Camera platform apparatus, method for controlling camera platform apparatus, and storage medium

Abstract

To correct a soft position when positional deviation of a pan movable part or a tilt movable part occurs.SOLUTION: The panhead apparatus includes: a motor control unit configured to perform control such that driving of a motor for driving a pan movable unit or a tilt movable unit is stopped when a soft position reaches a target position; a first acquisition unit configured to acquire first mechanical position information on the basis of a mechanical position of the pan movable unit or the tilt movable unit detected by a mechanical position detection unit after the driving of the motor is stopped; and a control unit configured to turn on the mechanical position detection unit and the motor phase detection unit when an instruction for a pan operation or a tilt operation is received in a state where the mechanical position detection unit and the motor phase detection unit are turned off. And a second acquisition means for acquiring second mechanical position information on the basis of the mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means, wherein the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the pan movable part or the tilt movable part according to a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a pan head device, a control method for a pan head device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Camera platform devices that allow a camera having a pan or tilt drive mechanism to be mounted are widely used for surveillance purposes in a variety of locations.

[0003] Since it is used for monitoring purposes, it operates continuously 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so the various position sensors and other parts installed in the camera platform must be able to withstand long-term use.

[0004] In addition, the camera platform itself is large because it is equipped with a large camera. A large drive torque is required to achieve pan or tilt movement of a large and sturdy camera platform. Because the device is large in size and requires a large torque, unintended pan or tilt movement by the user is undesirable.

[0005] As such, it is important to have a mechanism that extends the life of components and a mechanism that can prevent panning or tilting even when the pan or tilt position of a large device shifts due to an external disturbance such as an impact, and can instead achieve the correct panning or tilting operation in response to the next user operation.

[0006] Therefore, intermittent operation of the position sensor for the pan or tilt position and deviation correction without moving the pan or tilt position have become important themes.

[0007] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of calculating the difference between the positions of an operating member when its operation is valid and when it is invalid, and determining the initial position of the lens according to that difference. Patent Document 1 also detects the positions of the operating member when it is valid and when it is invalid, and determines where to move the initial position of the lens according to the size of the difference. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-203557 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, in Patent Document 1, when there is a positional deviation, the lens position moves, which involves a movement operation.

[0010] The object of the present disclosure is to enable, in the event of a positional deviation of a pan or tilt movable part, the position of the pan or tilt movable part to remain unchanged, while correcting the software position for driving the pan or tilt movable part. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The camera platform device includes a mechanical position detection means for detecting the mechanical position of a panning or tilting movable part, a motor phase detection means for detecting the rotor phase of a motor that drives the panning or tilting movable part, a motor control means for updating a software position for driving the panning or tilting movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the motor phase detection means, and for controlling the motor that drives the panning or tilting movable part to stop driving when the software position reaches a target position, and a motor control means for controlling the motor that drives the panning or tilting movable part to stop driving when the motor drive is stopped after driving of the motor is stopped. and second acquisition means, when receiving an instruction for a panning or tilting operation with the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means turned off, turning on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means and acquiring second mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the panning movable part or the tilting movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means, wherein the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the panning movable part or the tilting movable part according to the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present disclosure, when a positional deviation occurs in the pan or tilt movable part, the position of the pan or tilt movable part can be left as is, and the software position for driving the pan or tilt movable part can be corrected. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a camera platform device and a personal computer. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the pan head device. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an explanatory diagram of an electrical signal and position information output from a detection unit. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of each process. [Figure 6]10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the pan head device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the pan head device. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the pan head device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a camera platform device 100 and a personal computer 133 according to the first embodiment.

[0016] The pan head device 100 has a system control unit 116, a storage device 117, a network I / F 123, a power supply control unit 150, a motor control unit 160, a pan drive unit 161, a tilt drive unit 162, a pan motor unit 163, and a pan movable unit 164. The pan head device 100 also has a tilt motor unit 165, a tilt movable unit 166, a pan mechanism position detection unit 171, a tilt mechanism position detection unit 172, a pan mechanism position detection control unit 173, and a tilt mechanism position detection control unit 174. The pan head device 100 also has a pan motor phase detection control unit 180, a pan motor phase detection unit 181, a tilt motor phase detection control unit 182, and a tilt motor phase detection unit 183.

[0017] In FIG. 1, a camera platform device 100 is connected to a client device (information processing device) (not shown) via a network 131 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0018] The network communication function of the camera platform device 100 is configured by a system control unit 116 and a network I / F 123 .

