A binocular camera and a photographic system

Abstract

The present invention provides a binocular camera and a photography system, relating to the technical field of cameras. It can collect images using binocular vision and has the function of adjusting the binocular angle and spacing to achieve a better 3D image effect. The camera includes a housing, and two groups of photography modules, a signal synchronization module, an image processing main control module, and a binocular adjuster disposed in the housing; the two groups of photography modules are arranged side by side at the front end of the housing, and both groups of photography modules are communicatively connected to the signal synchronization module; the signal synchronization module is communicatively connected to the image processing main control module; the binocular adjuster is connected to the two groups of photography modules and is used to adjust the angle and spacing between the two groups of photography modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cameras, and in particular, to a binocular camera and a photography system. Background Art

[0002] With the increasing improvement of people's living quality, the proportion of photography and videography in life is getting larger and larger, which greatly increases people's demand for photographic equipment.

[0003] Currently, most cameras use a single lens to achieve imaging. On the one hand, its shooting angle of view is limited. On the other hand, when using a wide-angle lens for shooting, the image is prone to distortion, resulting in a certain degree of distortion in the shooting effect, and it can no longer meet the needs of high-quality image shooting in people's work and life.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to study a new 4K VR binocular camera and a photography system to address the deficiencies of the existing technology. When increasing the shooting angle of view, it can also adjust the angle and distance between the two eyes to adapt to the image shooting under different scenarios and requirements, so as to solve or alleviate one or more of the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a binocular camera and a photography system, which can use binoculars for image acquisition and have the function of adjusting the binocular angle and distance to achieve a better 3D image effect.

[0006] On the one hand, the present invention provides a binocular camera, characterized in that the camera includes a housing and two groups of photography modules, a signal synchronization module, an image processing main control module, and a binocular adjuster disposed in the housing;

[0007] The two groups of photography modules are arranged side by side at the front end of the housing, and both groups of photography modules are communicatively connected to the signal synchronization module;

[0008] The signal synchronization module is communicatively connected to the image processing main control module;

[0009] The binocular adjuster is connected to the two groups of photography modules and is used to adjust the angle and distance between the two groups of photography modules.

[0010] The image processing main control module is used to process and splice the two received video signals.

[0011] In the above aspect and any possible implementation manner, a further implementation manner is provided, where each group of photography modules in the two groups of photography modules includes one or more imaging units.

[0012] The signal synchronization module is connected to the two sets of photography modules through an FPC connector made of flexible material to ensure that the connection between the two has the characteristic of horizontal micro-displacement, and can adapt to the adjustment requirements of the angle and spacing between the two sets of photography modules.

[0013] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The binocular regulator includes an angle regulator and a spacing regulator; wherein:

[0014] The angle regulator is connected to the two sets of photography modules to adjust the angle between the binoculars; the spacing regulator is connected to the two sets of photography modules to adjust the spacing between the binoculars.

[0015] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The angle regulator includes a first knob and a first transmission mechanism; the first knob is connected to the first transmission mechanism, and the first transmission mechanism is simultaneously connected to the two sets of photography modules; the two sets of photography modules are rotatably arranged in the housing;

[0016] When the first knob rotates, it drives the two sets of photography modules to rotate towards each other and symmetrically through the first transmission mechanism.

[0017] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The first transmission mechanism includes a first rotating rod, a first threaded rod, two O-shaped chutes and two special-shaped sliders;

[0018] The first rotating rod is threadedly connected to the first threaded rod. One of the O-shaped chutes is fixedly arranged on each side of the first threaded rod. The pins of the two special-shaped sliders are respectively inserted into the two O-shaped chutes;

[0019] The two special-shaped sliders are respectively connected to the two sets of photography modules;

[0020] The first rotating rod and the first threaded rod are embedded in the first support hole, and the first support hole is located between the two sets of photography modules.

[0021] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. Two sets of rotating shafts are fixedly arranged in the housing. The two sets of rotating shafts are respectively inserted into the clamping holes of the two sets of photography modules, and the clamping holes can rotate along the rotating shafts;

[0022] Two sets of limit card slots are arranged in the housing. Each set of limit card slots includes a first card slot and a second card slot. The first card slot and the second card slot are respectively arranged corresponding to the first rotation limit point and the second rotation limit point of the clamping hole of the corresponding photography module, and are used to limit the rotation range of the clamping hole around the rotating shaft.

