Spherical camera

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of security monitoring equipment, in particular to a spherical camera which comprises a camera mounting rack and a camera mounted on the camera mounting rack, the camera mounting rack is provided with a wall-mounted support and a base, the base is used for being fixedly connected with a mounting surface, and the wall-mounted support is connected between the base and the camera mounting rack; and the dynamic counterweight system is used for adjusting the gravity center position of the dome camera, and the dynamic counterweight system is arranged on the wall-mounted bracket or the base. The equivalent gravity center is actively adjusted, deflection torque acting on a camera rotating shaft is directly counteracted, the problem of camera angle drift caused by ice and snow attachment, wind load or internal aging is effectively solved, the stability and anti-interference performance of a monitoring picture are effectively improved, the design of combining the balance weight assembly and the reinforcing ribs is adopted, and the anti-interference performance of the camera is improved. The structural rigidity of the support is guaranteed, and an installation carrier is provided for dynamic adjustment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of security monitoring equipment technology, and in particular to a dome camera. Background Technology

[0002] Dome cameras are widely used front-end acquisition devices in modern security monitoring systems. They typically include a camera mounting bracket, a camera, and wall-mounted brackets and bases for fixing the camera to a wall or column. In practical applications, dome cameras are often installed in outdoor high-altitude environments, such as building exteriors, streetlight poles, and traffic monitoring poles.

[0003] Existing dome cameras lack sufficient anti-displacement capabilities and adaptive adjustment methods when faced with wind disturbances and changes in their own center of gravity caused by aging, external attachments, etc., which can easily lead to monitoring image drift and structural fatigue. In addition, high-altitude installation is complex and carries the risk of falling. Furthermore, the lack of real-time monitoring and early warning mechanisms for the equipment's attitude and stress state results in a high degree of reliance on manual intervention for operation and maintenance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of insufficient anti-offset capability and adaptive adjustment means when the center of gravity changes in the prior art, and to propose a spherical camera.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: A spherical camera includes a camera mounting bracket and a camera mounted on the camera mounting bracket, wherein the camera mounting bracket is provided with: A wall-mount bracket and a base, wherein the base is used for fixed connection with the mounting surface, and the wall-mount bracket is connected between the base and the camera mounting bracket; A dynamic counterweight system is used to adjust the center of gravity of the spherical camera, and the dynamic counterweight system is installed on the wall-mounted bracket or the base.

[0006] Preferably, the dynamic counterweight system includes a reinforcing rib, which is fixedly connected between the wall-mounted bracket and the base. The reinforcing rib has an installation cavity, and an openable and closable cover plate is hinged to the side wall of the reinforcing rib. The installation cavity contains a motor and a counterweight adjustment component driven by the motor.

[0007] Preferably, the counterweight adjustment assembly includes a ball screw fixedly installed in the mounting cavity and a movable slider installed in conjunction with the ball screw. A counterweight is fixedly connected to the movable slider, and the motor drives the ball screw to rotate so as to drive the counterweight to move linearly.

[0008] Preferably, the counterweight is an openable and closable hollow rectangular box structure, and a transparent observation window and scale lines are provided on the side wall of the counterweight and the side of the reinforcing rib that are openable and closable.

[0009] Preferably, the camera mounting bracket and the camera are provided with a detection part for detecting whether the camera rotation angle has deviated.

[0010] Preferably, the detection unit includes a first transmitter and a second transmitter fixedly installed on both sides of the camera, and a first receiver and a second receiver fixedly installed on the camera mounting bracket for receiving signals from the first transmitter and the second transmitter, respectively.

[0011] Preferably, the top of the camera mounting bracket is fixedly connected to a connecting part, and the camera mounting bracket is connected to the wall-mounted bracket through the connecting part. The connecting part includes a hollow connecting column fixedly connected to the camera mounting bracket and at least one positioning plate disposed on the outer wall of the hollow connecting column. A connecting ring that mates with the hollow connecting column is fixedly connected to the wall-mounted bracket, and a plurality of positioning grooves matching the structure of the positioning plate are opened on the inner wall of the connecting ring.

[0012] Preferably, the inner wall of the hollow connecting column is threaded and is fixedly connected to the wall-mounted bracket by a locking bolt, and a sealing gasket is provided between the locking bolt and the hollow connecting column.

[0013] Preferably, both the camera mounting bracket and the wall-mounted bracket are provided with hooks, and a hanging rope is installed between the two hooks.