[0019] The storage device 117 is a non-volatile storage device that stores operation setting information and the like.

[0020] The system control unit 116 exchanges commands with the client device via the network I / F 123. The network I / F 123 also receives control commands sent from the client device and transfers them to the system control unit 116. The system control unit 116 also transmits responses to the control commands to the client device via the network I / F 123.

[0021] The system control unit 116 analyzes the transmitted control command and performs processing according to the control command. For example, the system control unit 116 instructs the motor control unit 160 to perform pan and tilt operations.

[0022] The motor control unit 160 controls the pan driving unit 161 and the tilt driving unit 162 based on the transmitted instruction.

[0023] The pan drive unit 161 and the tilt drive unit 162 respectively drive a pan motor unit 163 and a tilt motor unit 165. The pan motor unit 163 and the tilt motor unit 165 are respectively connected to a pan movable unit 164 and a tilt movable unit 166 by gears and belts.

[0024] The pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and the tilt mechanism position detection control unit 174 are control units for detecting the mechanical positions of the mechanical parts of the pan movable unit 164 and the tilt movable unit 166, which are operated by the pan drive unit 161 and the tilt drive unit 162, respectively. The pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and the tilt mechanism position detection control unit 174 receive as input mechanical position signals from the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and the tilt mechanism position detection unit 172, respectively.

[0025] For example, pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and tilt mechanism position detection unit 172 are each composed of a PI (Photo Interrupter) sensor and a scale plate, and output the pan position and tilt position as electrical signals. Motor control unit 160 converts the electrical signals of the pan position and tilt position to obtain position information of the pan position and tilt position.

[0026] The pan motor phase detection control unit 180 and the tilt motor phase detection control unit 182 are control units for detecting the motor phases of the pan motor unit 163 and the tilt motor unit 165, respectively. The pan motor phase detection control unit 180 and the tilt motor phase detection control unit 182 receive motor phase signals as input from the pan motor phase detection unit 181 and the tilt motor phase detection unit 183, respectively.

[0027] For example, the pan motor phase detection unit 181 and the tilt motor phase detection unit 183 are each composed of a PI sensor and a slit plate, and output a predetermined electrical signal (pulse signal) according to the position of the rotor, which is a part of the pan motor unit 163 and the tilt motor unit 165.

[0028] The motor control unit 160 acquires pulse signals from the pan motor phase detection unit 181 and the tilt motor phase detection unit 183, counts the number of rotations of the motors of the pan motor unit 163 and the tilt motor unit 165, and controls the software position as the current position.

[0029] The power supply control unit 150 is, for example, a DC-DC converter, and is configured with a switch circuit that switches the control module to be energized, etc. The power supply control unit 150 receives power supply from the external power supply 140 and controls the power supply to the camera platform device 100.

[0030] The operation device 132 is, for example, a joystick, and is connected to the network I / F 123 via an RC232C cable, and is capable of communicating with the pan head device 100. The joystick also transmits information on the direction and tilt of the lever to the pan head device 100, and the pan head device 100 can determine the speed and direction based on this information and move the pan drive unit 161 and tilt drive unit 162.

[0031] The personal computer 133 includes a display device 134 , a RAM 135 , a CPU 136 , a ROM 137 , and an operation unit 138 .

[0032] The PC 133 is a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer, and is connected to the pan head device 100 via the network 131. The display device 134 displays a setting screen for controlling the pan head device 100. The CPU 136 executes various processes while exchanging data with the ROM 137 and RAM 135. Specifically, the CPU 136 controls and displays the connected devices while transferring data and commands to the devices connected via the network 131. The operation unit 138 is an operation device such as a mouse or keyboard.

[0033] The external power supply 140 is a commercial power supply or a DC power supply, and is capable of supplying power to the camera platform device 100 .

[0034] In the first embodiment, an example of operation will be described in which, when a pan position deviation occurs when the mechanical position detection units 171, 172 and the motor phase detection units 181, 183 are in the PI off state, the mechanical position deviation amount is calculated the next time the PI is turned on, and the deviation amount is corrected to a software position.

[0035] In the first embodiment, the operation of the pan movable section 164 will be described, but the operation of the tilt movable section 166 is similar, so an example of the operation of the tilt movable section 166 will be omitted.