[0023] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The spacing adjuster includes a second knob and a second transmission mechanism; the second knob is connected to the second transmission mechanism, and the second transmission mechanism is simultaneously connected to the two groups of photography modules; the two groups of photography modules are both slidably arranged horizontally in the housing;

[0024] When the second knob rotates, the two groups of photography modules are driven by the second transmission mechanism to move horizontally towards each other and symmetrically.

[0025] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The second transmission mechanism includes a second rotating rod, a second threaded rod, two push rods, two connecting rods, and two connecting rod bases;

[0026] The second rotating rod is in threaded connection with the second threaded rod, and one of the push rods is fixedly arranged on each side of the second threaded rod; the push rod is hinged to the corresponding connecting rod, and the connecting rod is hinged to the corresponding connecting rod base;

[0027] The connecting rod base is fixedly connected to the corresponding photography module;

[0028] The photography module is slidably connected to a guide rail horizontally arranged in the housing through a horizontal slider.

[0029] In the aspects and any possible implementation manners described above, a further implementation manner is provided. The binocular adjuster further includes a position stabilizer. One end of the position stabilizer is connected to the connecting rod base, and the other end is connected to the housing; the connection position of the position stabilizer and the housing is outside the connecting rod base.

[0030] On the other hand, the present invention further provides a binocular photography system, characterized in that the system includes a plurality of binocular cameras and a terminal receiving device as described in any one of the above, and the binocular camera is communicatively connected to the terminal receiving device. The terminal receiving device is any one or more of a mobile phone, a PC, a tablet computer, a VR device, an industrial control computer, a server, an embedded processor, and other receiving devices.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages or beneficial effects: The present invention uses binoculars for image acquisition, and the spacing and included angle between the two photography modules can be changed through the binocular adjuster, so as to adjust the 3D image effect and stitching effect, and achieve higher-quality 3D image shooting;

[0032] Another technical solution in the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: The binocular photography adopted by the present invention can overcome the problems of limited field of view and easy distortion existing in monocular photography; the combination of binocular, angle and spacing adjustment can further adapt to the large-angle photography occasion, and due to the variability of the angle and spacing, the distortion problem in different scenarios can be effectively overcome, and effective adjustment can be made for the scenario. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can also obtain other accompanying drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0034] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram of a binocular camera provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship of two groups of photography modules provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 is a structural diagram of a binocular camera provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a special-shaped slider structure provided by an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Among them, in the figure:

[0039] 1, photography module; 2, angle adjuster; 3, spacing adjuster; 4, position stabilizer; 11, first photography module; 12, second photography module; 111, rotating shaft; 112, limit card slot; 113, sensor board; 114, horizontal slider; 21, first knob; 22, first support hole; 23, first rotating rod; 24, first threaded rod; 25, O-shaped chute; 26, special-shaped slider; 261, pin shaft; 262, positioning pin; 263, head; 264, tail; 265, through hole; 31, second knob; 32, second rotating rod; 33, second support hole; 34, second threaded rod; 35, push rod; 36, connecting rod; 37, connecting rod base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0040] In order to better understand the technical solutions of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0041] It should be clear that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0042] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular forms "a", "the", and "said" used in the embodiments of the present invention and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. "First", "second", and "third" are only used for referential description to make distinctions. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B may represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally represents an "or" relationship between the associated objects before and after.

[0043] The present invention discloses a 4K-VR binocular camera, as Figure 1 shown, the 4K-VR binocular camera includes two sets of photography modules, a binocular adjuster, a signal synchronization module, and an image processing main control module.

[0044] Both sets of photography modules are connected to the signal synchronization module, and the signal communication module is connected to the image processing main control module. The image processing main control module is provided with a communication unit for connecting to external or remote devices such as computers to achieve communication; the binocular adjuster is connected to the two sets of photography modules for adjusting the angles and the vertical and horizontal distances of the two-way photography modules. Among them:

[0045] The photography module includes a sensor and an FPC connector; the sensor is used to obtain optical signals and generate image data; the FPC connector is used for communication connection with the signal synchronization module;

[0046] The signal synchronization module is simultaneously connected to the two photography modules through the FPC connector to achieve interaction, and is used to control the two-way photography modules to work simultaneously and obtain line-synchronized image data; the FPC connector is made of a flexible material and has a horizontal micro-shift characteristic to adapt to the adjustment of the relative horizontal or vertical positions of the two sets of photography modules. The connection method is: the signal synchronization module uses the I / O and SPI in the FPC connector to interact with the photography module for parameters and instructions, and obtains the image data of the two sensors through the LVDS in the FPC connector.

