Pan-tilt ball machine capable of being used in low-temperature environment and control method of pan-tilt ball machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a pan-tilt dome camera capable of being used in a low-temperature environment and a control method thereof. The pan-tilt dome camera comprises a monitoring camera with a pan-tilt rotating function and a conductive slip ring capable of achieving electric signal transmission when the pan-tilt rotates. The controller is electrically connected with the monitoring camera and is used for acquiring an image of the monitoring camera; the impedance detection element is used for detecting the contact impedance between an inner ring channel of the conductive slip ring and the brush wires and transmitting an acquired signal to the controller in an electric connection mode; the temperature detection element receives a temperature detection instruction issued by the controller in an electric connection mode, detects the working environment temperature of the position of the conductive slip ring, and transmits a collected signal to the controller; and the heating device receives a heating instruction issued by the controller in an electric connection mode and then performs physical heating on the conductive slip ring body. According to the invention, the condition of poor contact impedance probability of the conductive slip ring can be fundamentally improved, so that the problem of network / image abnormity occurring when the camera of the whole machine rotates is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a pan-tilt ball machine and a control method thereof, and in particular to a pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment and a control method thereof. Background Art

[0002] The growing security video surveillance industry requires that current security cameras be able to withstand harsh environments such as extreme temperature, humidity, salt spray, corrosion, etc., to ensure that the product can maintain normal operation in various scenarios such as low temperature rain and snow, high temperature exposure, chemical explosions, etc.

[0003] PTZ cameras are high-end security cameras with cruise control functions, and their transmission structure involves multiple types of moving parts. As an important component that can fully meet the requirements of 360° unlimited rotation of images and data transmission, conductive slip rings are widely used in PTZ products.

[0004] The existing conductive slip ring usually realizes energy and signal transmission between the stator and the rotor through the pressure contact between the internal brush wire 6 and the ring 7 during rotation. At the same time, the contact impedance value during rotation is a key factor affecting the signal transmission quality, such as Figure 1 Combined with the market performance of existing cap-type conductive slip rings, it is found that in related low-temperature environment applications, the pressure sensitivity of the ring grease and brush wire increases, which will cause a significant impact on the probability of dynamic contact resistance, and then cause the pan-tilt camera to rotate in a low-temperature environment. There will be problems such as image freeze, network delay, and even network disconnection in severe cases.

[0005] A technical solution of the prior art: by removing the lubricating grease coating in the conductive slip ring channel, the adhesion resistance at the contact point between the slip ring brush wire and the channel is reduced, the degree to which the slip ring contact impedance is affected by low temperature is reduced, and the problem of poor low-temperature signal in the whole product is avoided as much as possible. The disadvantage of this solution: removing the lubricating grease in the channel will have a great impact on the service life of the conductive slip ring, resulting in the situation that the product life cannot meet the specification requirements.

[0006] Another technical solution in the prior art: by increasing the number of brushes in each loop or adjusting the angle, material and other characteristics of the brushes to change the contact form and pressure between the brushes and the loop, the problem of poor low-temperature signals of the conductive slip ring can be improved. The disadvantage of this solution is that it can only improve the contact impedance performance of the slip ring in a low-temperature environment to a certain extent, but it cannot completely eliminate the possibility of abnormal signal quality in an extreme low-temperature environment. Summary of the invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a pan / tilt camera that can be used in a low-temperature environment and a control method thereof, which can fundamentally improve the probability of poor contact impedance of its conductive slip ring, so as to solve the problem of network / image anomalies that occur when the camera of the whole machine is rotating.

[0008] The technical solution adopted by the present invention to solve the above technical problems is to provide a pan / tilt ball camera that can be used in a low-temperature environment, including a monitoring camera with a pan / tilt rotation function and a conductive slip ring that can realize electrical signal transmission when the pan / tilt rotates; a controller, which is electrically connected to the monitoring camera and is used to collect images from the monitoring camera; an impedance detection element, which is used to detect the contact impedance between the inner ring of the conductive slip ring and the brush wire, and transmits the collected signal to the controller through an electrical connection; a temperature detection element, which receives a temperature detection instruction issued by the controller through an electrical connection, detects the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring position, and transmits the collected signal to the controller; a heating device, which receives a heating instruction issued by the controller through an electrical connection, and then performs physical heating on the conductive slip ring body.