[0036] 2 is a flowchart showing a control method for the camera platform device 100 according to the first embodiment. The camera platform device 100 is powered on and connected to a personal computer 133 or an operation device 132 via a network 131. Panning or tilting operations are performed by the personal computer 133 or the operation device 132 (such as a joystick).

[0037] In step S201, the system control unit 116 waits for a panning operation instruction by a panning operation by the user. The user gives a panning operation instruction using the operation device 132. When the system control unit 116 receives a panning operation instruction, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0038] In step S202, motor control unit 160 sends a detection start request to pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and pan motor phase detection control unit 180. Pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 turns on the PI sensor of pan mechanism position detection unit 171, and controls pan mechanism position detection unit 171 to be in a state where it can detect position. Pan motor phase detection control unit 180 turns on the PI sensor of pan motor phase detection unit 181, and controls pan motor phase detection unit 181 to be in a state where it can detect phase.

[0039] When its own PI sensor is on, the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 detects the mechanical position of the pan movable unit 164. When its own PI sensor is on, the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 detects the rotor phase of the pan motor unit 163 that drives the pan movable unit 164.

[0040] Here, a method for detecting the mechanical position of pan movable unit 164 by pan mechanism position detector 171 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 shows pan motor unit 163, multiple gears, pan movable unit 164, pan mechanism position detector 171, and pan motor phase detector 181.

[0041] Pan mechanism position detection unit 171 is connected to a shaft that is connected via a gear to the shaft of pan movable unit 164, and rotates in accordance with the rotation of pan movable unit 164. For example, pan mechanism position detection unit 171 is an absolute position encoder that detects the absolute position of the pan mechanism position. Furthermore, the PI sensor that constitutes pan mechanism position detection unit 171 has its PI light emission turned on / off controlled by pan mechanism position detection control unit 173. Pan mechanism position detection unit 171 directs light emitted by the PI sensor onto a scale plate and outputs an analog electrical signal to pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 based on information about the reflected light.

[0042] The pan driving section 161 outputs a driving waveform to the pan motor section 163. The pan motor phase detection control section 180 controls the pan motor phase detection section 181, and receives a pulse signal from the pan motor phase detection section 181.

[0043] In step S203, the system control unit 116 starts a pan operation. The system control unit 116 instructs the motor control unit 160 to start driving. The motor control unit 160 controls the pan driving unit 161 to start driving the pan motor unit 163 that drives the pan movable unit 164. The pan driving unit 161 outputs a driving current to the pan motor unit 163. The pan movable unit 164 rotates via gears in accordance with the motor rotation of the pan motor unit 163. The process proceeds to step S204.

[0044] In step S204, the motor control unit 160 determines whether the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164 has reached the pan target position. The motor control unit 160 determines whether the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164 has reached the pan target position specified by the user in step S201. If it is determined that the pan target position has been reached, the process proceeds to step S205.

[0045] Here, a method for controlling the amount of pan movement will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The amount of movement is controlled by the motor control unit 160. The motor control unit 160 stores position information of the pan movable unit 164 in RAM as a soft position. At startup, an initial value is set as the soft position. Thereafter, the soft position is updated as needed to a value calculated by adding or subtracting a pulse signal obtained from the pan motor phase detection unit 181 according to the direction of rotation, based on this initial value. The pan motor phase detection unit 181 detects the rotational phase angle of the rotor component of the pan motor unit 163, and is a sensor that outputs a pulse signal at predetermined rotational phase intervals, such as a pulse encoder that detects the rotor phase of the motor of the pan motor unit 163.

[0046] Furthermore, the PI sensor constituting pan motor phase detection unit 181 has its PI light emission turned on / off controlled by pan motor phase detection control unit 180. Pan motor phase detection unit 181 shines light emitted by the PI sensor on a slit plate and outputs a pulsed electrical signal based on information about the transmitted light and the blocked light. Pan motor phase detection control unit 180 acquires this pulsed electrical signal and sends it to motor control unit 160, which converts it into motor phase information and stores it in RAM as soft position information.

[0047] The motor control unit 160 updates the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164 based on the rotor phase detected by the pan motor phase detection unit 181 .

[0048] In step S205, the motor control unit 160 controls the pan motor unit 163, which drives the pan movable unit 164, to stop driving. The motor control unit 160 instructs the pan driving unit 161 to stop driving. The pan driving unit 161 stops outputting a driving current to the pan motor unit 163 and starts outputting a stop current. The process proceeds to step S206.

