Camera rotation device and control method thereof, head-mounted display device and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention discloses a camera rotation device and its control method, a head-mounted display device, and a storage medium, wherein the camera rotation device includes a base, a bracket, and a driving module. The bracket is connected to the base by rotating around a rotation reference. The bracket has a mounting portion and a driven portion connected to each other. The mounting portion is connected to the camera. The line between the mounting portion and the driven portion when the bracket is in an initial position is defined as a reference baseline. The driving module includes a control unit and a driving unit. The driving unit includes a driving member electrically connected to the control unit and a traction member drivingly connected to the driving member. The traction member is connected to the driven portion and has an adjustable extension length. The traction member enables the driven portion to rotate relative to the rotation reference to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline. The technical solution of the present invention can realize the rotation of the camera on the head-mounted display device, so that a better field of view can be obtained with a smaller number of cameras.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of camera control devices, and in particular to a camera rotation device and a control method thereof, a head-mounted display device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Current head-mounted display devices, such as VR (Virtual Reality) glasses or AR (Augmented Reality) glasses, typically have multiple cameras spaced apart on the front of the glasses. Each camera captures images from a different perspective, and the images captured by these cameras are fused into a composite image with a wider viewing angle and higher quality, allowing the user to obtain a better field of view through the camera. However, this solution is not only complex in structure and has high camera investment costs, but the image fusion process also significantly increases the computational processing load of the control unit, and the quality of the composite image cannot be guaranteed. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a camera rotation device, which is intended to realize the rotation of the camera on the head-mounted display device so as to obtain a better field of view with fewer cameras.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the camera rotation device proposed in the present invention includes:

[0005] base;

[0006] a bracket, rotatably connected to the base about a rotation reference, the bracket having a mounting portion and a driven portion connected thereto, the mounting portion being connected to a camera, a line connecting the mounting portion and the driven portion when the bracket is in an initial position being defined as a reference baseline; and

[0007] The driving module includes a control unit and a driving unit, wherein the driving unit includes a driving member electrically connected to the control unit and a traction member drivingly connected to the driving member, wherein the traction member is connected to the driven part and the extension length can be adjusted so that the driven part can rotate relative to the rotation reference and adjust the inclination angle of the mounting part relative to the reference baseline.

[0008] Optionally, the bracket is provided with a first rotating part, and the base is correspondingly provided with a second rotating part. The first rotating part and the second rotating part are rotatably connected and the rotating mating surface of at least one of them is configured as a spherical surface, and the rotation reference is configured as the center of the spherical surface.

[0009] Optionally, the base is provided with a rotation hole, and an inner wall surface of the rotation hole is at least partially configured as a spherical surface and forms the second rotation part.

[0010] Optionally, an annular bulge is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bracket, and an outer wall surface of the annular bulge is at least partially configured as a spherical surface and forms the first rotating part.

[0011] Optionally, the rotating hole is configured as a through-hole structure, and the mounting portion and the driven portion are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the rotating hole.

[0012] Optionally, there are at least three drive units, and the at least three drive units are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the reference baseline.

[0013] Optionally, the driving member includes a motor and a winding post, the winding post is arranged on the rotating shaft of the motor, and the traction member includes a traction rope, one end of the traction rope is connected to the driven part, and the other end is connected to and can be wound around the outer circumference of the winding post.

[0014] Optionally, when the bracket is in the initial position, the winding post is arranged flush with the driven part in the direction of the reference baseline, or the winding post is arranged on a side of the driven part away from the rotation reference.

[0015] Optionally, the driving unit further comprises a guide column provided on the base, the axis of the guide column is arranged to intersect with the axis of the winding column, and the guide column is provided on a side of the winding column close to the driven part.

[0016] Optionally, the driven part is provided with a positioning column on the side facing the driving member, the axis of the positioning column is arranged to intersect with the reference baseline, and the traction member further includes a slip ring provided at the end of the traction rope, and the slip ring is rotatably sleeved on the positioning column.

[0017] Optionally, the driving module further includes an elastic reset member connecting the bracket and the base, and the elastic reset member can enable the bracket to have a tendency to return to an initial position.

[0018] Optionally, the driving module further includes an inclination sensor provided on the bracket and electrically connected to the control unit, wherein the inclination sensor is used to detect angular displacement of the bracket.

[0019] Optionally, the driven portion and the mounting portion are respectively provided on opposite sides of the rotation reference, the inclination sensor is provided on the driven portion, and the distance from the inclination sensor to the rotation reference is equal to the distance from the camera to the rotation reference;

[0020] Optionally, the tilt sensor is configured as a nine-axis attitude sensor.

[0021] The present invention further provides a head-mounted display device, comprising a camera and the aforementioned camera rotating device, wherein the camera is arranged on a mounting portion of a bracket of the camera rotating device.

[0022] The present invention also proposes a camera rotation device control method, which is applied to the aforementioned camera rotation device. The camera rotation device control method includes the steps of: receiving the eye axis inclination angle; generating the optical axis target inclination angle of the camera based on the eye axis inclination angle; adjusting the extension length of the traction part of the camera rotation device according to the optical axis target inclination angle to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting part relative to the reference baseline.

[0023] Optionally, the camera rotation device includes an inclination sensor provided on the bracket and electrically connected to the control unit, the inclination sensor is used to detect the angular displacement of the bracket, and after the step of adjusting the extension length of the traction member of the camera rotation device according to the target inclination angle of the optical axis to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting part relative to the reference baseline, the camera rotation device control method also includes the steps of: obtaining the sensor measured inclination angle of the inclination sensor; generating the measured inclination angle of the optical axis of the camera according to the sensor measured inclination angle; comparing whether the measured inclination angle of the optical axis is equal to the target inclination angle of the optical axis; if they are not equal, performing position correction.