[0047] The image processing main control module includes a data processing unit, an FMC connector, a power supply module, and at least one group of SFP+ optical modules. The image processing main control module is connected to the signal synchronization module through the FMC connector and receives image data from the signal synchronization module. The data processing unit of the image processing main control module performs basic image processing on the transmitted image data and splices it into complete spliced image data, and then realizes high-speed output through the optical fiber module SFP.

[0048] As Figure 2 shown, two groups of photography modules of the present invention are arranged side by side. The cameras of the photography modules are all facing forward and the central visual axes of the two cameras are parallel. The distance between the two central visual axes is the central pitch of the two photography modules (that is, the distance between the imaging center pixels of the two sensors), and this central pitch is adjustable. The included angle refers to the included angle between the imaging surfaces of the two sensors, and this included angle is also adjustable. The binocular regulator can achieve an included angle range of 0-16 degrees and a central pitch of 70-90 mm for the two photography modules, so as to obtain the optimal 3D image effect and image splicing effect.

[0049] In this embodiment, the binocular regulator includes a photography module setting structure, an angle regulator 2, a pitch regulator 3, and a position stabilizer 4. Among them, the angle regulator is connected to the photography module setting structure and is used to adjust the included angle between the binoculars; the pitch regulator is connected to the photography module setting structure and is used to adjust the pitch between the binoculars; the position stabilizer is used to achieve position stability after the angle and pitch adjustments are completed.

[0050] As Figure 3 shown. The first photography module 11 includes a rotating shaft 111 fixed inside the camera housing, two limit slots 112, a sensor board 113, and a horizontal slider 114. The rotating shaft 111 is rotationally connected to the bayonet of the photography module, and the bayonet part of the photography module can rotate around the rotating shaft 111; there are also two limit slots 112 provided on the inner wall of the housing. The setting position and specific shape of the limit slots are determined according to the bayonet, and the limit slots match the bayonet. Its function is to limit the rotation degree of the rotating part of the bayonet within an interval range, that is, the maximum and minimum adjustment ranges when the angle of the photography module is adjusted. The sensor board 113 is provided with sensors for optical imaging. The horizontal slider 114 is fixedly connected to the first photography module 11, and the horizontal slider 114 is slidably connected to the guide rail horizontally arranged on the housing. The midpoint of the guide rail is preferably arranged on the central axis of the two groups of photography modules; the horizontal slider 114 slides horizontally along the guide rail under the action of an external force, so as to realize the translation of the photography module in the horizontal direction, and further realize the adjustment of the pitch between the two photography modules. The structure of the second photography module 12 has the same mirror image relationship as that of the first photography module 11.

[0051] The angle adjuster 2 includes a first knob 21, which is combined with a first rotating rod 23. When the first knob is rotated, it drives the first rotating rod to rotate. The first rotating rod 23 is fitted in the first supporting hole 22; the first rotating rod 23 is threadedly connected to the first threaded rod 24. The rotation of the first knob 21 drives the first threaded rod 24 to axially translate back and forth (the direction of this back-and-forth axial translation is the direction perpendicular to the plane where the binoculars are located, that is, the length direction of the entire camera). On both sides of the first threaded rod 24, there is an O-shaped chute 25 respectively. The two O-shaped chutes 25 are on the same axis and are fixedly connected to each other; outside each O-shaped chute 25, there is a special-shaped slider 26. The structure of the special-shaped slider 26 is as Figure 4 shown. At the head 263, there is a pin shaft 261, which is inserted into the O-shaped chute 25. When the first threaded rod 24 axially translates, it will drive the pin shafts 261 of the two special-shaped sliders 26 to slide in the chute. Since the tails 264 of the two special-shaped sliders 26 are symmetrically fixed on the two camera modules respectively, the two camera modules will follow the rotation of the first knob 21 to realize the rotation of the bayonet part of the corresponding camera module around the rotation axis, so that the two camera modules change the angle on the symmetric horizontal plane. At the tail 264 of the special-shaped slider 26, there are two positioning pins 262, and the positioning pins 262 are inserted into the positioning holes on the camera module to achieve the positioning of the special-shaped slider. There is also a through hole 265 at the tail of the special-shaped slider 26, and the screw passes through the through hole 265 from one side and is fastened on the camera module.