[0049] In step S206, the system control unit 116 counts a predetermined time (5 seconds). If the system control unit 116 has not received a panning operation instruction from the operation device 132 within the predetermined time (5 seconds), the system control unit 116 proceeds to step S207; otherwise, the system control unit 116 proceeds to step S206.

[0050] In step S207, the motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information. The motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information A based on the pan mechanism position detected by the pan mechanism position detection unit 171. The motor control unit 160 also updates the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164 based on the rotor phase detected by the pan motor phase detection unit 181, and sets the software position at this time as Sa.

[0051] Here, a method for controlling the pan position will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The motor control unit 160 counts the pulse signals output by the pan motor phase detection unit 181 to grasp the position of the pan movable unit 164 as the current software position. The pulse signals are signals that are output in accordance with the rotation phase of the rotor that constitutes the pan motor unit 163, and for example, multiple pulse signals are output per revolution of the rotor.

[0052] Furthermore, the pan mechanism position detector 171 is a component that detects the position of the pan movable part 164, which rotates in accordance with the rotation of the motor, and the motor control unit 160 acquires the absolute position of the pan movable part 164. In other words, when position servo control of the pan movable part 164 is being performed with PI on, position servo control is performed so that the mechanical position information described in step S202 and the software position information described in step S205 are at the same position. However, there is an error between the mechanical position information and the software position information due to the difference in resolution between the pan mechanism position detector 171 and the pan motor phase detector 181, but as described above, pan mechanism position information A ≈ software position Sa.

[0053] When the PI sensors of the pan mechanism position detector 171 and the pan motor phase detector 181 are on, the motor control unit 160 performs position servo control so that mechanism position information acquired based on the pan mechanism position detected by the pan mechanism position detector 171 matches the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164. Furthermore, when the PI sensors of the pan mechanism position detector 171 and the pan motor phase detector 181 are off, the motor control unit 160 does not perform the above-described position servo control. Processing proceeds to step S208.

[0054] In step S208, motor control unit 160 turns off the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181. Motor control unit 160 requests pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and pan motor phase detection control unit 180 to turn off the PI sensors. Specifically, motor control unit 160 controls the LEDs of the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181 to turn off. Processing proceeds to step S209.

[0055] In step S209, the system control unit 116 waits in the off state for a panning operation instruction by a panning operation from the user. The user issues a panning operation instruction using the operation device 132. When the system control unit 116 receives a panning operation instruction by a panning operation, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0056] In step S210, motor control unit 160 turns on the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181. Motor control unit 160 requests pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and pan motor phase detection control unit 180 to turn on the PI sensors. Specifically, motor control unit 160 controls so that the LEDs of the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181 are turned on. Processing proceeds to step S211.

[0057] In step S211, motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information. Motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information B based on the pan mechanism position detected by pan mechanism position detection unit 171. Processing proceeds to step S212.

[0058] In step S212, the motor control unit 160 calculates the amount of deviation of the pan mechanism position while the PI is off. The motor control unit 160 calculates the difference between the pan mechanism position information A acquired in step S207 and the pan mechanism position information B acquired in step S211 as the amount of deviation Δ of the pan mechanism position. The motor control unit 160 sets Δ=AB and proceeds to step S213.

[0059] In step S213, the motor control unit 160 corrects the soft position. The motor control unit 160 corrects the soft position Sa described in step S207 using the deviation amount Δ calculated in step S212 as the correction amount. Specifically, Sa = Sa + Δ. The motor control unit 160 corrects the soft position Sa for driving the pan moving unit 164 by adding the deviation amount Δ to the soft position Sa for driving the pan moving unit 164.

[0060] Here, an explanation will be given using the timing diagram in Fig. 5. The motor control unit 160 acquires pan mechanism position information B at the timing of transition from the PI off state to the PI on state. Thereafter, the motor control unit 160 corrects the software position Sa using the deviation amount Δ calculated in step S212. Thereafter, pan or tilt driving is started.

[0061] Note that, although the present embodiment has been described with reference to an example in which correction is performed using the deviation amount Δ, similar correction results can also be obtained by initializing the software position Sa. Initialization means setting (overwriting) the software position to an initial value, and in this case, setting the value of the pan mechanism position information to the above-mentioned initial value. Specifically, the motor control unit 160 matches the pan mechanism position with the software position by setting Sa=B using the pan mechanism position information B acquired in step S211. The motor control unit 160 corrects the software position Sa for driving the pan moving unit 164 by setting the software position Sa for driving the pan moving unit 164 to the same position as the pan mechanism position information B. This makes it possible to obtain results similar to those obtained by correcting the deviation amount Δ. This completes the process.