[0024] The present invention also provides a storage medium, wherein the storage medium stores a camera rotation control program. When the camera rotation control program is executed by a processor, the steps of the aforementioned camera rotation device control method can be implemented.

[0025] In the technical solution of the present invention, the force of the driving member is transmitted to the driven portion via a traction member. The extension length of the traction member is adjusted, allowing the driven portion to move closer to or further away from the driving member, causing the bracket to rotate relative to a rotational reference. This causes the mounting portion and the camera mounted thereon to rotate relative to the rotational reference, thereby achieving tilt adjustment of the mounting portion and the camera mounted thereon. When this camera rotation device is used in a head-mounted display device with eye tracking, eye tracking can be used to capture eye movement and obtain the eye axis tilt angle. This is then used to generate a target optical axis tilt angle for the camera. The target optical axis tilt angle is then used to generate a target length for the traction member. The driving member is then controlled to adjust the length of the traction member to the target length, thereby ensuring that the camera's optical axis tilt angle and eye axis tilt angle change synchronously, thereby better simulating the user's real-world field of view. It can be understood that by using a camera that can rotate with the eyes, its shooting angle can be flexibly adjusted to adapt to the user's focus, thereby achieving a better field of view with fewer cameras. The technical solution of this application not only has a simple structure and low camera investment costs, but also reduces the computational processing load of the control unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a camera rotating device of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the partial structure of a single drive unit and bracket;

[0029] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a partial structure of a single driving unit and a bracket of another embodiment of the camera rotation device of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 This is a partial structural diagram of a single driving unit, an elastic reset member, and a bracket according to another embodiment of the camera rotation device of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the hardware operating environment of the camera rotating device of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the steps of the first embodiment of the camera rotation device control method of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the rotational position relationship of an embodiment of the camera rotation device of the present invention, where point F leaves its initial position and is located above the xOy plane;

[0034] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the xOy plane of the three-dimensional coordinate system in , where point F is at its initial position and lies on the xOy plane;

[0035] Figure 9 2 is a schematic diagram of the steps of the second embodiment of the camera rotation device control method of the present invention.

[0036] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0037]

[0038]

[0039] The purpose, features and advantages of the present invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings and in conjunction with the embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field based on the embodiments of the present invention without making any creative efforts shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0041] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indications are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the various components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indications will also change accordingly.

[0042] In the present invention, unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "connection" and "fixation" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "fixation" can mean fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two elements or interaction between two elements, unless otherwise specified. Those skilled in the art will be able to understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0043] In addition, if there are descriptions involving "first", "second", etc. in the embodiments of the present invention, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. are only for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or suggesting their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of such features. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing throughout the text includes three parallel schemes. Taking "A and / or B" as an example, it includes scheme A, or scheme B, or a scheme in which A and B are satisfied at the same time. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is mutually contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0044] The present invention proposes a camera rotation device, please refer to Figures 1 to 2 In one embodiment of the present invention, the camera rotation device includes:

[0045] Base 10;

[0046] The bracket 20 is connected to the base 10 and rotates about a rotation reference. The bracket 20 has a mounting portion 21 and a driven portion 22 connected to each other. The mounting portion 21 is connected to the camera 90. The line connecting the mounting portion 21 and the driven portion 22 when the bracket 20 is in the initial position is defined as a reference baseline 101; and

[0047] The driving module includes a control unit and a driving unit. The driving unit includes a driving member 31 electrically connected to the control unit, and a traction member 32 drivingly connected to the driving member 31. The traction member 32 is connected to the driven part 22 and the extension length can be adjusted so that the driven part 22 can rotate relative to the rotation reference and adjust the inclination angle of the mounting part 21 relative to the reference baseline 101.

[0048] In the technical solution of the present invention, the force of the driving member 31 is transmitted to the driven portion 22 via the pulling member 32. The extension length of the pulling member is adjusted, allowing the driven portion 22 to move closer to or further away from the driving member 31, thereby causing the bracket 20 to rotate relative to the rotation reference. This causes the mounting portion 21 and the camera 90 mounted thereon to rotate relative to the rotation reference, thereby achieving tilt adjustment of the mounting portion 21 and the camera 90 mounted thereon. When this camera rotation device is used in a head-mounted display device with eye tracking, eye tracking can be used to capture eye movement and obtain the eye axis tilt. This is then used to generate a target optical axis tilt for the camera. This target optical axis tilt is then used to generate a target length for the pulling member. The driving member is then controlled to adjust the length of the pulling member to the target length, thereby ensuring that the camera's optical axis tilt and eye axis tilt change synchronously, thereby better simulating the user's real-world field of view. It can be understood that a camera that can rotate with the eye can flexibly adjust its shooting angle to suit the user's focus, thereby achieving a better field of view with fewer cameras. The technical solution of this application not only has a simple structure and low camera investment cost, but also reduces the computing processing load of the control unit. Moreover, compared with solutions that use wide-angle cameras to obtain a better field of view, the images captured by the camera of this application do not have edge blurring or blurring problems, and the overall image effect is better.

[0049] Of course, in other embodiments, the driving unit may include a motor, a gear transmission group, and a base, the camera is disposed on the base, and the motor drives the base to rotate through the gear transmission group. It is understandable that since the camera rotation device adopts a gear meshing transmission structure, when the head-mounted display device is subjected to impact, such as falling to the ground and suffering a violent impact, problems such as tooth jumping, gear deformation, and meshing abnormalities may occur, leading to poor transmission, functional abnormalities, or even functional failure. In the embodiment using a driving member and a traction member in combination, even if the head-mounted display device is subjected to impact, problems such as tooth jumping, gear deformation, and meshing abnormalities will not occur, thereby reducing the risk of functional abnormalities and failures.