[0009] Furthermore, the heating device is a heating plate, and the heating plate is wrapped around the outer surface of the conductive slip ring body.

[0010] Furthermore, the heating device is a heating resistance wire, and the heating resistance wire is arranged in a non-signal transmission loop inside the conductive slip ring.

[0011] Furthermore, the conductive slip ring includes a rotor, a stator and a flange, the rotor is arranged in a rotor accommodating cavity of the stator, one end of the rotor is connected to the flange, the heating device is arranged on the outside of the rotor, and the temperature detection element is directly fixed on one side of the rotor accommodating cavity.

[0012] Furthermore, the controller is a single chip microcomputer, the impedance detection element is a resistance sensor, and the temperature detection element is a temperature controller.

[0013] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present invention also provides a control method for the above-mentioned pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment, which includes the following steps: S1) real-time monitoring of the camera image situation, when it is detected that the image is stuck, the frame is lost or there is no code stream, an abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller; S2) real-time monitoring of the network signal transmission rate of the camera, when it is detected that the network signal is lost or disconnected, an abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller; S3) real-time monitoring of the contact impedance of the conductive slip ring through an impedance detection element, when it is detected that the contact impedance exceeds a preset impedance threshold, an abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller; S4) when the controller receives any of the above abnormal signals, it sends a temperature detection instruction to the temperature detection element; S5) the temperature detection element detects the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring position, and then transmits the collected signal back to the controller; S6) the controller identifies the collected ambient temperature signal, if it is confirmed that the temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, it sends a heating instruction to the heating device; S7) the heating device heats the conductive slip ring, combines with the temperature detection element to monitor and judge, and stops sending the heating instruction when the temperature of the conductive slip ring returns to the working temperature, and stops the heating device from heating.

[0014] Furthermore, the step S1 includes monitoring the camera image status in real time through a software script that can realize picture frame rate detection after the system is initialized; the step S2 monitors the network signal transmission rate of the camera in real time through a software script that can realize network signal detection.

[0015] Furthermore, the preset impedance threshold in step S3 is 10 mΩ.

[0016] Furthermore, the preset temperature threshold in step S5 is -20°C.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: the pan / tilt camera and control method thereof that can be used in a low-temperature environment provided by the present invention can fundamentally improve the probability of poor contact impedance of its conductive slip ring, so as to solve the problem of network / image anomalies that occur when the camera of the whole machine is rotating, and will not cause any impact on the service life of the conductive slip ring itself. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a cap-type conductive slip ring;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the outer surface of the slip ring body of the present invention wrapped with a heating plate;

[0021] Figure 4A schematic diagram of a non-signal transmission loop inside a slip ring of the present invention providing a heating resistor wire;

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a conductive slip ring with a temperature control function of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 6 The present invention is a control flow chart of the pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0025] See also Figure 2 The present invention provides a pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment, comprising:

[0026] A surveillance camera with a pan / tilt rotation function and a cap-type conductive slip ring component that can realize electrical signal transmission when the pan / tilt rotates;

[0027] A controller (such as a single-chip microcomputer) is electrically connected to the surveillance camera, and can collect the image smoothness and network signal of the camera through the connection;

[0028] The impedance detection element (such as a resistance sensor) is responsible for detecting the contact impedance between the inner ring of the conductive slip ring and the brush wire, and then the collected signal can be transmitted to the controller through electrical connection;

[0029] The temperature detection element (such as a temperature sensor) can receive the temperature detection instruction issued by the controller through an electrical connection, and is responsible for detecting the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring position, and then transmits the collected signal to the controller;

[0030] The conductive slip ring heating device can receive a heating instruction sent by a controller through an electrical connection, and then perform physical heating on the conductive slip ring body.