[0062] Although the pan movable section 164 has been described above as an example, the same applies to the tilt movable section 166. The case of the tilt movable section 166 will be described below.

[0063] In step S201, if system control unit 116 receives an instruction for a tilt operation from operation device 132, system control unit 116 proceeds to step S202.

[0064] In step S202, motor control unit 160 turns on the PI sensors of tilt mechanism position detection unit 172 and tilt motor phase detection unit 183. Then, tilt mechanism position detection unit 172 detects the tilt mechanism position, and tilt motor phase detection unit 183 detects the rotor phase of tilt motor unit 165 that drives tilt movable unit 166.

[0065] In step S203, the motor control unit 160 performs control to start driving the tilt motor unit 165. The motor control unit 160 updates the software position for driving the tilt movable unit 166 based on the rotor phase detected by the tilt motor phase detection unit 183.

[0066] In step S204, when the software position for driving the tilt movable portion 166 reaches the tilt target position, the motor control portion 160 shifts the processing to step S205.

[0067] In step S205, the motor control unit 160 controls the tilt motor unit 165 to stop driving.

[0068] In step S206, if system control unit 116 has not received a tilt operation instruction from operation device 132 for a predetermined time (five seconds), system control unit 116 proceeds to step S207; otherwise, system control unit 116 proceeds to step S206.

[0069] In step S207, the motor control unit 160 acquires tilt mechanism position information C based on the tilt mechanism position detected by the tilt mechanism position detection unit 172. Furthermore, the motor control unit 160 updates the software position for driving the tilt movable unit 166 based on the rotor phase detected by the tilt motor phase detection unit 183, and sets the software position at this time as Sb.

[0070] In step S208, the motor control unit 160 turns off the PI sensors of the tilt mechanism position detection unit 172 and the tilt motor phase detection unit 183.

[0071] In step S209, if a tilt operation instruction is received from operation device 132 in the above-described OFF state, system control unit 116 proceeds to step S210.

[0072] In step S210, the motor control unit 160 turns on the tilt mechanism position detection unit 172 and the tilt motor phase detection unit 183.

[0073] In step S211, the motor control unit 160 acquires tilt mechanism position information D based on the tilt mechanism position detected by the tilt mechanism position detection unit 172.

[0074] In step S212, the motor control unit 160 calculates the difference between the tilt mechanism position information C and the tilt mechanism position information D as the amount of deviation Δ.

[0075] In step S213, the motor control unit 160 corrects the software position Sb for driving the tilt movable unit 166 in accordance with the deviation amount Δ. Specifically, the motor control unit 160 corrects the software position Sb for driving the pan movable unit 164 by adding the deviation amount Δ to the software position Sb for driving the tilt movable unit 166. Note that the motor control unit 160 may correct the software position Sb for driving the tilt movable unit 166 by setting the software position Sb for driving the tilt movable unit 166 to the same position as the tilt mechanism position information D.

[0076] As described above, according to this embodiment, if a pan or tilt mechanism position deviation occurs while the PI is off, the software position is corrected by the amount of pan or tilt mechanism position deviation the next time the PI is on. This makes it possible to match the software position with the pan or tilt mechanism position before the user issues a pan or tilt movement command.

[0077] (Second embodiment) In the second embodiment, an example of operation will be described in which, in the example of operation described in the first embodiment, after calculating the amount of positional misalignment, it is determined whether this value is greater than a predetermined value and whether or not to perform correction.

[0078] Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a control method for the camera platform device 100 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 6 is obtained by adding step S601 to Fig. 2. Steps S201 to S213 in Fig. 6 are the same as steps S201 to S213 in Fig. 2 described in the first embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0079] After step S212, the process proceeds to step S601. In step S601, the motor control unit 160 determines the magnitude of the deviation amount Δ and determines whether or not to correct the soft position. The motor control unit 160 determines whether the deviation amount Δ calculated in step S212 is greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is the magnitude of backlash provided in the multiple gears that constitute the pan movable unit 164 to smooth the engagement between the gears. If the deviation amount Δ is less than the predetermined value, the motor control unit 160 determines that the deviation amount Δ has occurred due to the influence of this backlash, and terminates the process without performing the correction process of step S213. If the deviation amount Δ is greater than the predetermined value, the motor control unit 160 determines that the large position deviation has occurred due to disturbance, and proceeds to step S213 to perform the correction process of step S213.