[0050] It will be understood that during the rotation of bracket 20, the inclination angle of driven portion 22 relative to reference baseline 101 is equal to the inclination angle of mounting portion 21 relative to reference baseline 101. That is, the rotational angular displacement of any point on bracket 20 is equal and also equal to the rotational angular displacement of camera 90. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, when bracket 20 is in its initial position, the optical axis of camera 90 is configured to coincide with reference baseline 101. In this case, the inclination angle of the optical axis of camera 90 relative to reference baseline 101 is the rotational angular displacement of the optical axis of camera 90. Of course, in other embodiments, when bracket 20 is in its initial position, the optical axis of camera 90 may intersect with reference baseline 101, or be parallel and spaced apart.

[0051] It should be noted that the reference baseline 101 can be a line connecting any point on the mounting portion 21 and any point on the driven portion 22. Optionally, in an embodiment of the present invention, the reference baseline 101 is configured as a line connecting the center point of the mounting portion 21 and the center point of the driven portion 22.

[0052] In one embodiment, the bracket 20 is provided with a first rotating portion, and the base 10 is correspondingly provided with a second rotating portion. The first rotating portion and the second rotating portion are rotatably connected, and the rotating mating surface of at least one of them is configured as a sphere, and the rotation reference is configured as the center of the sphere. That is, the bracket 20 rotates in all directions in three-dimensional space about the center of the sphere, thereby improving the flexibility and applicability of the tilt adjustment function of the camera 90, allowing the camera 90 to capture a wider field of view. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotation reference can also be a rotation axis, that is, the bracket 20 rotates within a plane about a rotation axis. For example, the base 10 may be provided with a protruding rotation axis, and the bracket 20 may be provided with a corresponding shaft hole, which is rotatably disposed on the rotation axis.

[0053] Specifically, there are many structural forms of spherical rotational fit, for example, please refer to Figure 1In one embodiment, the base 10 is provided with a rotation hole 102, the inner wall of which is at least partially spherical and forms a second rotation portion. That is, the base 10 is provided with a rotation hole 102 having a spherical wall. Furthermore, optionally, the outer circumferential surface of the bracket 20 is provided with an annular protrusion 23, the outer wall of which is at least partially spherical and forms a first rotation portion. In this way, the annular protrusion 23 on the bracket 20 and the rotation hole 102 both abut against each other with spherical regions, enabling smooth relative sliding, thereby enabling rotation of the bracket 20 relative to the base 10. Of course, in some embodiments, only the rotation hole 102 may be provided with a spherical region, and the annular protrusion 23 of the bracket 20 may be configured as a regular polyhedron, such as a cube, with the corners of the cube slidingly abutting against the spherical region of the rotation hole 102. In other embodiments, only the annular protrusion 23 may be provided with a spherical region, while the wall of the rotation hole 102 may be configured as a cylindrical surface.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, the rotation hole 102 is configured as a through-hole structure, and the mounting portion 21 and the driven portion 22 are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the rotation hole 102. This allows the camera 90 and the driving unit to be disposed on opposite sides of the base 10, facilitating their installation on the base 10. Of course, in other embodiments, the mounting portion 21 and the driven portion 22 may be disposed on the same side of the rotation hole 102.

[0055] There are many ways for the driving module to drive the bracket 20 to rotate in any direction around the center of the ball. For example, please refer to Figure 1 In one embodiment, at least three drive units are provided, and the at least three drive units are spaced apart along the circumference of the reference baseline 101. Optionally, in this embodiment, three drive units are provided and are spaced approximately evenly along the circumference of the reference baseline 101. In this way, the three drive units cooperate with each other to achieve omnidirectional rotation. Compared with achieving omnidirectional rotation through multiple gear transmission sets, the structure is simple and easy to implement. Of course, in some embodiments, only one or two drive units can be provided, and the bracket 20 can be rotated around the center of the sphere within a plane.

[0056] In other embodiments, the driving unit may be provided with only one, the rotating hole 102 is configured as a through-hole structure, the driven part 22 is configured as a spherical ring convex 23 and is provided at one end of the bracket 20, the driven part 22 is rotatably provided in the rotating hole 102, the traction member 32 is configured as a traction rope 321, the driving member 31 is configured as a main motor 311, one end of the traction rope 321 is connected to the rotating shaft of the main motor 311, and the other end is connected to the spherical ring convex 23, the traction rope 321 can be wound and released under the forward and reverse rotation of the rotating shaft of the main motor 311; the driving unit also includes a belt assembly and a plurality of tension springs, and the plurality of tension springs The springs are distributed at circumferential intervals along the reference baseline 101, one end of the tension spring is connected to the bracket 20, and the other end is connected to the base 10, so that the bracket 20 has a tendency to move toward the initial position; the belt assembly includes an auxiliary motor 311, a driving pulley, a driven pulley and a belt connecting the driving pulley and the driven pulley, the auxiliary motor 311 is fixed on the base 10 and its rotating shaft is connected to the driving pulley, the axis of the driven pulley coincides with the reference baseline 101, and the main motor 311 is arranged on the outer periphery of the driven pulley to follow the rotation of the driven pulley and revolve around the reference baseline 101. When the control unit receives a control signal, such as a control signal to rotate the camera 90 5° north-east, it first controls the auxiliary motor 311 to drive the driven pulley, causing the main motor 311 and the traction rope 321 to rotate 5° south-west. It then controls the main motor 311 to reel in the traction rope 321, causing the end of the bracket 20 to which the traction rope 321 is connected to rotate 5° south-west, thereby rotating the camera 90 on the other end of the bracket 20 5° north-east. It will be understood that once the main motor 311 is controlled to release the traction rope 321, the bracket 20 can be restored to its original position under the action of the multiple tension springs.

