Imaging device
By designing the first and second camera modules and adjustment components for automatic camera adjustment, the problem of difficult camera viewing angle adjustment was solved, and intelligent viewing angle adjustment of the camera equipment was realized.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
The viewing angle of existing cameras is difficult to adjust, especially after installation, which requires manual adjustment and makes operation difficult.
The camera device design includes first and second camera modules. The first and second adjustment components drive the camera modules to rotate around a first axis, and the third adjustment component drives the second housing to rotate around a second axis, thereby achieving automatic adjustment of the monitoring angle.
It enables automatic adjustment of the camera's viewing angle, saving time and effort, improving the intelligence level of the camera equipment, and simplifying the operation process.
Smart Images
Figure CN224583257U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of electronic technology, and more specifically, to a camera device. Background Technology
[0002] Cameras, also known as computer cameras, are widely used in real-time monitoring. With the development of cameras, the trend towards dual cameras is becoming increasingly apparent. These cameras have two lenses and can capture 360° surveillance footage without blind spots, attracting widespread attention.
[0003] However, the viewing angle of existing cameras is difficult to adjust.
[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the background section above is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of this disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This disclosure provides a camera device that facilitates adjusting the monitoring angle of the camera.
[0006] This disclosure provides a camera device, including:
[0007] The base has a mounting surface that can be fitted to an external surface.
[0008] The first camera module includes a first housing, a first camera component, and a first adjustment component. The first housing is disposed on the base, the first camera component is rotatably connected to the first housing, and the first adjustment component is disposed within the first housing and is capable of driving the first camera component to rotate about the straight line containing the first direction as an axis.
[0009] The second camera module includes a second housing, a second camera component, and a second adjustment component. The second housing is connected to the first housing, the second camera component is rotatably connected inside the second housing, and the second adjustment component is disposed inside the second housing and is capable of driving the second camera component to rotate about the straight line containing the first direction as an axis.
[0010] The first direction is not perpendicular to the extension direction of the fixed surface.
[0011] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first adjustment component includes a first gear, a second gear, and a first drive member;
[0012] The first gear and the second gear mesh, the first drive member is fixed inside the first housing and coaxially connected to the first gear, the second gear is connected to the first camera assembly through the first rotating shaft, and the axial direction of the second gear is the first direction.
[0013] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first camera assembly includes a first housing and a first camera disposed within the first housing;
[0014] The first housing has the first pivot, which extends along the first direction; the base has a clearance groove, and a portion of the first housing is located within the clearance groove and slides in cooperation with the clearance groove.
[0015] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second adjustment component includes a motor assembly having an output shaft;
[0016] The motor assembly is fixed to one of the second camera assembly and the second housing, and the output shaft is connected to the other.
[0017] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the motor assembly is fixed inside the second camera assembly, and the output shaft extends out of the second camera assembly and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the second housing.
[0018] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second camera assembly includes a second housing and a second camera disposed within the second housing;
[0019] The second housing has a second rotating shaft that extends along the first direction and is rotatably connected to the second housing. The motor assembly is fixed inside the second housing. The output shaft passes through the second housing and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the second housing. The output shaft is rotatably engaged with the second housing. The output shaft and the second rotating shaft are coaxially arranged.
[0020] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second housing includes a side surface and two end surfaces, the two end surfaces being connected by the side surface, the side surface being spherical, the second rotating shaft being disposed on one of the end surfaces, and the motor assembly being fixed to the other end surface.
[0021] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first housing and the second housing are rotatably connected;
[0022] The camera device further includes a third adjustment component, which is disposed inside the first housing and can drive the second housing to rotate about the straight line containing the second direction as an axis, the second direction intersecting the first direction.
[0023] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the third adjustment component includes a third gear, a fourth gear, and a second drive member;
[0024] The third gear meshes with the fourth gear, the second driving member is coaxially connected to the third gear, the fourth gear is coaxially connected to the second housing, and the axis of the fourth gear is parallel to the second direction.
[0025] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first housing has an opening on the side near the second housing, and the sidewall of the opening is bent inward to form a support platform for supporting the weight of the second housing. The side of the second housing near the first housing passes through the opening and is coaxially connected to the fourth gear.
[0026] In one embodiment of this disclosure, a buffer ring is provided on the fixed surface.