[0080] As described above, according to this embodiment, the camera platform device 100 does not perform correction when the positional deviation amount Δ is small, thereby making it possible to eliminate the need for excessive correction processing. Note that the tilt movable unit 166 can also be processed in the same manner as the pan movable unit 164 described above.

[0081] (Third embodiment) In the third embodiment, an example of operation will be described in which, in the example of operation described in the first embodiment, when the PI on / off process is performed intermittently at predetermined intervals, mechanical position information is acquired multiple times and corrected based on the average value.

[0082] Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a control method for the camera platform device 100 according to the third embodiment. Fig. 7 adds steps S701 to S706 to Fig. 6. Steps S201 to S213 and S601 in Fig. 7 are the same as steps S201 to S213 and S601 in Fig. 6 described in the second embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted.

[0083] In step S209, if the system control unit 116 receives an instruction for a panning operation by a panning operation, the process proceeds to step S210, and if the system control unit 116 does not receive an instruction for a panning operation by a panning operation, the process proceeds to step S701.

[0084] In step S701, the motor control unit 160 counts the switching time of the intermittent operation of the PI sensors of the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and the pan motor phase detection unit 181. The motor control unit 160 performs processing to count the time for switching the PI sensors of the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and the pan motor phase detection unit 181 on and off. Here, for example, the motor control unit 160 operates to turn on the PI sensors of the pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and the pan motor phase detection unit 181 once every 60 seconds, acquire pan mechanism position information, and then turn the PI sensors off again. If 60 seconds have not elapsed since the operation of step S209, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S209, and if 60 seconds have elapsed since the operation of step S209, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S702.

[0085] In step S702, motor control unit 160 turns on the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181. Motor control unit 160 requests pan mechanism position detection control unit 173 and pan motor phase detection control unit 180 to turn on the PI sensors. Specifically, motor control unit 160 controls so that the LEDs of the PI sensors of pan mechanism position detection unit 171 and pan motor phase detection unit 181 are turned on. Processing proceeds to step S703.

[0086] In step S703, the motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information. The motor control unit 160 acquires current pan mechanism position information B from the signal output by the pan mechanism position detection unit 171. Each time the motor control unit 160 acquires the above pan mechanism position information, it stores the pan mechanism position information in RAM as B1, B2, . . . , Bn. Processing proceeds to step S704.

[0087] In step S704, the motor control unit 160 determines the number of pieces of pan mechanism position information stored. The motor control unit 160 counts the number of pieces of pan mechanism position information B1, B2, . . . , Bn stored in step S703. The motor control unit 160 determines whether a predetermined number of pieces of pan mechanism position information have been acquired. Here, for example, the motor control unit 160 acquires 10 pieces of pan mechanism position information. In this case, the motor control unit 160 determines whether the number n of pieces of pan mechanism position information to be acquired is greater than 10. If the number n is greater than 10, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S706, and if the number n is less than 10, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S705.

[0088] In step S705, the motor control unit 160 increments the number of times n that the pan mechanism position information has been acquired. The motor control unit 160 adds 1 to the number of times n that the pan mechanism position information has been acquired. Specifically, the motor control unit 160 sets n=n+1. The process proceeds to step S208.

[0089] In step S706, the motor control unit 160 calculates the average value of the multiple pieces of pan mechanism position information B1 to Bn. For example, when the motor control unit 160 acquires 10 pieces of pan mechanism position information B1 to B10, it calculates the average value B using the formula B=(B1+B2+...+B10) / 10.

[0090] Average value B is the average value of mechanism position information B1 to Bn based on the pan mechanism position detected multiple times by pan mechanism position detection unit 171. During the multiple detections in step S703, pan mechanism position detection unit 171 is turned on in step S702 before each detection and turned off in step S208 after each detection. Then, the process proceeds to step S212.

[0091] In step S212, the motor control unit 160 uses the average value B to calculate the deviation amount Δ by Δ=AB.

[0092] As described above, according to this embodiment, the pan head device 100 can correct the soft position Sa with higher accuracy by correcting the soft position Sa using the pan mechanism position information B1 to Bn acquired when the PI is turned on multiple times. Note that the tilt movable unit 166 can also be processed in the same manner as the pan movable unit 164 described above.