[0057] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the driving member 31 includes a motor 311 and a winding post 312. The winding post 312 is disposed on the rotating shaft of the motor 311. The traction member 32 includes a traction rope 321. One end of the traction rope 321 is connected to the driven part 22, and the other end is connected to and can be wound around the outer circumference of the winding post 312. In this way, by controlling the rotational angular displacement of the rotating shaft of the motor 311, the length of the traction rope 321 wound by the winding post 312 can be controlled. That is, the extension length of the traction rope 321 between the winding post 312 and the driven part 22 can be controlled, thereby controlling the displacement of the driven part 22. The structure is simple and easy to implement. Of course, in other embodiments, the driving member 31 can also be configured as a cylinder, and the traction member 32 can be configured to drive a push-pull rod disposed in the cylinder. One end of the push-pull rod is connected to the driven part 22 via a ball joint structure. The effective length of the push-pull rod between the cylinder and the driven part 22 is its extension length.

[0058] Specifically, there are various relative positional relationships between the winding post 312 and the driven portion 22. For example, please refer to Figure 2 In one embodiment, when the bracket 20 is in the initial position, the winding post 312 is flush with the driven portion 22 in the direction of the reference baseline 101. That is, in the direction of the reference baseline 101, the connection point of the traction member 32 on the winding post 312 and the connection point of the traction member 32 on the driven portion 22 are at the same height. In this way, the traction rope 321 can be smoothly wound and released on the winding post 312. Of course, please refer to Figure 3 In another embodiment, when the bracket 20 is in the initial position, the winding post 312 may be located on a side of the driven portion 22 away from the rotation reference in the direction of the reference baseline 101 .

[0059] Please refer to Figure 3 In another embodiment, the drive unit optionally further includes a guide post 34 disposed on the base 10. The axis of the guide post 34 intersects the axis of the winding post 312, and the guide post 34 is disposed on the side of the winding post 312 proximal to the driven portion 22. Specifically, in this embodiment, because the winding post 312 is disposed on the side of the driven portion 22 away from the rotation reference, the traction rope 321 extends downwardly from the driven portion 22 toward the driving member 31, abuts against the underside of the guide post 34, and then extends horizontally from the guide post 34 toward the driving member 31. In this manner, the guide post 34 changes the extension direction of the traction rope 321, allowing the traction rope 321 to be reeled and released in a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the winding post 312, thereby improving the smoothness of reeling and releasing. It will be appreciated that the guide post 34 may also be provided in embodiments where the winding post 312 is flush with the driven portion 22.

[0060] It is understood that even if the connection point of the traction member 32 on the winding post 312 and the connection point of the traction member 32 on the driven part 22 are at the same height in the initial position, when the driven part 22 is offset by the traction rope 321, a height difference will gradually arise between the two connection points, causing the inclination angle of the traction rope 321 relative to the horizontal plane to change. If the connection point of the traction rope 321 on the driven part 22 is fixed at this time, the effective force of the traction rope 321 on the driven part 22 may be weakened, that is, the effective force on the driven part 22 and the tension on the traction rope 321 are not in the same straight line. To reduce this risk, in one embodiment, the driven part 22 is provided with a positioning column 33 on the side facing the driving member 31, and the axis of the positioning column 33 is arranged to intersect with the reference baseline 101. The traction member 32 also includes a slip ring 322 provided at the end of the traction rope 321, and the slip ring 322 is rotatably sleeved on the positioning column 33. In this way, the traction rope 321 is mounted on the positioning post 33 via the slip ring 322. When the height difference between the two ends of the traction rope 321 changes, the slip ring 322 can adaptively rotate on the positioning post 33 to keep the effective force acting on the driven part 22 and the tension on the traction rope 321 aligned, thereby maximizing the tension of the traction rope 321. Of course, in other embodiments, the slip ring 322 and the positioning post 33 may not be provided, and one end of the traction rope 321 may be directly fixed to the outer surface of the driven part 22 by bonding or other means.

[0061] In one embodiment, a positioning ring groove (not shown in the drawings) is provided on the outer circumference of the positioning post 33, and the slip ring 322 is disposed in the positioning ring groove. This allows the slip ring 322 to be confined within the positioning ring groove, preventing the slip ring 322 from shifting along the axis of the positioning post 33 and affecting the pulling accuracy.

[0062] Please refer to Figure 4 To facilitate the return of the bracket 20 to its initial position, in another embodiment, the drive module further includes an elastic return member 35 connecting the bracket 20 and the base 10. The elastic return member 35 can provide a tendency for the bracket 20 to return to its initial position. Thus, when the traction rope 321 is released and the traction force on the driven portion 22 is released, the bracket 20 automatically returns to its initial position under the action of the elastic return member 35. Of course, in other embodiments, the elastic return member 35 may not be provided.

[0063] Please refer to Figure 4In one embodiment, the base 10 includes a substrate 11 and a bottom plate 12, which are distributed in sequence from the mounting portion 21 toward the driven portion 22. The rotation hole 102 is provided on the substrate 11, and the bracket 20 is rotatably provided on the substrate 11 and is spaced apart from the bottom plate 12 to form a mounting gap. The elastic reset member 35 is provided in the mounting gap and connects the bottom plate 12 and the driven portion 22. When the bracket 20 is in the initial position, the axis of the elastic reset member 35 coincides with the reference baseline 101. In this way, the bracket 20 can be automatically reset by a single elastic reset member 35, and the structure is simple and easy to implement. In this embodiment, the elastic reset member 35 is optionally configured as a tension spring, one end of the tension spring is connected to the bracket 20, and the other end is connected to the bottom plate 12. Of course, in some embodiments, there may also be multiple elastic reset members 35, and the multiple elastic reset members 35 are distributed at intervals along the circumference of the reference baseline 101 and connected to the mounting portion 21 of the bracket 20. In other embodiments, the elastic reset member 35 may also be configured as an elastic rubber body or an elastic silicone body.

