (16) for displaying at least one symbol (24, 26, 28) whose position or value corresponds to the position of the operating element (18) or to a desired position of the operating element (18), with the illumination device (22) being adapted to illuminate the display device (16) partly or completely, and wherein the remote control unit (10) has a masking device (48) which has at least one transparent or partly transparent section and one light-impermeable section in order to transmit or to screen the illumination of the display device (16) generated by the illumination device (22) for different emission directions of the illumination or for different regions of the display device (16).

9. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 8,

wherein the masking device (48) has a continuous progression of a change in the degree of transparency between the transparent or partly transparent section and the light-impermeable section.

10. A remote control unit (10) for an objective and for a camera, comprising a base part (12), an operating element (18) rotatable relative to the base part (12), a controller (50) for generating a control signal in accordance with the position of the operating element (18), an output device (54) for outputting the control signal to an associated camera, and a cylindrical display section (44) which is provided at the rotatable operating element (18) and at which a marking ring (46) can be arranged, wherein the remote control unit (10) has a light source (22) which is arranged in an interior of the operating element (18) and which is adapted to generate background lighting for the display section (44), and wherein the remote control unit (10) has a mask (48) which has at least one transparent or partly transparent section and one light-impermeable section in order, respectively, to transmit or to screen an illumination of the display section (44) generated by the light source (22) for different emission directions of the illumination or for different regions of the display section (44).

11. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 10,

wherein the light source (22) and the mask (48) are fixedly connected to the base part (12), and wherein the mask (48) is arranged between the light source (22) and the display section (44).

12. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 11,

wherein the display section (44) is partly transparent.

13. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 11,

wherein the operating element (18) is substantially cylindrical and at least partly hollow in its interior.

14. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 13,

wherein the light source comprises at least one light emitting diode.

15. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 10,

wherein the light source (22) generates the background lighting for the display section (44) in accordance with a base illumination characteristic.

16. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 10,

wherein the at least one transparent section of the mask (48) is formed by a cut-out.

17. A remote control unit (10) in accordance with claim 10,

wherein the mask (48) has a continuous progression of a change in the degree of transparency between the transparent or partly transparent section and the light-impermeable section.