[0014] Preferably, the wall-mounted bracket is fixedly installed with an attitude sensor, a wind speed sensor, and an alarm that are electrically connected to the motor.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages: 1. This invention directly counteracts the deflection torque acting on the camera's rotation axis by actively adjusting the equivalent center of gravity, effectively solving the problem of camera angle drift caused by ice and snow adhesion, wind load, or internal aging, and effectively improving the stability and anti-interference ability of the monitoring image.

[0016] 2. This invention integrates the dynamic counterweight system into the reinforcing rib between the wall-mounted bracket and the base. The structure is compact and does not occupy additional installation space. The reinforcing rib itself enhances the structural strength of the bracket. The design of combining the counterweight component with the reinforcing rib ensures the structural rigidity of the bracket and provides an installation carrier for dynamic adjustment.

[0017] 3. By setting up a detection unit consisting of a first transmitter, a second transmitter, and corresponding first and second receivers, the present invention can monitor in real time whether the rotation angle of the camera has a slight deviation, which helps to ensure that the camera maintains the preset monitoring angle for a long time.

[0018] 4. This invention, by setting a hollow connecting column with a positioning plate and a connecting ring with multiple positioning slots, allows the operator to quickly and coarsely adjust the camera installation angle by inserting the positioning plate into the positioning slots at different angles as needed. The operator only needs to lift the camera into position and rotate it until the positioning plate falls into the corresponding positioning slot to complete the angle setting. There is no need to perform bolt alignment while lifting the camera. The locking bolts are used to achieve fine fixing, which helps to reduce the difficulty of high-altitude operations.

[0019] 5. By setting up hooks and installing a suspension rope between the two hooks, this invention allows the camera to be suspended in the air and prevented from falling directly to the ground if an accident occurs while installing a spherical camera. This helps improve the safety of high-altitude operations.

[0020] 6. By setting up attitude sensors and wind speed sensors, this invention can sense changes in environmental wind speed and camera attitude in real time, automatically trigger the motor to drive the counterweight adjustment component for adjustment, and issue an audible and visual alarm in case of abnormality, realizing intelligent monitoring and preventive maintenance. Maintenance personnel can promptly detect problems through the alarm and avoid monitoring failure due to angle deviation. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a spherical camera proposed in this invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the camera mounting bracket and camera connection structure for a spherical camera proposed in this invention; Figure 3 This is a first-view diagram of the locking bolt of a spherical camera proposed in this invention. Figure 4 This is a second-view diagram of the locking bolt of a spherical camera proposed in this invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wall-mounted bracket, base, reinforcing rib, and connecting ring connection structure of a spherical camera proposed in this invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the reinforcing rib structure of a spherical camera proposed in this invention. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the reinforcing ribs of a spherical camera proposed in this invention.

[0022] In the diagram: 1. Camera mounting bracket; 2. Camera; 3. Wall mount bracket; 4. Base; 5. Reinforcing rib; 6. First transmitter; 7. Second transmitter; 8. First receiver frame; 9. Second receiver frame; 10. Hollow connecting column; 11. Positioning plate; 12. Connecting ring; 13. Positioning groove; 14. Locking bolt; 15. Hook; 16. Mounting cavity; 17. Motor; 18. Ball screw; 19. Moving slider; 20. Counterweight; 21. Attitude sensor; 22. Wind speed sensor; 23. Alarm. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments.

[0024] This embodiment relates to a spherical camera, as shown in the attached image. Figure 1-7 The system includes a camera mounting bracket 1, a camera 2 mounted on the camera mounting bracket 1, a wall mount bracket 3, a base 4, and a dynamic counterweight system. The components are configured as follows: the camera mounting bracket 1 supports the camera 2 and provides rotational support. The camera 2 can rotate horizontally and vertically within the camera mounting bracket 1 to achieve multi-angle monitoring. The base 4 is used to fix the camera to a wall or column or other mounting surface using expansion bolts. The wall mount bracket 3 is connected between the base 4 and the camera mounting bracket 1 to form a complete mounting support structure. The dynamic counterweight system is used to adjust the center of gravity of the dome camera and is mounted on the wall mount bracket 3 or the base 4.

[0025] Specifically, the dynamic counterweight system includes a reinforcing rib 5, which is fixedly connected between the wall-mounted bracket 3 and the base 4. The reinforcing rib 5 has a triangular cross-sectional shape, which serves both as structural reinforcement and as the mounting carrier for the dynamic counterweight system. An installation cavity 16 is provided in the reinforcing rib 5, and the size of the installation cavity 16 matches the counterweight adjustment component, thereby providing sufficient movement space for the counterweight adjustment component. An openable and closable cover plate is hinged to the side wall of the reinforcing rib 5, and the size of the cover plate matches the opening of the installation cavity 16, so that the staff has sufficient working space to install, debug and maintain the internal components. The counterweight adjustment component driven by the motor 17 is installed in the installation cavity 16.