[0064] In one embodiment, the motor 311 includes a base shaft and an output shaft, and the drive unit also includes a clutch connecting the base shaft and the output shaft. The winding post 312 is provided on the output shaft, and by default, the clutch maintains an effective connection between the output shaft and the base shaft. When the bracket 20 needs to be restored to the initial position, the control unit controls the operation of the clutch to release the connection between the output shaft and the base shaft, thereby utilizing the force of the elastic reset member 35 acting on the traction rope 321 to allow the output shaft and the winding post 312 thereon to rotate freely, and the traction rope 321 to be freely released. In this way, the base shaft of the motor 311 does not need to rotate when the traction rope 321 is released. Of course, in other embodiments, the clutch may not be provided.

[0065] Please refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2In one embodiment, the drive module further includes a tilt sensor 36 disposed on the bracket 20 and electrically connected to the control unit. The tilt sensor 36 is used to detect the angular displacement of the bracket 20. Specifically, after the control unit controls the drive unit to operate according to the target angular displacement signal and drives the bracket 20 and the camera 90 thereon to rotate into position, the control unit then controls the tilt sensor 36 to detect the actual angular displacement of the optical axis of the camera 90 and compares the measured angular displacement with the target angular displacement. If the two are equal, it indicates that the position of this rotation is accurate. If the two are not equal, it indicates that there is a deviation in the position of this rotation, and it is necessary to further calculate the deviation value and control the drive unit to make corresponding corrections until the measured angular displacement is equal to the target angular displacement. In this way, the rotation position of the camera 90 can be corrected through the tilt sensor 36, thereby improving the accuracy and precision of the rotation action of the camera 90. Of course, in other embodiments, the inclination sensor 36 may not be provided, and the length change of the traction rope 321 is calculated by the rotation angle of the motor 311, and the coordinates of the driven part 22 are calculated accordingly, and then the angular displacement of the driven part 22 is calculated according to the coordinates of the driven part 22, so as to obtain the angular displacement of the camera 90; or, it is generated according to the coordinate mapping of the driven part 22.

[0066] Specifically, the inclination sensor 36 can be arranged in various ways. For example, in one embodiment, the driven portion 22 and the mounting portion 21 are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the rotation reference, and the inclination sensor 36 is arranged on the driven portion 22. The distance from the inclination sensor 36 to the rotation reference is equal to the distance from the photosensitive chip of the camera 90 to the rotation reference. That is, the ratio between these two distances is configured to be 1:1. Optionally, the center point of the inclination sensor 36 and the center point of the photosensitive chip of the camera 90 are respectively selected, and the distances from these two center points to the rotation reference represent the distance from the inclination sensor 36 to the rotation reference and the distance from the camera 90 to the rotation reference, respectively. In this way, when the bracket 20 rotates relative to the center of the rotation reference sphere, the center point of the inclination sensor 36 and the center point of the photosensitive chip of the camera 90 are symmetrical about the center of the rotation reference sphere. Of course, in other embodiments, other locations may also be selected, such as the center point of the lens of the camera 90.

[0067] Furthermore, if a rectangular coordinate system is established with the center of the sphere as the origin, and the center point coordinates of the tilt sensor 36 are defined as (X1, Y1, Z1), then the center point coordinates of the photosensitive chip of the camera 90 are (-X1, -Y1, -Z1). The control unit converts the target angular displacement into the target coordinate point (X0, Y0, Z0) of the camera 90 photosensitive chip, and controls the driving unit to drive the bracket 20 and the camera 90 thereon to rotate into position, and then controls the inclination sensor 36 to detect and obtain the measured coordinate point (X1, Y1, Z1) of the center point of the inclination sensor 36. The measured coordinate point of the camera 90 photosensitive chip is (-X1, -Y1, -Z1). By comparing the absolute values ​​of the measured coordinate point (-X1, -Y1, -Z1) and the target coordinate point (X0, Y0, Z0), or judging whether the equation (X0, Y0, Z0) = -(-X1, -Y1, -Z1) holds, it is possible to confirm whether the measured angular displacement is equal to the target angular displacement, that is, to judge whether the camera 90 is accurately rotated to the target inclination. In this way, by directly comparing the coordinate values ​​of the measured coordinate point and the target coordinate point to determine if they are equal, the computational complexity of the determination step can be reduced, thereby increasing the computational speed of the control unit and the response speed of the camera rotation device calibration function. Of course, in other embodiments, the ratio of the distance from the center point of the tilt sensor 36 to the rotation reference to the distance from the center point of the photosensitive chip of the camera 90 to the rotation reference can be configured to be 1:2, 3:1, or the like.

[0068] In one embodiment, the rotation reference is configured as the center of a sphere, and the inclination sensor 36 is configured as a nine-axis attitude sensor. Without loss of generality, the nine-axis sensor includes a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer. The three-axis magnetometer can perform yaw correction on six-axis data. This improves the accuracy and precision of the data detected by the inclination sensor 36, thereby enhancing the performance of the camera rotation device. Of course, in other embodiments, the inclination sensor 36 can also be configured as a single-axis sensor, a two-axis sensor, a three-axis sensor, or a six-axis sensor. For example, in an embodiment where the rotation reference is configured as the rotation axis, the inclination sensor 36 can be configured as a single-axis sensor.

