Removable thermal imaging camera

Abstract

A mounting system for an image capture device includes an adapter having a first mating member and a housing releasably coupled to the adapter. The housing includes a latching mechanism having a second mating member sized and configured to receive the first mating member of the adapter when the housing member is coupled to the adapter, and a biasing element protruding relative to an outer surface of the housing. The biasing element is movably coupled to the housing and is transitionable between a first disengaged position and a second engaged position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and system for a mounting system for an image capture device and related methods of use. Background Art

[0002] Imaging cameras are used in a wide variety of applications. However, imaging cameras are often specific to a particular implementation and are expensive. For example, equipment used by first responders that includes an imaging device is often manufactured to have the imaging device integrated into the equipment. Thus, even though an organization may have multiple devices of a particular type (e.g., respirator masks) assigned to a particular user, there may be times when the user is not working and therefore the associated expensive imaging device is idle. Existing equipment devices and systems do not have the ability to mount the same imaging camera on a variety of platforms, objects, surfaces, or fixed equipment. Summary of the invention

[0003] Certain conditions and cost considerations may require the use of an imaging camera that can be easily moved and releasably coupled to various platforms, objects, surfaces, or fixed devices. Some embodiments advantageously provide methods and systems for mounting systems for image capture devices. The mounting system includes an adapter having a first mating member and a housing that is releasably coupled to the adapter. The housing includes a locking mechanism having a second mating member and a biasing element, the second mating member being sized and configured to receive the first mating member of the adapter when the housing member is coupled to the adapter, the biasing element protruding relative to the outer surface of the housing. The biasing element is movably coupled to the housing and is capable of transitioning between a first disengaged position and a second engaged position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] A more complete understanding of the embodiments described herein and their attendant advantages and features will be more readily appreciated by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0005] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mounting system for an image capture device constructed according to the principles of the present application;

[0006] Figure 2A yes Figure 1 An exploded view of a mounting system of the invention, wherein a latching mechanism of the image capture device can engage a corresponding adapter;

[0007] Figure 2B Shows Figures 1 to 2A engagement of a locking mechanism and a corresponding adapter;

[0008] Figure 3 Shows Figures 1 to 2B A cross-sectional view of an image capture device;

[0009] Figure 4A yes Figures 1 to 3 An exploded view of a mounting system, wherein the camera assembly is disposed within the housing;

[0010] Figure 4B shows the camera assembly inserted into Figures 1 to 4A in a housing; and

[0011] Figure 5 yes Figures 1 to 4B A perspective view of a camera assembly of an image capture device.

[0012] Figure 6 yes Figures 1 to 5 Exploded view of the housing and locking mechanism.

[0013] Figure 7 yes Figures 1 to 2B A perspective view of an image capture device.

[0014] Figure 8 yes Figures 1 to 2B A perspective view of the adapter.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the housing showing a "waffle" shape. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Before describing the exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be noted that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of device components and process steps associated with apparatus and systems for mounting image capture devices and methods thereof. Accordingly, apparatus, system and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, and only those specific details relevant to understanding the embodiments of the present disclosure are shown so as not to obscure the present disclosure with details that would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0017] As used herein, relational terms such as "first" and "second", "top" and "bottom" can only be used to distinguish one entity or element from another entity or element, without requiring or implying any physical or logical relationship or order between these entities or elements. The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the concepts described herein. As used herein, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, the singular forms "one", "a kind of" and "said" are intended to also include plural forms. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising", "including" when used in this article specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groupings.

[0018] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meanings in the context of this specification and the relevant technology, and should not be understood as idealized or overly formalized meanings unless explicitly defined in this article.

[0019] In the embodiments described herein, the term "in communication with" or the like may be used to indicate electrical or data communication, which may be accomplished, for example, by physical contact, induction, electromagnetic radiation, radio signaling, infrared signaling, or optical signaling. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that multiple components may interoperate, and modifications and variations may be possible to achieve electrical and data communication.

[0020] In the embodiments described herein, the term "field of view" (FOV) refers to the maximum area of ​​a sample that can be imaged by a camera.