[0031] The present invention realizes a scheme for physically heating the internal conductive slip ring based on relevant signal feedback when products such as ball machine pan / tilt cameras are running in a low temperature and harsh environment. The principle is: based on the image frame rate smoothness detected by the software script, the network signal transmission rate, and the conductive slip ring contact impedance value detected by the impedance test element, when one of the above conditions is abnormal, the controller (such as a single-chip microcomputer) receives the command feedback. At this time, the controller will then conduct a comprehensive evaluation to turn on the heating device to realize physical heating of the conductive slip ring body based on the actual working temperature of the conductive slip ring body collected by the temperature sensor, such as when the temperature is too low and in the risk application range. This scheme method is used to improve the contact impedance parameters between the conductive slip ring brush wire and the loop, which can solve the pain points such as image freeze and network signal abnormality that may occur when the product is running in a low temperature and harsh environment.

[0032] The pan-tilt ball machine provided by the present invention that can be used in a low-temperature environment can consider adopting the following two heating methods:

[0033] a) Physical heating of the slip ring body is achieved by directly wrapping a heating plate 8 on the outer surface of the conductive slip ring body; Figure 3 As shown;

[0034] b) directly realize the heating of the slip ring by setting a heating resistor wire 9 in other loops inside the slip ring except the loop related to signal transmission; Figure 4 As shown;

[0035] c) Preferably, a new conductive slip ring with temperature control function is designed, whose structural features are as follows: Figure 5 As shown, it includes a rotor 1, a stator 2 and a flange 3. The rotor 1 is arranged in the rotor accommodating cavity of the stator 2, and one end of the rotor 1 is connected to the flange 3; it is characterized in that: a heater 4 is arranged on the outside of the rotor 1, a temperature controller 5 is fixed on one side of the rotor 1 accommodating cavity, four heaters 4 are arranged on the outside of the rotor 1, and the heater 4 is connected to the temperature control switch through a data line.

[0036] The beneficial effects of this design are as follows: a heater 4 is provided on the outside of the rotor 1, and a temperature controller 5 is directly fixed on one side of the rotor accommodating cavity. The internal temperature of the conductive slip ring is adjusted to maintain the temperature, which can effectively prevent condensation caused by temperature changes inside the product and prevent damage to the product caused by temperature changes when working in a low temperature environment, so as to further reduce the product failure rate and improve the service life and stability of the product.

[0037] Please continue to see Figure 6 The control of the pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment of the present invention is as follows:

[0038] S1) After the system is initialized, the camera image is monitored in real time through a software script that can detect the frame rate. When abnormal conditions such as image freeze, frame loss or no bitstream are detected, the abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller;

[0039] S2) Using a software script that can detect network signals, the network signal transmission rate of the camera is monitored in real time. When abnormal conditions such as packet loss and disconnection of the network signal are detected, the abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller;

[0040] S3) The contact impedance of the conductive slip ring is monitored in real time through the impedance detection element. When the contact impedance is detected to be abnormally large (exceeding the standard range, such as exceeding 10mΩ), an abnormal signal is uploaded to the controller;

[0041] S4) When the controller receives any of the above abnormal signals, it sends a temperature detection instruction to the temperature detection element;

[0042] S5) The temperature detection element is responsible for detecting the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring position, and then transmitting the collected signal back to the controller;

[0043] S6) The controller identifies the collected ambient temperature signal. If it is confirmed that the temperature is too low and in the risk application range, such as below -20°C, a heating instruction is issued to the conductive slip ring heating device;

[0044] S7) The heating device heats the conductive slip ring, and monitors and judges in combination with the temperature detection element. When the temperature of the conductive slip ring returns to the standard operating temperature range, the heating instruction is stopped, and the heating device stops heating;

[0045] S8) The controller now identifies the collected signals at step 1), step 2), and step 3):

[0046] a) If all abnormal signals have been eliminated, it is confirmed that the abnormal problem is caused by the low application temperature of the conductive slip ring, which affects its dynamic contact resistance and has been solved;

[0047] b) If the abnormal signal is still not eliminated, the cause of the abnormal signal is that the non-conductive slip ring is affected by the low temperature environment. After further positioning and resolution, an alarm command can be sent to the monitoring system background for prompting (if the abnormal signal disappears, the synchronous alarm release command will continue to be sent);

[0048] The above solution is operated in a long-term fully automated cycle to continuously and effectively protect the network / image anomalies caused by the conductive slip ring being affected by the low temperature environment.