[0052] The spacing adjuster 3 includes a second knob 31, which is combined with a second rotating rod 32 and is fitted in the second supporting hole 33. The rotation of the second knob 31 drives the second threaded rod 34 to axially translate back and forth. On both sides of the second threaded rod 34, there is a push rod 35 respectively. The push rod 35 is hinged to the connecting rod 36, and the connecting rod 36 is hinged to the connecting rod base 37. The connecting rod base 37 is fixed on the horizontal slider 114, and the horizontal slider 114 is fixedly connected to the first camera module 11. Another push rod 35 is connected to the second camera module 12 in the same way. When the second knob 31 rotates, it will drive the two horizontal sliders to slide on the guide rail, so as to realize the symmetric translation of the two camera modules in the horizontal direction, that is, to realize the adjustment of the spacing between the two camera modules. The guide rails where the two horizontal sliders are located are preferably the same integrally formed guide rail, and the two horizontal sliders are respectively arranged at both ends of the same guide rail, so as to ensure the consistency of the horizontal movement of the two camera modules to the greatest extent and improve the adjustment accuracy.

[0053] The position stabilizer 4 includes a spring, and the two ends of the spring are respectively connected to the edge of the camera module and the connecting rod base 37, and a pre-tightening force is applied to the camera module and the connecting rod base 37. When adjusting the angle, the vertical rotation of the camera module will drive the spring elastic force to change, which will reduce the shaking caused by the gap of the mechanical structure to a certain extent. The applied pre-tightening force should be smaller than the threaded connection force between the first threaded rod and the first rotating rod to avoid failure of the spacing adjustment.

[0054] In a specific embodiment of the present invention, the sensor on the sensor board 113 is a CMOS image sensor, which collects signals and processes them to output two-way line-synchronized 4K [3840*2160] @ 30 / 60fps ultra-high-definition images for 3D image presentation and multi-channel image stitching.

[0055] As a specific embodiment of the present invention, a binocular camera includes a shell, two camera modules are arranged side by side at the front end of the shell, and the rear end surface of the shell is provided with an external power terminal, an indicator light, an optical fiber module external port SPF, and an HDMI interface (or DP / Type-C interface). The external power terminal is connected to the power module, and the indicator light is connected to the power module to indicate the power-on status. The HDMI interface (or DP / Type-C interface) is connected to the image processing main control module, and is used to connect to an external device to transmit high-definition multimedia data. An E-bayonet is provided at the front end of the shell, which is used to be connected to the E-bayonet of the two camera modules to fix the camera modules.

[0056] A plurality of exhaust ports are provided on the upper wall and / or the side wall of the rear end housing, and a cooling fan is provided inside the exhaust port. The cooling fan is connected to the power module via a dial switch provided on the rear end surface of the housing, and the cooling fan is turned on, off, and the speed by toggling the dial switch. The speed of the cooling fan can be adjusted by setting a rheostat, and the speed of the cooling fan can be adjusted by adjusting the resistance of the rheostat by the dial switch. When the cooling fan is turned off, the resistance of the rheostat is the maximum.

[0057] The signal synchronization module and the main control module can share a power module (fixed power supply or mobile power supply), and the power module can be connected to the computer through an external power terminal, or an independent power supply can be used.

[0058] The present invention also provides an imaging system, which includes the above-mentioned binocular camera, a computer with camera software installed, and a display device. The binocular camera transmits the image data to the 10 Gigabit network card through the SFP interface, and then transmits it to the camera software on the computer for processing, and then transmits it to the display device for display. The image effect on the display device can be changed by adjusting the binocular adjuster. The main application scenarios of this imaging system are theater or location shooting, which can be remotely transmitted to VR glasses for display, that is, the display device can be a monitor or VR glasses, and ultra-high-definition 3D repertoires and locations can be seen in real time.

[0059] The binoculars in the present invention do not refer to two imaging modules in a narrow sense, but two sets of imaging modules, and each set of imaging modules may include several imaging modules; the binocular regulator in the present invention realizes the adjustment of the two sets of imaging modules.