[0069] Please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5The following is a schematic diagram of the structure of a camera rotation device in the hardware operating environment involved in an embodiment of the present invention. The camera rotation device may include: a processor 1001, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005. The communication bus 1002 is used to implement communication between these components. The user interface 1003 may include a display screen and an input unit such as a keyboard. Optionally, the user interface 1003 may also include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface. The network interface 1004 may optionally include a standard wired interface or a wireless interface (such as a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) interface). The memory 1005 may be a high-speed random access memory (RAM) memory or a stable non-volatile memory (NVM), such as a disk storage. The memory 1005 may also be a storage device independent of the aforementioned processor 1001.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 5 The structure shown in the figure does not constitute a limitation on the camera rotation device, and may include more or fewer components than shown in the figure, or combine certain components, or arrange the components differently.

[0071] like Figure 5 As shown, the memory 1005 as a storage medium may include an operating system, a data storage module, a network communication module, a user interface module and a camera rotation device control program. Figure 5 In the camera rotation device shown, the network interface 1004 is mainly used for data communication with other devices; the user interface 1003 is mainly used for data interaction with the user; the processor 1001 and the memory 1005 in the camera rotation device of the present invention can be set in the camera rotation device, and the camera rotation device calls the camera rotation device control program stored in the memory 1005 through the processor 1001, and executes the camera rotation device control method provided by the embodiment of the present invention.

[0072] Please refer to Figure 6 The present invention further proposes a camera rotation device control method for the aforementioned camera rotation device. In a first embodiment of the camera rotation device control method of the present invention, the camera rotation device control method includes steps S10 to S30, which are specifically as follows:

[0073] Step S10: receiving the eye axis inclination.

[0074] Specifically, the eye axis inclination can be obtained through eye tracking technology (i.e., Eye tracking). For example, the eye tracking unit on the VR glasses can capture the pupil position coordinates of the eyeball, and the eye axis inclination can be calculated using the pupil position coordinates. Of course, the eye axis inclination can also be directly represented by the pupil position coordinates. It can be understood that the eye axis refers to a hypothetical line from the center of the cornea to the optic nerve and the fovea of ​​the retina. During the rotation of the eyeball, the eye axis inclination has a mapping relationship with the pupil position. Therefore, the eye axis inclination can be calculated using the pupil position coordinates. Optionally, in this embodiment, the pupil position coordinates are used as the eye axis inclination. Of course, in other embodiments, the eye axis inclination can also be calculated based on the pupil position coordinates and used as the eye axis inclination.

[0075] It is understandable that since the technology for obtaining pupil position coordinates and eye axis inclination using eye tracking technology is relatively mature, this application will not elaborate on it here.

[0076] Step S20: generating a target inclination angle of the optical axis of the camera according to the eye axis inclination angle.

[0077] Specifically, since the purpose of the camera rotation device is to adjust the camera's optical axis to be roughly parallel to the user's eye axis to simulate the user's eye movement and gaze point, the camera's optical axis target inclination angle is configured to be the same as the eye axis inclination angle. Furthermore, the optical axis inclination angle is also expressed using optical axis position coordinates. Since the optical axis and eye axis have the same inclination angle, the optical axis target position coordinates are proportionally related to the pupil position coordinates. Therefore, the optical axis target position coordinates can be calculated based on the pupil position coordinates. Similarly, the position coordinates of the driven part can also be calculated from the optical axis position coordinates.

[0078] In this embodiment, the optical axis position coordinates are optionally configured as the center point coordinates of the photosensitive chip of the camera. Of course, in other embodiments, the coordinates of other positions on the camera can also be used to represent the optical axis position coordinates.

[0079] Step S30: adjusting the extension length of the traction member of the camera rotating device according to the target inclination angle of the optical axis to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline.

[0080] In this embodiment, the target inclination angle of the optical axis is the target inclination angle of the driven part, and the target position coordinates of the driven part are calculated from the target position coordinates of the optical axis. Figure 7 Taking the embodiment with three driving units and the winding column and the driven part being flush with each other as an example, Figure 7Midpoints A, B, and C represent the three winding posts, point F represents the driven part, and line segments AF, BF, and CF represent the three traction ropes. A three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system is established with the plane of the three traction ropes when the bracket is in its initial position as the xOy plane and the z-axis as the reference baseline. The positive z-axis is oriented from the driven part toward the mounting part, point A is at the origin, and point C is on the x-axis.

[0081] Please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the xOy plane of the three-dimensional coordinate system in , at this time, point F is at its initial position and is located on the xOy plane; set the distance between two adjacent winding poles to m, then Figure 7 and Figure 8 The center line segment AC = line segment AB = line segment BC = m. Since the winding column is fixed relative to the base, the value of m remains constant during the rotation of the bracket. Figure 7 Point F is shown as having been driven by the traction member to rotate to the target position. That is, the coordinates of point F are the target position coordinates of the driven part. At this point, point F has moved away from its initial position and is located above the xOy plane. It forms a triangular pyramid with an equilateral triangle base with points A, B, and C. Since the target position coordinates of the driven part (i.e., point F) are known, and the coordinates of points A, B, and C are also known, the lengths of line segments AF, BF, and CF can be calculated. In other words, the target lengths of the three traction ropes can be calculated. Based on these target lengths, the motor's rotation direction and angle are controlled, thereby rotating the camera to the target position and target inclination.

[0082] In the technical solution of the present invention, when the camera rotation device is applied to a head-mounted display device with an eye tracking function, eye tracking can be used to capture human eye movement and obtain the eye axis inclination. The target optical axis inclination of the camera is then generated based on the eye axis inclination. The target optical axis inclination is then used to generate the target length of the traction member. The driving member is then controlled to operate to adjust the length of the traction member to the target length, thereby keeping the camera's optical axis inclination and the eye axis inclination synchronized, thereby better simulating the user's real field of view changes.