[0027] The camera device disclosed herein allows the first camera component to rotate within the first housing about the straight line in the first direction as its axis via a first adjustment component, and the second camera component to rotate within the second housing about the straight line in the first direction as its axis. This facilitates automatic adjustment of the monitoring angles of the second camera component and the second camera component, saving time and effort, simplifying operation, and improving the intelligence of the camera device.
[0028] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.
[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a camera device in one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0031] Figure 2 This is an exploded schematic diagram of a camera device in one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of the camera device from the first perspective after the first housing is hidden.
[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the second perspective of the camera device after the first housing is hidden.
[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of the first-view view of the camera device after the first and second housings are hidden.
[0035] Figure 6 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the second perspective view of the camera device after the first and second housings are hidden.
[0036] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first housing in one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0037] Figure 8 This is a partial cross-sectional view of the rotatable connection between the first housing and the second housing in one embodiment of this disclosure.
[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0039] 1. Base; 11. Fixing surface; 12. Buffer ring; 2. First camera module; 21. First housing; 211. Opening; 212. Support platform; 22. First camera assembly; 221. First outer shell; 222. First camera; 23. First adjustment assembly; 231. First gear; 232. Second gear; 233. First drive component; 24. First rotating shaft; 25. Support block; 26. Support shaft; 3. Second camera module; 31. Second housing; 32. Second camera assembly; 321. Second outer shell; 3211. Side; 3212. End face; 322. Second camera; 323. Second rotating shaft; 33. Second adjustment assembly; 331. Output shaft; 4. Third adjustment assembly; 41. Third gear; 42. Fourth gear; 43. Second drive component; X, first direction; Y, second direction. Detailed Implementation
[0040] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore detailed descriptions of them will be omitted. Furthermore, the drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.
[0041] The terms “a,” “one,” “the,” “the,” and “at least one” are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms “including” and “having” are used to indicate an open-ended inclusion and to mean that there may be other elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms “first,” “second,” and “third,” etc., are used only as markers and are not a limitation on the number of objects.
[0042] In related technologies, cameras are mounted on ceilings or walls using brackets, and the camera's viewing angle can be adjusted manually by adjusting the angle of the brackets. However, after the camera is installed, adjusting the viewing angle requires manual adjustment, which is quite difficult due to the camera's high installation position.
[0043] To address the aforementioned problems, this disclosure provides a camera device capable of automatically adjusting the monitoring angle. See also... Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 8 The camera device includes a base 1, a first camera module 2, and a second camera module 3. The base 1 has a fixed surface 11 that can be attached to an external mounting surface. The first camera module 2 includes a first housing 21, a first camera component 22, and a first adjustment component 23. The first housing 21 is disposed on the base 1, the first camera component 22 is rotatably connected within the first housing 21, and the first adjustment component 23 is disposed within the first housing 21 and can drive the first camera component 22 to rotate about a line containing a first direction X as its axis. The second camera module 3 includes a second housing 31, a second camera component 32, and a second adjustment component 33. The second housing 31 is connected to the first housing 21, the second camera component 32 is rotatably connected within the second housing 31, and the second adjustment component 33 is disposed within the second housing 31 and can drive the second camera component 32 to rotate about a line containing a first direction X as its axis; the first direction X is not perpendicular to the extension direction of the fixed surface 11.
[0044] In the embodiments of this disclosure, the first adjustment component 23 enables the first camera component 22 to rotate within the first housing 21 about the straight line containing the first direction X as its axis, facilitating automatic adjustment of the monitoring angle of the first camera component 22; the second adjustment component 33 enables the second camera component 32 to rotate within the second housing 31 about the straight line containing the first direction X as its axis, facilitating automatic adjustment of the monitoring angle of the second camera component 32. This eliminates the need for adjusting the monitoring angle using a hanging bracket, saving time and effort, simplifying operation, and improving the intelligence of the camera equipment.
[0045] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the camera device can be mounted on the ceiling or wall by means of bolts, adhesive, etc., or it can be placed directly on a table or the ground without being mounted on the ceiling or wall.