[0021] Some embodiments include a system 10 for mounting or otherwise releasably coupling an image capture device 12 to a corresponding adapter 14, which itself is coupled to any desired object, fixture, or surface that includes the adapter 14, such as, for example, a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), an aerial ladder, a light boom, a helmet, a mask, an armband, a vest, a drone, and / or a handle for a mobile device and / or a smart device. For example, Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the image capture device 12 may include a housing 16 having a locking mechanism 18 (eg, Figure 3 and Figure 7 The housing 16 may include a mating member 20 configured to engage and releasably couple to a mating member 22 of the adapter 14 (eg, Figure 8 In one or more embodiments, the mating member 20 of the latch mechanism 18 is sized and configured to receive the mating member 22 of the adapter 14 when the housing 16 is coupled to the adapter 14. Figure 1 As shown, the image capture device 12 may also include a protective cover 24 that is sized and configured to at least partially enclose the housing 16. The protective cover 24 and / or the housing 16 may each be constructed of a durable drop-resistant, waterproof, and / or heat-resistant material that can withstand extreme hot and cold temperature conditions in the event of a fire, blizzard, snowstorm, rainstorm, or flood. In some embodiments, the protective cover 24 may be constructed of materials such as silicone, rubber, etc. Figure 1 As shown, the housing 16 and protective cover 24 define a lens 28 (discussed in more detail below and in Figure 3 and Figure 4AAperture 26 is shown in FIG. 26. Aperture 26 allows an opening through which lens 28 can have a field of view that is not blocked by the surfaces of housing 16 and protective cover 24 and capture an image within the field of view.

[0022] See now FIG. 2A to FIG. 2B , illustrating the engagement and coupling of the image capture device 12 and the corresponding adapter 14. Although the adapter 14 is shown as being coupled, attached, or otherwise attached to a boom portion of a mask for personal protective equipment (PPE), it should be understood that the adapter 14 may also be coupled, attached, or otherwise attached to any other platform, object, fixture, or surface that is configured to hold or include the adapter 14. Figure 2B As shown, in one or more embodiments, the mating member 20 of the latch mechanism 18 is a channel, slot, open cavity or groove defined by the outer surface 32 of the housing 16 and is sized and configured to receive the mating member 22 of the adapter 14.

[0023] The latching mechanism 18 may include a biasing element 34 that protrudes relative to the outer surface 32 of the housing 16. The biasing element 34 may be movably coupled to the housing 16 so that the biasing element can transition between a disengaged position and an engaged position. As a non-limiting example, the biasing element 34 may be a spring coupled to a flange or tab 36. In order to couple the image capture device 12 to the adapter 14, a user may apply a force or pressure on the tab 36 to compress the biasing element 34 in the disengaged position or relaxed position. The compression of the biasing element 34 causes the biasing element 34 to transition from the disengaged position to the engaged position and thereby increase the width (i.e., widen) of the groove 20. The widening of the groove 20 allows the groove 20 to slidably receive a mating member 22 of the adapter 14, which is a protrusion, rod, surface, or other component that is sized and configured to be retained within the groove 20.

[0024] Once the mating member 22 of the adapter 14 is inserted and received within the groove 20 of the latching mechanism 18, the pressure or force acting on the tab 36 can be released, which transitions the biasing element 34 from the engaged position to the disengaged position and allows the groove 20 to return from the widened configuration to its original configuration and releasably lock the adapter 14 in place so that the image capture device 12 is releasably attached to the adapter 14. Locking the adapter 14 in place also prevents displacement or undesired movement or shaking of the image capture device 12 when attached to the adapter 14 during use.

[0025] See now Figure 3, the protective cover 24 is shown as at least partially enclosing the housing 16. Within the housing 16, the image capture device 12 also includes a camera assembly 38. The protective cover 24 may partially or completely enclose the housing 16, thereby protecting the camera assembly 38 from thermal conditions and other conditions prevalent in the surrounding environment. Figure 3 As shown in , a gap 42 may be defined between the inner surface 40 of the shield 24 and the outer surface 32 of the housing 16, which provides at least partial separation of the outer surface 32 of the housing 16 from the inner surface 40 of the shield 24. The gap 42 provides both a thermal barrier and shock absorption for impact and / or drop protection, and facilitates assembly. Fig. 9 As shown in , in some embodiments, the housing 16 may have a “waffle” shape 30 that provides a thermal barrier, shock absorption for impact and / or drop protection, and eases assembly.