[0026] like Figure 7As shown, the counterweight adjustment assembly includes a ball screw 18 fixedly installed in the mounting cavity 16 and a movable slider 19 that is matched with the ball screw 18. The two ends of the ball screw 18 are mounted on the inner wall of the mounting cavity 16 through bearing seats. The output end of the motor 17 is connected to one end of the ball screw 18 through a coupling. The movable slider 19 is provided with a nut that mates with the ball screw 18. When the motor 17 drives the ball screw 18 to rotate, the movable slider 19 moves linearly along the axial direction of the ball screw 18. A counterweight 20 is fixedly connected to the movable slider 19. The counterweight 20 moves together with the movable slider 19, thereby changing the center of gravity of the entire spherical camera and generating a balancing torque opposite to the deflection torque, so that the camera returns to balance.

[0027] Furthermore, the counterweight 20 is an openable and closable hollow rectangular box structure, which can be filled with high-density counterweight material. The filling amount can also be adjusted on-site according to actual needs. A transparent observation window and scale lines are provided on the side wall of the counterweight 20 near the opening and closing side of the reinforcing rib 5, so that the operator can observe the condition of the internal counterweight material of the counterweight 20 from the outside, which is convenient for maintenance and adjustment.

[0028] The camera mounting bracket 1 and the camera 2 are equipped with a detection unit for detecting whether the rotation angle of the camera 2 has deviated. The detection unit is installed on the camera mounting bracket 1 and the camera 2. The detection unit includes a first transmitter 6 and a second transmitter 7 fixedly installed on both sides of the camera 2, and a first receiver 8 and a second receiver 9 fixedly installed on the camera mounting bracket 1 for receiving signals from the first transmitter 6 and the second transmitter 7 respectively. When the camera 2 is at a preset initial angle, the signal emitted by the first transmitter 6 is exactly received by the first receiver 8. After the camera 2 has deflected according to the preset detection stroke, the second transmitter 7 emits a signal. If the signal is received by the second receiver 9, it means that the camera 2 is working well. If the second receiver 9 does not receive a signal or the signal deviates, it can be determined that the camera 2 is working abnormally and needs maintenance.

[0029] The top of the camera mounting bracket 1 is fixedly connected to a connecting part. The camera mounting bracket 1 is connected to the wall-mounted bracket 3 through the connecting part. The connecting part includes a hollow connecting column 10 fixedly connected to the camera mounting bracket 1 and at least one positioning plate 11 set on the outer wall of the hollow connecting column 10. In this embodiment, two symmetrically arranged positioning plates 11 are used to improve the connection stability. A connecting ring 12 that cooperates with the hollow connecting column 10 is fixedly connected to the wall-mounted bracket 3. Multiple positioning grooves 13 that match the structure of the positioning plate 11 are opened on the inner wall of the connecting ring 12. The multiple positioning grooves 13 are spaced apart along the circumferential direction to correspond to different installation angles. During installation, it is only necessary to insert the hollow connecting column 10 into the connecting ring 12 and snap the positioning plate 11 into the corresponding positioning groove 13 according to the predetermined monitoring angle to achieve quick coarse positioning. At this time, the camera mounting bracket 1 and the wall-mounted bracket 3 are relatively fixed in the circumferential direction, and the operator can release the hand holding the camera.

[0030] The hollow connecting column 10 has threads on its inner wall and is fixedly connected to the wall-mounted bracket 3 by locking bolts 14. The locking bolts 14 pass through the through hole at the top of the wall-mounted bracket 3 and engage with the internal threads of the hollow connecting column 10. Applying appropriate tightening torque locks the camera mounting bracket 1 onto the wall-mounted bracket 3. A sealing gasket is provided between the locking bolts 14 and the hollow connecting column 10 to prevent moisture from seeping into the camera through the bolt gaps.

[0031] To enhance safety during installation, both the camera mounting bracket 1 and the wall-mounted bracket 3 are equipped with hooks 15. The hooks 15 are made of bent metal and have sufficient load-bearing capacity. A suspension rope is installed between the two hooks 15. The suspension rope is made of high-strength flexible material. During installation, the two ends of the suspension rope are first hung on the two hooks 15 respectively. The suspension rope can be wrapped around the crossbar below the installation position or tied to the operator's safety belt. In this way, even if the operator accidentally drops the camera before it is fully fixed, the camera will not fall directly, which plays an important safety protection role. The suspension rope is removed after the installation and fixing are completed.