[0060] The description of the above embodiments is only used to help understand the method and its core idea of the present application; at the same time, for those of ordinary skill in the art, according to the idea of the present application, there will be changes in the specific implementation manner and application scope. In summary, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation to the present application.

Claims

1. A binocular camera, characterized in that, the camera includes a housing and two groups of photographic modules, a signal synchronization module, an image processing main control module, and a binocular adjuster disposed within the housing; two groups of rotating shafts are fixedly provided within the housing, the two groups of rotating shafts are respectively inserted into the bayonets of the two groups of photographic modules, and the bayonets can rotate along the rotating shafts; the two groups of photographic modules are arranged side by side at the front end of the housing, and both groups of photographic modules are communicatively connected to the signal synchronization module; the signal synchronization module is communicatively connected to the image processing main control module; the binocular adjuster is connected to the two groups of photographic modules and is used to adjust the angle and distance between the two groups of photographic modules. The binocular adjuster includes an angle adjuster, and the angle adjuster is connected to the two groups of photographic modules to realize the adjustment of the angle between the binoculars; the angle adjuster includes a first knob and a first transmission mechanism; the first knob is connected to the first transmission mechanism, and the first transmission mechanism is simultaneously connected to the two groups of photographic modules; the two groups of photographic modules are rotatably disposed within the housing; when the first knob rotates, the two groups of photographic modules are driven by the first transmission mechanism to rotate towards each other and symmetrically; wherein, the first transmission mechanism includes a first rotating rod, a first threaded rod, two O-shaped chutes, and two special-shaped sliders; the first rotating rod and the first threaded rod are threadedly connected to rotate and drive the first threaded rod to axially translate forward and backward. One of the two O-shaped chutes is fixedly provided on each side of the first threaded rod; the heads of the two special-shaped sliders are provided with pin shafts, and the pin shafts of the two special-shaped sliders are respectively inserted into the two O-shaped chutes, and the tails of the two special-shaped sliders are symmetrically connected to the two groups of photographic modules respectively; the first rotating rod and the first threaded rod are embedded in a first support hole, and the first support hole is located between the two groups of photographic modules; wherein, the axial translation of the first threaded rod drives the pin shafts of the two special-shaped sliders to slide within the O-shaped chutes respectively, and at the same time, the bayonets of the two photographic modules respectively rotate around the rotating shafts, so as to realize the symmetrical angle change of the two photographic modules on the horizontal plane.

2. The binocular camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, each group of photographic modules in the two groups of photographic modules includes one or more imaging units.

3. The binocular camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, the binocular adjuster further includes a distance adjuster; wherein: the distance adjuster is connected to the two groups of photographic modules to realize the adjustment of the distance between the binoculars.

4. The binocular camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, two groups of limit card slots are provided within the housing, each group of limit card slots includes a first card slot and a second card slot, and the first card slot and the second card slot are respectively arranged corresponding to the first rotation limit point and the second rotation limit point of the bayonet of the corresponding photographic module, and are used to limit the rotation range of the bayonet around the rotating shaft.

5. The binocular camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, The spacing adjuster includes a second knob and a second transmission mechanism; the second knob is connected to the second transmission mechanism, and the second transmission mechanism is simultaneously connected to the two groups of photographing modules; the two groups of photographing modules are both slidably disposed horizontally in the housing; When the second knob rotates, the two groups of photographing modules are driven by the second transmission mechanism to move horizontally towards each other and symmetrically.

6. The binocular camera according to claim 5, wherein, The second transmission mechanism includes a second rotating rod, a second threaded rod, two push rods, two connecting rods and two connecting rod bases; The second rotating rod is threadedly connected to the second threaded rod, and one of the push rods is fixedly provided on each side of the second threaded rod; the push rod is hinged to the corresponding connecting rod, and the connecting rod is hinged to the corresponding connecting rod base; The connecting rod base is fixedly connected to the corresponding photographing module; The photographing module is slidably connected to a guide rail horizontally arranged in the housing through a horizontal slider.

7. The binocular camera according to claim 6, wherein, The binocular adjuster further includes a position stabilizer, one end of the position stabilizer is connected to the connecting rod base, and the other end is connected to the housing; the connection position of the position stabilizer and the housing is outside the connecting rod base.

8. A binocular photographing system, wherein, The system includes a plurality of binocular cameras according to any one of claims 1-7 and a terminal receiving device, and the binocular camera is communicatively connected to the terminal receiving device.

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