[0046] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first housing 21 and the second housing 31 each have a light-transmitting area. The first camera component 22 is positioned opposite the light-transmitting area of the first housing 21, and the second camera component 32 is positioned opposite the light-transmitting area of the second housing 31, so as to facilitate the acquisition of light by the first camera component 22 and the second camera component 32. The shape of the first housing 21 can be spherical, ellipsoidal, cylindrical, or a combination of spherical shapes, or other irregular shapes. Correspondingly, the shape of the second housing 31 can also be spherical, ellipsoidal, or other irregular shapes, and is not limited herein.
[0047] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second housing 31 may include two half-shells, which can be assembled into the second housing 31 by means of bolts, snap-fits, or other methods. Correspondingly, the first housing 21 may also include two half-shells, which can be assembled into the first housing 21 by means of bolts, snap-fits, or other methods, so as to facilitate the disassembly of the first housing 21 and the second housing 31.
[0048] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 8 The first housing 21 and the second housing 31 are rotatably connected and are sequentially distributed along the second direction Y. The camera device also includes a third adjustment component 4, which is located within the first housing 21 and can drive the second housing 31 to rotate about the line containing the second direction Y, which intersects with the first direction X. For example, the first direction X and the second direction Y are perpendicular. Thus, the third adjustment component 4 allows the second housing 31 to rotate about the line containing the second direction Y, and the second housing 31 drives the second camera component 32 to rotate synchronously. Through the cooperation of the first camera component 22 and the second camera component 32, a 360° no-blind-spot monitoring function can be achieved.
[0049] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 , Figure 6The first adjustment component 23 includes a first gear 231, a second gear 232, and a first drive member 233. The first gear 231 and the second gear 232 mesh. The first drive member 233 is fixed inside the first housing 21 and coaxially connected to the first gear 231. The second gear 232 is connected to the first camera component 22 via a first rotating shaft 24, and the axial direction of the second gear 232 is the first direction X. The first drive member 233 can be a motor, a tilting cylinder, or a motor assembly with a transmission mechanism. In one example, the first drive member 233 is a motor. A connecting plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the first housing 21, and the first drive member 233 is mounted on the connecting plate by bolts. The shaft of the motor can be coaxially fixed to the first gear 231 by key connection, welding, or other methods. The second gear 232 is a sector with a central angle less than 360°, for example, the central angle of the second gear 232 is 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, etc., to facilitate control of the adjustment angle of the first camera component 22. The area of the second gear 232 without teeth may have weight-reducing holes to reduce its weight and lower costs. In another example, the second gear 232 may be an incomplete gear.
[0050] Thus, the first camera assembly 22 can be driven to rotate around the axis of the second gear 232 via the first drive member 233, the first gear 231, and the second gear 232, so as to adjust the monitoring angle of the first camera assembly 22.
[0051] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 The first camera assembly 22 includes a first housing 221 and a first camera 222 disposed within the first housing 221. The first housing 221 has a first pivot 24 extending along a first direction X; the base 1 has a clearance groove, and a portion of the first housing 221 is located within the clearance groove and slides within it. Thus, by providing a clearance groove on the base 1, the side of the first housing 221 closest to the base 1 is positioned within the clearance groove, which improves the compactness of the structure and facilitates relative sliding between the first housing 221 and the base 1.
[0052] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the shape of the first outer shell 221 can be spherical, ellipsoidal, cylindrical, or other irregular shapes, and is not limited thereto. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the first outer shell 221 may include two hemispherical shells, which can be assembled into the first outer shell 221 by means of bolts, snap-fit, or other methods.
[0053] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5Two support blocks 25 can be fixed inside the first housing 21. Each support block 25 has an arc-shaped groove. The two support blocks 25 are spaced apart along the first direction X. The support blocks 25 are connected to the inner wall of the second housing 31 by bolts, snap-fits, or other means. The first outer shell 221 is located between the two support blocks 25. A support shaft 26 is located on the side of the first outer shell 221 away from the first rotating shaft 24. The support shaft 26 is coaxial with the first rotating shaft 24. The first rotating shaft 24 rotatably engages with the arc-shaped groove of one support block 25, and the support shaft 26 rotatably engages with the arc-shaped groove of the other support block 25. Thus, the two support blocks 25 provide support for the first camera assembly 22, which facilitates the smooth rotation of the first camera assembly 22 and improves the reliability of the structure.