[0083] The camera rotation device includes an inclination sensor provided on the bracket and electrically connected to the control unit, and the inclination sensor is used to detect the angular displacement of the bracket. Figure 9 In a second embodiment of the camera rotation device control method of the present invention, based on the first embodiment described above, after the step of adjusting the extension length of the pulling member of the camera rotation device according to the target inclination angle of the optical axis to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline, the camera rotation device control method further includes steps S40 to S60, which are specifically as follows:

[0084] Step S40: obtaining the inclination angle actually measured by the inclination sensor.

[0085] In this embodiment, the sensor-measured inclination angle represents the actual angular displacement of the bracket, and the sensor position coordinates are also used as the sensor-measured inclination angle. Optionally, the sensor position coordinates are configured as the coordinates of the sensor's center point. Of course, in other embodiments, the coordinates of other points on the sensor may also be used to represent the sensor position coordinates.

[0086] Furthermore, the tilt sensor can optionally be configured as a nine-axis attitude sensor. Without loss of generality, the nine-axis sensor includes a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer. The three-axis magnetometer can perform yaw correction on six-axis data. This improves the accuracy and precision of the tilt sensor's detection data, thereby enhancing the performance of the camera rotation device. Of course, in other embodiments, the tilt sensor can also be configured as a three-axis sensor or a six-axis sensor.

[0087] Step S50: generating the actually measured inclination angle of the optical axis of the camera according to the actually measured inclination angle of the sensor.

[0088] It can be understood that since the inclinometer and camera are both mounted on the bracket and their angular displacements are equal, the position coordinates of the inclinometer and the camera are proportionally related. In other words, the optical axis position coordinates can be calculated based on the sensor position coordinates. Therefore, the optical axis position coordinates can be calculated using the actual sensor position coordinates measured by the inclinometer.

[0089] Step S60: comparing the measured optical axis inclination angle with the target optical axis inclination angle to see whether they are equal.

[0090] In this embodiment, the driven portion and the mounting portion are located on opposite sides of the rotational reference, and the inclination sensor is located on the driven portion. The distance from the inclination sensor to the rotational reference is equal to the distance from the camera's photosensitive chip to the rotational reference. In other words, the ratio between these two distances is 1:1. This ensures that when the bracket rotates relative to the center of the rotational reference sphere, the center point of the inclination sensor and the center point of the camera's photosensitive chip are symmetrical about the center of the rotational reference sphere. Of course, in other embodiments, other locations may be selected, such as the center point of the camera lens.

[0091] Furthermore, assuming that the measured position coordinates of the optical axis are (X0, Y0, Z0), and the measured position coordinates of the sensor actually measured by the inclination sensor are (X1, Y1, Z1), the measured position coordinates of the optical axis can be calculated to be (-X1, -Y1, -Z1), and by comparing the absolute values ​​of the measured position coordinates of the optical axis (-X1, -Y1, -Z1) and the measured position coordinates of the optical axis (X0, Y0, Z0) to see whether they are equal, or by judging whether the equation (X0, Y0, Z0) = -(-X1, -Y1, -Z1) holds, it is possible to confirm whether the measured angular displacement is equal to the target angular displacement, that is, to judge whether the camera is accurately rotated to the target inclination angle.

[0092] In this way, by directly comparing the coordinate values ​​of the measured coordinate point and the target coordinate point to determine if they are equal, the computational complexity of the determination step can be reduced, thereby increasing the computational speed of the control unit and the response speed of the camera rotation device calibration function. Of course, in other embodiments, the ratio of the distance from the center point of the tilt sensor to the rotation reference to the distance from the center point of the camera's photosensitive chip to the rotation reference can be configured to be 1:2, 3:1, or the like.

[0093] It can be understood that if the measured inclination angle of the optical axis is equal to the target inclination angle of the optical axis, it means that the bracket has been rotated into place and the optical axis has been rotated to the target inclination angle. At this time, the optical axis and the eye axis are roughly parallel, and the rotation control of the camera is completed.

[0094] Step S70: If they are not equal, perform position correction.

[0095] In this embodiment, since the angular displacements of the driven part and the inclination sensor are equal, the position coordinates of the inclination sensor are proportionally related to the position coordinates of the driven part. That is, the measured position coordinates of the driven part (i.e., the measured coordinates of point F) can be calculated based on the actual measured position coordinates of the inclination sensor. Then, based on the measured coordinates of point F, the measured lengths of line segments AF, BF, and CF are calculated, i.e., the measured length of the traction rope is obtained. The difference between the measured length of the traction rope and the target length is then calculated, and the rotation direction and angle of the motor during the position correction operation can be determined based on this difference. Finally, by completing the difference between the measured length and the target length, i.e., after completing the position correction, the measured inclination angle of the optical axis can be made equal to the target inclination angle of the optical axis.

[0096] Of course, other position correction means can also be used, and this application does not make specific limitations. For example, it is also possible to first use the line between the measured coordinates of point F and the target coordinates of point F as a vector, wherein the vector points from the measured coordinates of point F to the target coordinates of point F. First calculate whether the modulus of the vector exceeds the preset difference. If it is less than or equal to the preset difference, it can be determined that the actual inclination angle of this rotation is within a reasonable error range and the rotation control program is terminated; if it is greater than the preset difference, the extension length of the traction member is further adjusted. Specifically, the vector can be decomposed into three component vectors on the straight line AF, the straight line BF and the straight line CF. The moduli of these three component vectors correspond to the further adjustment amounts of the extension lengths of the three traction ropes, respectively. Among them, it can be judged based on the direction of the component vectors whether the traction rope needs to be further released or reeled in.