[0093] (Fourth embodiment) In the fourth embodiment, an example of operation will be described in which the soft position resulting from the correction exceeds the movable range of the pan movable section 164 in the example of operation described in the first embodiment.

[0094] Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a control method for the camera head device 100 according to the fourth embodiment. Fig. 8 adds steps S801 and S802 to Fig. 7. Steps S201 to S213, S601, and S701 to S706 in Fig. 8 are the same as steps S201 to S213, S601, and S701 to S706 in Fig. 7, and therefore their explanation will be omitted.

[0095] In step S601, if the deviation amount Δ is greater than a predetermined value, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S213, and if the deviation amount Δ is less than the predetermined value, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S801. After step S213, the motor control unit 160 proceeds to step S801.

[0096] In step S801, the motor control unit 160 determines whether the corrected soft position Sa corrected in step S213 is within the movable range of the pan movable unit 164. For example, when the movable range of the pan movable unit 164 of this camera head device 100 is 180 to -180 degrees, the motor control unit 160 determines whether -180 degrees≦Sa≦180 degrees is satisfied. If the corrected soft position Sa is within the movable range of the pan movable unit 164, the process ends. If the corrected soft position Sa is not within the movable range of the pan movable unit 164, the process proceeds to step S802.

[0097] In step S802, the motor control unit 160 corrects the software position Sa to the pan mechanism end position. For example, the pan mechanism end position is 185 degrees on the positive side and -185 on the negative side. If the corrected software position Sa>180 degrees, the motor control unit 160 sets Sa=185 degrees. If the corrected software position Sa<-180 degrees, the motor control unit 160 sets Sa=-185 degrees. In this case, the pan mechanism position and the software position are misaligned at this point, but this prevents the user from operating further toward the pan mechanism end. Then, the process ends.

[0098] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the corrected soft position Sa exceeds the movable range of the pan movable unit 164, the camera platform device 100 sets the soft position Sa to the pan mechanical end position, thereby preventing further driving toward the end from this state. Note that the tilt movable unit 166 can also be processed in the same manner as the pan movable unit 164 described above.

[0099] According to the first embodiment, if a mechanical position deviation occurs when the PI is off, the software position is corrected by the amount of the mechanical position deviation when the PI is next turned on, thereby making it possible to match the software position with the mechanical position before the user issues a pan or tilt movement command.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, if the positional deviation is small, no correction is performed, thereby making it unnecessary to perform excessive correction processing.

[0101] Furthermore, according to the third embodiment, by correcting the software position using mechanical position information acquired when the PI is turned on multiple times, it is possible to correct the software position with higher accuracy.

[0102] Furthermore, according to the fourth embodiment, if the corrected software position exceeds the movable range, the software position can be set to the mechanical end position, thereby preventing further driving toward the end from this state.

[0103] According to the first to fourth embodiments, when a pan or tilt position deviation occurs while the PI sensor is off, the camera platform device 100 leaves the mechanical position of the pan or tilt mechanism as is, and corrects the software position for driving the pan movable unit 164 or the tilt movable unit 166 at the next timing when the PI sensor is on. The camera platform device 100 calculates the amount of correction from absolute position information of the mechanical position in response to position deviation while the PI sensor is off, thereby making it possible to correct the software position and eliminating the need for mechanical movement operations unintended by the user.

[0104] The processing of the above-described embodiments may be performed by providing a system or device with a storage medium on which software program code embodying each function is recorded. The computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or device then reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium, thereby realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium on which the program code is stored constitutes the present invention. Examples of storage media for providing such program code include floppy disks, hard disks, optical disks, and magneto-optical disks. Alternatively, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs may also be used.

[0105] Furthermore, the functions of the above-described embodiments are not only realized by a computer reading and executing the program code, but also include cases where an operating system (OS) running on a computer performs some or all of the actual processing based on the instructions of the program code, thereby realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0106] Furthermore, the program code read from the storage medium may be written to a memory provided on a function expansion board inserted into a computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, and then, based on the instructions of the program code, a CPU or the like provided on the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, thereby realizing the functions of each of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0107] It should be noted that the above-described embodiments merely illustrate specific examples of implementing the present disclosure, and the technical scope of the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited by these embodiments. In other words, the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms without departing from its technical concept or main features.

