Portable pan-tilt camera and lighting unit for videoimaging, videoconferencing, production and recording

• US 7,982,763 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simon P. King
• Original Assignee: Simon P. King
• Inventors: King, Simon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/338,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20060119701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,002 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 348/373, 348/836, 348/68, 348/69, 312/209, 312/312, 600/178, 600/180, 600/181, 600/109, 600/182, 600/160, 362/287, 362/418, 362/419, 362/427, 250/363.08, 250/368, 378/189, 378/190
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

The present invention is a portable camera and lighting unit for standalone use in videography to create a high-resolution well-illuminated video feed from a vast array of camera angles and positions, the illumination source always inherently tracking with the camera. The unit may also be used as a satellite in combination with a primary video conferencing and production station (VVPR) for multi-camera production and teleconferencing capabilities. The portable camera and lighting unit includes a portable base, a mast extending upward from the base, and an articulating boom that is fully-pivotable and extendable. A remote control Pan-Tilt-Zoom camera is mounted at the end of the boom for overhead images of healthcare procedures, and an adjustable beam light source is mounted directly on the camera for lighting. The mast is equipped with a color monitor coupled to the camera for operator previewing at the portable unit, and the remote control camera provides a single video feed that can be teleconferenced, recorded, and even mixed with other cameras when used as a satellite adjunct to the primary VVPR, thereby allow full production capabilities for live interactive broadcasts, all in real time by a single operator from a single point of control. The portable unit is mobile and offers more diverse lighting and camera angles than previously possible.

Claims

1. A mobile videoimaging and lighting unit for producing a live video feed, comprising:

a wheeled base;

a cabinet mounted on said base;

a mast extending vertically from said cabinet;

an articulating boom extending from atop said mast;

a remotely-controlled pan-tilt-zoom video camera mounted distally on said boom, said video camera having a lens supported in an articulating lens carriage, a body pivotally supporting said articulating lens carriage, and a base rotatable supporting the body of said video camera, said base being fixedly attached to said boom, and said articulated body and lens carriage providing two-axis remote control of an optical path of said lens and video camera; and

a light source attached to the lens carriage of said video camera for directing a beam of light along the same optical path shared by said video camera;

whereby said remote mobile videoimaging unit may be wheeled into a convenient location in an operating room or other environment and controlled by a single operator for producing a live video feed.

2. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 1, wherein said light source further comprises an adjustable-beam projection lens attached to the lens carriage of said video camera for directing an adjustable beam of light along the same optical path shared by said video camera, and a light-generating source coupled to said projection lens.

3. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 2, wherein said light-generating source further comprises a fiber optic lighting source optically coupled to said projection lens.

4. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 3, wherein said fiber optic light-generating source is mounted on said mast and is coupled to said projection lens by an optical cable.

5. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 2, further comprising an isolation transformer mounted in said cabinet and electrically connected to said fiber optic light-generating source.

6. The mobile videoimaging unit according to claim 1, further comprising a color video display mounted on said mast and connected to said remotely controlled video camera for displaying an output from the remotely-controlled video camera to an operator.

7. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit for producing a live video feed, comprising:

a wheeled base;

a cabinet mounted on said base;

a mast extending vertically from said base;

an articulating boom extending from atop said mast, said boom further comprising a plurality of fixed segments pivotally attached end-to-end;

a remotely-controlled articulating pan-tilt-zoom video camera mounted distally on said boom, said video camera having a lens supported in an articulating lens carriage, a body supporting said lens carriage, and a base rotatable supporting the body of said video camera, said base being fixedly attached to said boom, and said articulated body and lens carriage providing two-axis remote control of an optical path of said lens and video camera;

a fiber-optic projection lens attached to the lens carriage of said video camera for directing a beam of light along the same optical path shared by said video camera;

a fiber optic lighting source optically coupled to said projection lens;

a color video display mounted on said mast and connected to said remotely controlled video camera for displaying an output from the remotely-controlled video camera to an operator; and

a source of power for powering the fiber optic light-generating source and color video display.

8. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 7, wherein said fiber optic projection lens is an adjustable-beam projection lens attached directly to the lens carriage of said video camera for directing an adjustable beam of light along the same optical path shared by said video camera.

9. The mobile videoimaging and lighting unit according to claim 8, wherein said fiber optic light-generating source is mounted on said mast and is coupled to said projection lens by an optical cable.

10. In combination with an existing mobile videoimaging unit for control by a single operator to produce a live video feed, a remote mobile videoimaging unit, comprising:

a wheeled base;

a cabinet mounted on said base;

a mast extending vertically from said base;

an articulating boom extending from a top of said mast, said boom comprising at least two fixed segments pivotally attached end-to-end;

a remotely-controlled pan-tilt-zoom video camera mounted distally on one end of said boom, said video camera having a lens supported in an articulating lens carriage, a body supporting said lens carriage, and a base rotatable supporting the body of said video camera, said base being fixedly attached to said boom, and said articulated body and lens carriage providing two-axis remote control of an optical path of said lens and video camera;

a fiber-optic projection lens attached to the lens carriage of said video camera for directing a focused beam of light along the same optical path shared by said video camera;

a light source for supplying light through the projection lens; and

an electrical cable connecting the remote mobile videoimaging unit to said existing mobile videoimaging unit for common control by a single operator from said mobile videoimaging unit to produce a live video feed.

11. The mobile videoimaging unit according to claim 10, wherein said mobile videoimaging unit further comprises a color video display mounted on said mast for displaying an output from the remotely-controlled video camera to an operator.

12. A mobile lighting unit for producing lighting for a live video feed of a medical procedure, comprising:

a wheeled base;

a cabinet mounted on said base;

a mast extending vertically from said base;

an articulating boom extending from atop said mast said boom comprising at least two fixed segments pivotally attached end-to-end; and

an adjustable-beam fiber-optic projection lens mounted distally on said boom;

a fiber optic light-generating supply mounted on said mast;

an optical cable connecting said fiber optic lighting supply to said projection lens mounted distally on said boom;

whereby said mobile lighting unit may be wheeled into a convenient location for illumination.

13. The mobile videoimaging unit according to claim 12, further comprising a remotely-controlled pan-tilt-zoom video camera mounted distally on one end of said boom, and a color video display connected to said video camera and mounted on said mast for displaying an output from the remotely-controlled video camera to an operator.