[0097] In the embodiment of the present invention, since the bracket drives the camera to rotate while also driving the nine-axis sensor to rotate, the nine-axis sensor can be used to detect the real-time position of the bracket, thereby realizing real-time correction of the camera position, thereby improving the accuracy of camera rotation control.

[0098] The present invention also provides a head-mounted display device comprising a camera and the aforementioned camera rotation device. The specific structure of the camera rotation device is similar to that of the aforementioned embodiments. Since the present head-mounted display device utilizes all of the technical solutions of all of the aforementioned embodiments, it possesses at least all of the beneficial effects provided by the technical solutions of the aforementioned embodiments, and therefore will not be further detailed here. The camera is mounted on the mounting portion of the bracket of the camera rotation device.

[0099] It should be noted that, in the embodiment of the present invention, the head-mounted display device includes but is not limited to VR glasses, AR glasses, and MR (Mixed Reality) glasses.

[0100] The above descriptions are merely optional embodiments of the present invention and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present description and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A camera rotating device, characterized in that: Applied to a head-mounted display device, the camera rotation device includes: base; a bracket, rotatably connected to the base about a rotation reference, the bracket having a mounting portion and a driven portion connected thereto, the mounting portion being connected to a camera, a line connecting the mounting portion and the driven portion when the bracket is in an initial position being defined as a reference baseline; and a driving module comprising a control unit and a driving unit, the driving unit comprising a driving member electrically connected to the control unit, and a traction member drivingly connected to the driving member, the traction member being connected to the driven portion and having an adjustable extension length so as to enable the driven portion to rotate relative to the rotation reference and adjust the inclination angle of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline; The bracket is provided with a first rotating part, and the base is correspondingly provided with a second rotating part, the first rotating part and the second rotating part are rotatably connected, and the rotating mating surface of at least one of them is configured as a spherical surface, and the rotation reference is configured as the center of the spherical surface; The driving member includes a motor and a winding post, the winding post is provided on the rotating shaft of the motor, and the traction member includes a traction rope, one end of which is connected to the driven part, and the other end of which is connected to and can be wound around the outer circumference of the winding post; The driven part is provided with a positioning column on the side facing the driving member, the axis of the positioning column is arranged to intersect with the reference baseline, and the traction member also includes a slip ring provided at the end of the traction rope, and the slip ring is rotatably sleeved on the positioning column.

2. The camera rotating device according to claim 1, wherein: The base is provided with a rotation hole, and at least a portion of the inner wall surface of the rotation hole is configured as a spherical surface and forms the second rotation part.

3. The camera rotating device according to claim 2, wherein: An annular convex is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the bracket, and at least a part of the outer wall surface of the annular convex is configured as a spherical surface and forms the first rotating part.

4. The camera rotating device according to claim 2, wherein: The rotating hole is configured as a through-hole structure, and the mounting portion and the driven portion are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the rotating hole.

5. The camera rotating device according to claim 4, wherein: There are at least three drive units, and the at least three drive units are arranged at intervals along the circumference of the reference baseline.

6. The camera rotating device according to claim 1, wherein: When the bracket is in the initial position, the winding post is arranged flush with the driven part in the direction of the reference base line, or the winding post is arranged on a side of the driven part away from the rotation base line.

7. The camera rotating device according to claim 6, wherein: The driving unit further includes a guide column arranged on the base, wherein the axis of the guide column intersects with the axis of the winding column, and the guide column is arranged on a side of the winding column close to the driven part.

8. The camera rotating device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving module further includes an elastic reset member connecting the bracket and the base, and the elastic reset member can enable the bracket to have a tendency to return to an initial position.

9. The camera rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The driving module further includes an inclination sensor disposed on the bracket and electrically connected to the control unit, wherein the inclination sensor is used to detect the angular displacement of the bracket.

10. The camera rotating device according to claim 9, wherein: The driven portion and the mounting portion are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the rotation reference, the inclination sensor is arranged on the driven portion, and the distance from the inclination sensor to the rotation reference is equal to the distance from the camera to the rotation reference; And / or, the rotation reference is configured as the center of a sphere, and the inclination sensor is configured as a nine-axis attitude sensor.

11. A head-mounted display device, characterized in that: It comprises a camera and a camera rotating device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the camera is arranged on the mounting portion of the bracket of the camera rotating device.

12. A camera rotation device control method, characterized in that: Applied to the camera rotation device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, the camera rotation device control method comprises the steps of: receiving eye axial inclination; generating a target inclination angle of the optical axis of the camera according to the eye axis inclination angle; The extension length of the traction member of the camera rotating device is adjusted according to the target inclination angle of the optical axis to adjust the inclination angle of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline.

13. The camera rotation device control method according to claim 12, wherein: The camera rotation device includes an inclination sensor provided on the bracket and electrically connected to the control unit, the inclination sensor being used to detect angular displacement of the bracket, and after the step of adjusting the extension length of the traction member of the camera rotation device according to the target inclination of the optical axis to adjust the inclination of the mounting portion relative to the reference baseline, the camera rotation device control method further includes the steps of: Obtaining an actual measured inclination angle of the inclination sensor; Generating the measured inclination angle of the optical axis of the camera according to the measured inclination angle of the sensor; comparing whether the measured inclination angle of the optical axis is equal to the target inclination angle of the optical axis; If they are not equal, perform position correction.

14. A storage medium, characterized in that The storage medium stores a camera rotation control program, and when the camera rotation control program is executed by the processor, the steps of the camera rotation device control method according to claim 12 or 13 can be implemented.

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