[0032] A posture sensor 21, a wind speed sensor 22, and an alarm 23, all electrically connected to the motor 17, are fixedly installed on the wall-mounted bracket 3. The posture sensor 21 is used to detect the tilt angle and posture changes of the spherical camera, the wind speed sensor 22 is used to detect the ambient wind speed, and the alarm 23 is used to issue an alarm in case of an abnormality. The alarm 23 includes a light warning device and a buzzer. These sensors are electrically connected to the camera's control unit, which can be an independent microcontroller or a main control chip integrated inside the camera. The detection unit is electrically connected to the alarm 23 and the motor 17. The first transmitter 6 and the second transmitter 7 use ordinary point light sources. The first receiver 8 and the second receiver 9 have PSD chips installed inside them. When the camera 2 rotates, causing the position of the light spot emitted by the transmitter on the PSD to change, the PSD outputs a changing electrical signal. The control unit can calculate the actual offset angle of the camera 2 based on the amount of change in this electrical signal.

[0033] The control logic in this embodiment is as follows: The control unit reads the data monitored by the attitude sensor 21 and the wind speed sensor 22 in real time. When the wind speed sensor 22 detects that the wind speed exceeds the preset threshold, the control unit predicts that the attitude may be deviated and switches the working mode of the dynamic counterweight system to standby mode.

[0034] When the attitude sensor 21 detects a change in the camera attitude angle that exceeds the preset range, the control unit calculates the required compensation torque based on the change in attitude angle, and then calculates the target position of the counterweight 20.

[0035] The control unit controls the motor 17 to drive the ball screw 18 to rotate, and the ball screw 18 moves the counterweight 20 to the corresponding position via the sliding block 19. During the movement, the control unit monitors the feedback signals from the attitude sensor 21 and the detection unit in real time, forming a closed-loop control until the spherical camera regains balance.

[0036] Once the adjustment is complete, although the deviation has been eliminated and the spherical camera has returned to balance, the previously detected angle deviation event has been recorded. Therefore, the control unit will trigger alarm 23 to issue a yellow alarm to remind maintenance personnel that the camera has recently experienced an abnormal attitude and needs to be checked preventively.

[0037] When the counterweight 20 moves to its limit position but still fails to meet the requirements or the attitude angle deviation continues to exceed the preset range, the alarm 23 will issue a red alarm and sound a buzzer to prompt maintenance personnel to check.

[0038] When the camera 2 is not at the preset initial angle after being reset, the signal emitted by the first transmitter 6 will not be received by the first receiver 8, resulting in signal interruption. This indicates that the camera 2 is in an abnormal working state. The control unit calculates the required compensation torque based on the detection result of the detection unit, and then calculates the target position of the counterweight 20.

[0039] The control unit controls the motor 17 to drive the ball screw 18 to rotate. The ball screw 18 moves the counterweight 20 to the corresponding position through the moving slider 19. During the movement, the control unit monitors the feedback signals of the attitude sensor 21 and the wind speed sensor 22 in real time to form a closed-loop control until the spherical camera returns to balance.

[0040] Once the adjustment is complete, although the deviation has been eliminated and the spherical camera has returned to balance, the previously detected angle deviation event has been recorded. Therefore, the control unit will trigger alarm 23 to issue a yellow alarm to remind maintenance personnel that the camera has recently experienced an abnormal attitude and needs to be checked preventively.

[0041] The usage process of this embodiment is as follows: The staff first fixes the base 4 to the wall or column, then fixes the wall-mounted bracket 3 to the base 4, and finally hangs the two ends of the suspension rope on the hooks 15 of the camera mounting bracket 1 and the wall-mounted bracket 3 respectively. The suspension rope passes around the reliable fixing point below the installation position, thus completing the preliminary preparation work.

[0042] After the preparation is completed, the staff will first rotate the camera mounting bracket 1 according to the predetermined monitoring area, so that the positioning plate 11 is inserted into the positioning groove 13 of the corresponding angle to complete the coarse angle adjustment. Due to the cooperation between the positioning plate 11 and the positioning groove 13, the camera 2 will not rotate freely. Then, tighten the locking bolt 14 to complete the fine fixation. Finally, remove the suspension rope, at which point the operator can release the hand holding the camera.