[0049] In summary, the pan-tilt ball machine and control method thereof that can be used in a low-temperature environment provided by the present invention have the following advantages:

[0050] 1. Compared with the existing improvement method of removing the lubricating grease coating in the conductive slip ring channel, the conductive slip ring heating feedback solution used in the present invention will not have any impact on the service life of the conductive slip ring itself, and can effectively ensure the specification requirements of the slip ring product life while solving the network / image abnormality problem caused by the conductive slip ring being affected by the low temperature environment;

[0051] 2. Compared with the existing improvement method of increasing the number of brushes inside the slip ring or adjusting the angle and material of the brushes, the heating feedback scheme of the conductive slip ring used in the present invention can completely eliminate the network / image abnormality problem caused by the influence of low temperature extreme environment on the conductive slip ring, and the optimization effect is more significant;

[0052] 3. The present invention can identify network / image abnormalities caused by the non-conductive slip ring being affected by the low temperature environment, and can send alarm instructions to the monitoring system background, which can effectively prompt the problem and get quick attention.

[0053] Although the present invention has been disclosed as above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be based on the definition of the claims.

Claims

1. A pan-tilt ball machine that can be used in a low-temperature environment, characterized in that: include: A surveillance camera with a pan / tilt rotation function and a conductive slip ring that can realize electrical signal transmission when the pan / tilt rotates; A controller, which is electrically connected to the surveillance camera and is used to collect images from the surveillance camera; The impedance detection element is used to detect the contact impedance between the inner ring of the conductive slip ring and the brush wire, and transmit the collected signal to the controller through electrical connection; The temperature detection element receives the temperature detection instruction issued by the controller through an electrical connection, detects the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring position, and transmits the collected signal to the controller; The heating device receives the heating instruction sent by the controller through an electrical connection, and then performs physical heating on the conductive slip ring body.

2. The PTZ camera that can be used in low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device is a heating plate, and the heating plate is wrapped around the outer surface of the conductive slip ring body.

3. The PTZ camera that can be used in low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The heating device is a heating resistance wire, and the heating resistance wire is arranged in a non-signal transmission loop inside the conductive slip ring.

4. The PTZ camera that can be used in low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The conductive slip ring comprises a rotor, a stator and a flange. The rotor is arranged in a rotor accommodating cavity of the stator. One end of the rotor is connected to the flange. The heating device is arranged outside the rotor. The temperature detection element is directly fixed on one side of the rotor accommodating cavity.

5. The PTZ camera that can be used in low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The controller is a single chip microcomputer, the impedance detection element is a resistance sensor, and the temperature detection element is a temperature controller.

6. A control method for a PTZ camera that can be used in a low temperature environment as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The steps include: S1) monitors the camera image in real time, and uploads abnormal signals to the controller when it detects that the image is stuck, frame lost, or has no bitstream; S2) monitor the network signal transmission rate of the camera in real time, and upload the abnormal signal to the controller when it is detected that the network signal is lost or disconnected; S3) monitoring the contact impedance of the conductive slip ring in real time through an impedance detection element, and uploading an abnormal signal to the controller when it is detected that the contact impedance exceeds a preset impedance threshold; S4) When the controller receives any of the above abnormal signals, it sends a temperature detection instruction to the temperature detection element; S5) The temperature detection element detects the working environment temperature of the conductive slip ring, and then transmits the collected signal back to the controller; S6) The controller identifies the collected ambient temperature signal, and if it is confirmed that the temperature is lower than the preset temperature threshold, it sends a heating instruction to the heating device; S7) The heating device heats the conductive slip ring and monitors and judges in combination with the temperature detection element. When the temperature of the conductive slip ring returns to the working temperature, the heating instruction is stopped and the heating device stops heating.

7. The control method of the PTZ camera that can be used in a low temperature environment as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The step S1 includes, after the system is initialized, real-time monitoring of the camera image status through a software script capable of realizing picture frame rate detection; the step S2 includes real-time monitoring of the camera's network signal transmission rate through a software script capable of realizing network signal detection.

8. The control method of the PTZ camera that can be used in a low temperature environment as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The preset impedance threshold in step S3 is 10 mΩ.

9. The control method of the PTZ camera applicable to low temperature environment as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: The preset temperature threshold in step S5 is -20°C.

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