[0026] See now Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 5 , the camera assembly 38 is sized and configured to be disposed entirely within the housing 16. The camera assembly 38 may include a camera 44 having a lens 28 configured to capture an image and at least one circuit board 46 coupled to the camera 44. As a non-limiting example, the camera 44 may be configured to capture at least one of a thermal image, a visible light image, and an infrared (IR) image.

[0027] At least one circuit board 46 may include a processing circuit 48 having a processor and a memory electrically connected to the processor. Specifically, in addition to or instead of a processor (such as a central processing unit) and a memory, the processing circuit 48 may include an integrated circuit for processing and / or control, such as one or more processors and / or processor cores and / or an FPGA (field programmable gate array) and / or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) suitable for executing instructions. The processor may be configured to access (e.g., write and / or read) a memory, which may include any kind of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a cache and / or buffer memory and / or a RAM (random access memory) and / or a ROM (read only memory) and / or an optical memory and / or an EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory). In addition, the memory may be configured as a storage device configured to store images captured by the camera 44 and perform one or more operations or functions, such as, for example, wirelessly transmitting the stored images (via a Wi-Fi connection, The image capture device 12 may also include software stored, for example, internally in memory or in an external memory (e.g., a database, a storage array, a network storage device, etc.) and accessible by the image capture device 12 via an external connection. The software is executable by the processing circuit 48.

[0028] It should be appreciated that the camera 44 and lens 28 are configured to capture and record audio and / or video for storage in memory or for transmission in real-time to an external control unit, monitoring center or device.

[0029] In one or more embodiments, at least one circuit board 46 may include multiple circuit boards, each circuit board coupled to the camera assembly at a different portion of the camera 44 that does not obstruct the field of view of the lens 28. In some such embodiments, a single circuit board may include the processing circuit 48, or the processing circuit may be spread across two or more of the multiple circuit boards. The circuit boards 46 may each be coupled or attached to the camera by one or more fasteners 50, such as, for example, screws. Each circuit board 46 may be spaced apart from adjacent circuit boards 46 to prevent accidental touch or contact between any two circuit boards. In other embodiments, at least one circuit board 46 may include a rigid-flexible circuit board configured to surround one or more portions of the camera 44 that do not obstruct the field of view of the lens 28.

[0030] In addition, the camera assembly 38 may also include an orientation sensor and an accelerometer. The orientation and accelerometer are arranged to communicate with the processing circuit 48 and can be attached to the circuit board 46. The orientation sensor can be configured to detect and determine the orientation of the camera, and rotate the captured image based on the determined orientation. When the image capture device 12 is connected to the adapter 14, and when the image capture device 12 is not connected to the adapter 14, the orientation of the camera can be detected and determined. The accelerometer can be electrically connected to the processing circuit 48 and configured to detect tactile input (e.g., a user's gesture or other body movement) and send a signal associated with the tactile input to the processing circuit. The processing circuit 48 can then associate the signal with a predetermined command and / or determine whether to forward the signal to an external command unit or device. For example, the predetermined command can be a command to turn off the camera 44, turn off or turn on a light source that can be included in the image capture device 12, take a photo or take a FOV snapshot, and / or switch between an image capture mode, an audio capture mode, or a video capture mode. Additionally, the accelerometer may include a timer in electrical communication with the processing circuit 48 such that the accelerometer may trigger an automatic shutoff of the image capture device 12 after a predetermined time interval or duration.

[0031] According to one or more embodiments, the image capture device 12 may also include one or more microphones (not shown) to detect and evaluate external audio signals from the environment. The microphones may be in communication with the processing circuit 48 so that the detected audio signals may be filtered to eliminate ambient noise from the audio signals before the audio signals are stored in the memory.

[0032] According to one or more embodiments, the image capture device 12 may also include an internal battery disposed within the housing 12. The internal battery may be a rechargeable battery that is configured to be in electrical communication with an external power source. The internal battery may be charged using a physical charging cable to the external power source, or may be charged wirelessly using electromagnetic induction. In an embodiment, the image capture device may have a charging port 56 (e.g., Figure 2B ), the charging port can be used to connect a charging cable to the internal battery. The charging port 56 can be a custom charging port or use a standard connection, such as, for example, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), USB Type-C (USB-C), or micro-USB connection. However, it should be understood that other standard connections can also be used.