[0043] After the power and signal lines are connected, the system initiates a self-test. When camera 2 is at the preset initial angle, the signal emitted by the first transmitter 6 is received by the first receiver 8. After camera 2 completes its deflection according to the preset detection stroke, the second transmitter 7 emits a signal. If this signal is received by the second receiver 9, camera 2 is functioning correctly. If the second receiver 9 does not receive a signal or the signal deviates, it indicates that camera 2 is malfunctioning and requires maintenance. After the self-test passes, the system enters normal operating mode. The detection unit monitors the angle of camera 2 in real time. When the attitude sensor 21 detects an angular shift in camera 2 or the wind speed sensor 22 detects that the ambient wind may affect the camera's angle, the system will initiate a self-test. When the positioning accuracy of camera 2 is affected, the control unit determines that the equivalent center of gravity of camera 2 and camera mounting bracket 1 has deviated from the ideal position, generating a deflection torque acting on the rotation axis of camera 2. The control unit calculates the required compensation torque based on the deviation fed back by the detection unit, and then calculates the target position of counterweight 20. The control unit then drives motor 17 to move counterweight 20 through ball screw 18 and sliding slider 19. The movement of counterweight 20 changes the equivalent center of gravity position of the camera 2 and camera mounting bracket 1 assembly, generating a balancing torque opposite to the deflection torque, thereby counteracting external interference, restoring camera 2 to the preset angle, and maintaining the stability of the monitoring image. Maintenance personnel can periodically open the reinforcing rib 5 and observe the internal counterweight material of counterweight 20 through the transparent observation window, and open counterweight 20 for adjustment if necessary.

[0044] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A spherical camera, comprising a camera mounting bracket (1) and a camera (2) mounted on the camera mounting bracket (1), characterized in that, The camera mounting bracket (1) is equipped with: A wall-mounted bracket (3) and a base (4), wherein the base (4) is used to be fixedly connected to the mounting surface, and the wall-mounted bracket (3) is connected between the base (4) and the camera mounting bracket (1); A dynamic counterweight system is used to adjust the center of gravity of the spherical camera, and the dynamic counterweight system is set on the wall-mounted bracket (3) or the base (4).

2. A spherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dynamic counterweight system includes a reinforcing rib (5), which is fixedly connected between the wall-mounted bracket (3) and the base (4). The reinforcing rib (5) has an installation cavity (16) and a hinged cover plate on its side wall. The installation cavity (16) is provided with a motor (17) and a counterweight adjustment component driven by the motor (17).

3. A spherical camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, The counterweight adjustment assembly includes a ball screw (18) fixedly installed in the mounting cavity (16) and a movable slider (19) installed in conjunction with the ball screw (18). A counterweight (20) is fixedly connected to the movable slider (19). The motor (17) drives the ball screw (18) to rotate so as to drive the counterweight (20) to move linearly.

4. A spherical camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, The counterweight (20) is an openable and closable hollow rectangular box structure, and the side wall of the counterweight (20) and the side wall of the reinforcing rib (5) that can be opened and closed is provided with a transparent observation window and scale lines.

5. A spherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera mounting bracket (1) and the camera (2) are provided with a detection part for detecting whether the rotation angle of the camera (2) has deviated.

6. A spherical camera according to claim 5, characterized in that, The detection unit includes a first transmitter (6) and a second transmitter (7) fixedly installed on both sides of the camera (2), and a first receiver (8) and a second receiver (9) fixedly installed on the camera mounting bracket (1) for receiving signals from the first transmitter (6) and the second transmitter (7) respectively.

7. A spherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The camera mounting bracket (1) has a connecting part fixedly connected to its top. The camera mounting bracket (1) is connected to the wall-mounted bracket (3) through the connecting part. The connecting part includes a hollow connecting column (10) fixedly connected to the camera mounting bracket (1) and at least one positioning plate (11) disposed on the outer wall of the hollow connecting column (10). A connecting ring (12) that cooperates with the hollow connecting column (10) is fixedly connected to the wall-mounted bracket (3). A plurality of positioning grooves (13) that match the structure of the positioning plate (11) are opened on the inner wall of the connecting ring (12).

8. A spherical camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hollow connecting column (10) has threads on its inner wall and is fixedly connected to the wall bracket (3) by a locking bolt (14). A sealing gasket is provided between the locking bolt (14) and the hollow connecting column (10).

9. A spherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the camera mounting bracket (1) and the wall-mounted bracket (3) are provided with hooks (15), and a hanging rope is set between the two hooks (15).

10. A spherical camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, The wall-mounted bracket (3) is fixedly installed with an attitude sensor (21), a wind speed sensor (22) and an alarm (23) that are electrically connected to the motor (17).

Images