[0054] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the second adjustment assembly 33 includes a motor assembly. The motor assembly has an output shaft 331; the motor assembly is fixed to one of the second camera assembly 32 and the second housing 31, and the output shaft 331 is connected to the other. In one example, see [link to example]. Figure 2 , Figure 6 In one example, the motor assembly is fixed to the second camera assembly 32, and the output shaft 331 is fixedly connected to the second housing 31. In another example, the motor assembly is fixed to the second housing 31, and the output shaft 331 is fixedly connected to the second camera assembly 32. Thus, by driving the output shaft 331 through the motor assembly, the second camera assembly 32 can be driven to rotate around the output shaft 331, facilitating the adjustment of the monitoring angle of the second camera assembly 32.
[0055] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the motor assembly may include a servo motor and a gear set, with the output shaft 331 coaxially connected to the driven gear in the gear set, and the servo motor coaxially connected to the driving gear in the gear set. In other embodiments of this disclosure, the motor assembly may include only a servo motor, with the output shaft 331 serving as the shaft of the servo motor.
[0056] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6The second camera assembly 32 includes a second housing 321 and a second camera 322 disposed within the second housing 321. The second housing 321 has a second rotating shaft 323, which extends along a first direction X and is rotatably connected to the second housing 31. The second rotating shaft 323 is a hollow structure. The motor assembly includes a servo motor, which is fixed inside the second housing 321 by bolts. An output shaft 331 passes through the second housing 321 and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the second housing 31 by bolts. The output shaft 331 is rotatably engaged with the second housing 321, and the output shaft 331 and the second rotating shaft 323 are coaxially arranged. Thus, the servo motor drives the output shaft 331 to rotate. Since the output shaft 331 is fixed to the second housing 31 and the servo motor is fixed to the second housing 321, the second housing 321 will rotate relative to the second housing 31 around the output shaft 331. The second housing 321 drives the camera to rotate synchronously, thereby adjusting the monitoring angle of the second camera 322.
[0057] In one embodiment of this disclosure, both the first housing 221 and the second housing 321 have transparent areas. The first camera 222 is positioned opposite the transparent area of the first housing 221, and the second camera 322 is positioned opposite the transparent area of the second housing 321, so that the first camera 222 and the second camera 322 can collect light.
[0058] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 5 , Figure 6 The second housing 321 includes a side surface 3211 and two end surfaces 3212. The two end surfaces 3212 are integrally connected through the side surface 3211. The side surface 3211 is spherical. The second rotating shaft 323 is located on one end surface 3212. The motor assembly is fixed to the other end surface 3212 by bolt connection. The shape of the second housing 321 is not a closed shape.
[0059] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figures 2-6The third adjustment component 4 includes a third gear 41, a fourth gear 42, and a second drive member 43. The third gear 41 meshes with the fourth gear 42, the second drive member 43 is coaxially connected to the third gear 41, and the fourth gear 42 is coaxially connected to the second housing 31. The axis of the fourth gear 42 is parallel to the second direction Y. The second drive member 43 can be a motor, a tilting cylinder, or a motor assembly with a transmission mechanism. In one example, the second drive member 43 is a motor. The second drive member 43 is fixed inside the first housing 21 by bolts, pins, or other connection methods. The shaft of the second drive member 43 is coaxially fixed to the third gear 41. The fourth gear 42 is coaxially connected to the end of the second housing 31 near the first housing 21 by bolts. The fourth gear 42 may have a weight-reducing hole to reduce cost and weight. Thus, the second driving component 43 drives the third gear 41 to rotate, and the third gear 41 drives the fourth gear 42 to rotate, so that the second housing 31 rotates synchronously with the fourth gear 42, thereby driving the second camera 322 to rotate around the straight line where the second direction Y is located, which facilitates the relative rotation of the first housing 21 and the second housing 31, and is conducive to realizing the 360° monitoring function without blind spots.
[0060] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 7 and Figure 8 The first housing 21 has an opening 211 on the side near the second housing 31. The sidewall of the opening 211 is bent inward to form a support platform 212 for supporting the weight of the second housing 31. The side of the second housing 31 near the first housing 21 passes through the opening 211 and is coaxially connected to the fourth gear 42. In this way, the side of the second housing 31 near the first housing 21 can be located in the opening 211 and in contact with the support platform 212, so as to provide more stable support for the first housing 21 and improve the reliability of the entire structure.