[0033] Additionally or alternatively, the image capture device 12 may also be configured to be charged via a mountable battery pack. A portion of the mountable battery pack is sized and configured to be received by the charging port 56. In some embodiments, the mountable battery pack may also include an adapter 14 that allows the battery pack to be releasably attached to the image capture device 12 while still connected to the charging port 56.

[0034] It is contemplated that the image capture device 12 may be removably mounted to various attachments, such as, for example but not limited to, drones, robots, mobile beacons (such as may be found on first responder equipment), and other aerial applications. It is also contemplated that the image capture device 12 may be removably mounted to a handheld device, such as a handle with self-contained battery and display, or even an extension wand / pole with or without a display.

[0035] This arrangement allows a single image capture device 12 to be used in different applications. For example, fewer image capture devices 12 may be needed than SCBA masks because not all masks may be used at a given offset. This avoids the 1:1 ratio of image capture devices 12 to masks that is required when the image capture device is permanently mounted to or integrated with protective equipment (e.g., a mask).

[0036] Many different embodiments have been disclosed herein in conjunction with the above description and drawings. It should be understood that literally describing and showing every combination and sub-combination of these embodiments would be overly repetitive and confusing. Therefore, all embodiments may be combined in any manner and / or combination, and this specification, including the drawings, should be interpreted as constituting a complete written description of all combinations and sub-combinations of the embodiments described herein and the manner and process of making and using them, and should support protection for any such combination or sub-combination.

[0037] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those specifically shown and described above. In addition, unless otherwise mentioned above, it should be noted that all drawings are not drawn to scale. Various modifications and variations may be provided according to the above teachings.

Claims

1. A mounting system for an image capture device, the mounting system include: an adapter having a first mating member; as well as A housing releasably coupled to the adapter, the housing comprising a latching mechanism having: a second mating member sized and configured to receive the first mating member of the adapter when the housing is coupled to the adapter; and A biasing element is raised relative to an outer surface of the housing, the biasing element being movably coupled to the housing and transitionable between a first disengaged position and a second engaged position.

2. The mounting system of claim 1, wherein the first mating member defines a groove, and the second mating member is sized and configured to be slidably received within the groove when the biasing element is in the second engaged position.

3. The mounting system of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein when received within the groove, the second engaging member is releasably locked in place when the biasing element transitions to the first disengaged position.

4. The mounting system of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a protective cover sized and configured to at least partially enclose the housing, the protective cover being constructed of a heat resistant material.

5. The mounting system of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an image capture device disposed within the housing, the housing defining an aperture surrounding a lens of the image capture device.

6. A device, wherein the device include: A housing, the housing comprising: a latch mechanism having a second mating member sized to receive the first mating member; a camera assembly sized and configured to be disposed entirely within the housing, the camera assembly comprising: camera; a protective cover sized and configured to at least partially enclose the housing; and A gap is defined between the inner surface of the protective cover and the outer surface of the housing.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising at least one printed circuit board coupled to the camera and retained within the housing.

8. The apparatus of any one of claims 6 to 7, wherein at least one of the protective cover and the housing is constructed of a heat resistant material.

9. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, in: The camera includes a lens; and The protective cover and the housing each define an aperture configured to surround the lens.

10. The apparatus of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the camera is one of a thermal imaging camera, a visible light camera, and an infrared (IR) camera.

11. The device according to any one of claims 6 to 10, further comprising a biasing element protruding relative to the outer surface of the housing, the biasing element being movably coupled to the housing and capable of transitioning between a first disengaged position and a second engaged position.

12. A camera assembly for an image capture device, the camera assembly include: A camera comprising a lens configured to capture an image, the image being one of: Thermal images; Visible light images; and Infrared (IR) images; and An orientation sensor, the orientation sensor being configured to: determining an orientation of the camera; and The captured image is rotated based on the determined orientation.

13. The camera assembly according to claim 12, further comprising: include: At least one circuit board coupled to the camera, the at least one circuit board comprising one of the following: a plurality of circuit boards spaced apart from one another; and A single rigid-flex circuit board.

14. The camera assembly according to any one of claims 12 and 13, further comprising: include: A processing circuit, the processing circuit having: processor; and a memory in electronic communication with the processor and configured to store the image; as well as An accelerometer is in electrical communication with the processing circuit, the accelerometer being configured to detect tactile input and to send a signal associated with the tactile input to the processing circuit.

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