[0061] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 8 The first housing 21 has a mating opening on the side away from the second housing 31. The base 1 is sealed in the mating opening and fixed to the inner wall of the first housing 21 by bolts. The base 1 is circular in shape, and correspondingly, the mating opening is also circular, with a diameter larger than that of the base 1. In this way, sealing the mating opening with the base 1 improves the structural compactness of the camera equipment and reduces the amount of dust entering the first housing 21.
[0062] In one embodiment of this disclosure, see Figure 8The fixed surface 11 is provided with a mating groove, which is an annular structure. A buffer ring 12 is snapped into the mating groove. The buffer ring 12 extends out of the mating groove. The material of the buffer ring 12 can be rubber, and the cross-sectional shape of the buffer ring 12 can be an inverted T-shape, an inverted V-shape, or other shapes. In this way, the buffer ring 12 can buffer the wear between the fixed surface 11 and the external mounting surface, which helps to improve the service life of the camera equipment.
[0063] In one embodiment of this disclosure, the first drive unit 233, the second drive unit 43, and the motor assembly can be controlled by an application (APP). The application can be installed on devices such as mobile phones and computers, making it convenient for users to operate the application to adjust the monitoring angle of the camera device in this disclosure, further improving the intelligence of the camera device.
[0064] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An image pickup apparatus characterized by comprising: include: The base has a mounting surface that can be fitted to an external surface. The first camera module includes a first housing, a first camera component, and a first adjustment component. The first housing is disposed on the base, the first camera component is rotatably connected to the first housing, and the first adjustment component is disposed within the first housing and is capable of driving the first camera component to rotate about the straight line containing the first direction as an axis. The second camera module includes a second housing, a second camera component, and a second adjustment component. The second housing is connected to the first housing, the second camera component is rotatably connected inside the second housing, and the second adjustment component is disposed inside the second housing and is capable of driving the second camera component to rotate about the straight line containing the first direction as an axis. The first direction is not perpendicular to the extension direction of the fixed surface.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first adjustment component includes a first gear, a second gear, and a first drive member; The first gear and the second gear mesh, the first drive member is fixed inside the first housing and coaxially connected to the first gear, the second gear is connected to the first camera assembly through the first rotating shaft, and the axial direction of the second gear is the first direction.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein The first camera assembly includes a first housing and a first camera disposed within the first housing; The first housing has the first pivot, which extends along the first direction; the base has a clearance groove, and a portion of the first housing is located within the clearance groove and slides in cooperation with the clearance groove.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The second adjustment component includes a motor assembly having an output shaft; The motor assembly is fixed to one of the second camera assembly and the second housing, and the output shaft is connected to the other.
5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein The motor assembly is fixed inside the second camera assembly, and the output shaft extends out of the second camera assembly and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the second housing.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein The second camera assembly includes a second housing and a second camera disposed within the second housing; The second housing has a second rotating shaft that extends along the first direction and is rotatably connected to the second housing. The motor assembly is fixed inside the second housing. The output shaft passes through the second housing and is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the second housing. The output shaft is rotatably engaged with the second housing. The output shaft and the second rotating shaft are coaxially arranged.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The second housing includes a side surface and two end surfaces, which are connected by the side surface. The side surface is spherical. The second rotating shaft is located on one of the end surfaces, and the motor assembly is fixed to the other end surface.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The first housing and the second housing are rotatably connected; The camera device further includes a third adjustment component, which is disposed inside the first housing and can drive the second housing to rotate about the straight line containing the second direction as an axis, the second direction intersecting the first direction.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The third adjustment component includes a third gear, a fourth gear, and a second drive component; The third gear meshes with the fourth gear, the second driving member is coaxially connected to the third gear, the fourth gear is coaxially connected to the second housing, and the axis of the fourth gear is parallel to the second direction.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein The first housing has an opening on the side near the second housing. The sidewall of the opening is bent inward to form a support platform for supporting the weight of the second housing. The side of the second housing near the first housing passes through the opening and is coaxially connected to the fourth gear.
11. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein A buffer ring is provided on the fixed surface.