[0108] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration, method, and program. (Configuration 1) a mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanism position of a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; a motor phase detection means for detecting a rotor phase of a motor that drives a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; a motor control means for updating a software position for driving the panning or tilting movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the motor phase detection means, and controlling the motor for driving the panning or tilting movable part to stop when the software position reaches a target position; a first acquisition means for acquiring first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means after the driving of the motor is stopped; a second acquisition means for, when receiving a command for a panning or tilting operation with the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means turned off, turning on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means and acquiring second mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the panning movable part or the tilting movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means; A camera head device characterized in that the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the pan movable part or the tilt movable part in accordance with the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information. (Configuration 2) The mechanical position detection means a pan mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanical position of a pan movable part; a tilt mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanical position of the tilt movable portion, The motor phase detection means a pan motor phase detection means for detecting a rotor phase of a pan motor that drives a pan movable portion; tilt motor phase detection means for detecting the rotor phase of a tilt motor that drives the tilt movable portion; the motor control means updates a software position for driving the pan movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the pan motor phase detection means, and controls to stop driving the pan motor when the software position reaches a pan target position; the motor control means updates a software position for driving the tilt movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the tilt motor phase detection means, and controls to stop driving the tilt motor when the software position reaches a tilt target position; the first acquisition means acquires first pan mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part detected by the pan mechanism position detection means after the driving of the pan motor is stopped; when receiving a panning operation instruction with the pan mechanism position detection means and the pan motor phase detection means turned off, the second acquisition means turns on the pan mechanism position detection means and the pan motor phase detection means and acquires second pan mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part detected by the pan mechanism position detection means; the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the pan movable portion in accordance with a difference between the first pan mechanism position information and the second pan mechanism position information; the first acquisition means acquires first tilt mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the tilt movable part detected by the tilt mechanism position detection means after the driving of the tilt motor is stopped; when receiving a tilt operation instruction with the tilt mechanism position detection means and the tilt motor phase detection means turned off, the second acquisition means turns on the tilt mechanism position detection means and the tilt motor phase detection means and acquires second tilt mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the tilt movable part detected by the tilt mechanism position detection means; The pan head device described in configuration 1, characterized in that the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the tilt movable part according to the difference between the first tilt mechanism position information and the second tilt mechanism position information. (Configuration 3) The pan head device described in configuration 1 or 2, characterized in that the motor control means corrects the soft position by adding the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information to the soft position. (Configuration 4) 3. The camera platform device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the motor control means corrects the software position by making the software position the same as the second mechanical position information. (Configuration 5) The camera head device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, characterized in that when the motor control means receives an instruction for a panning or tilting operation, it turns on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means and controls the motor to start driving. (Configuration 6) The motor control means correcting the software position when a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information is greater than a predetermined value; The pan head device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, characterized in that if the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information is less than a predetermined value, the soft position is not corrected. (Configuration 7) 7. The camera platform device according to configuration 6, wherein the predetermined value is a value corresponding to a value of backlash between gears of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part. (Configuration 8) The camera head device according to any one of configurations 1 to 7, characterized in that the second mechanical position information is an average value of mechanical position information based on the mechanical positions of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected multiple times by the mechanical position detection means. (Configuration 9) 9. The camera platform device according to configuration 8, wherein the mechanical position detection means is turned on before each of the multiple detections and turned off after each of the multiple detections. (Configuration 10) The pan head device described in any one of configurations 1 to 9, characterized in that if the soft position after the correction is not within the movable range of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part, the motor control means corrects the soft position to the mechanical end position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part. (Configuration 11) The pan head device of any one of configurations 1 to 10, characterized in that the first acquisition means acquires first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means when no instruction for panning or tilting operation is received for a predetermined time after the drive of the motor has stopped. (Configuration 12) The pan head device described in any one of configurations 1 to 11, characterized in that when the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are on, the motor control means performs position servo control so that the mechanical position information obtained based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means and the software position coincide with each other. (Configuration 13) 13. The camera platform device according to configuration 12, wherein the motor control means does not perform the position servo control when the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are in an off state. (Configuration 14) 14. The camera platform device according to any one of configurations 1 to 13, wherein the mechanical position detection means is an absolute position encoder that detects the absolute mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part. (Configuration 15) 15. The camera platform device according to any one of configurations 1 to 14, wherein the motor phase detection means is a pulse encoder that detects the rotor phase of a motor that drives a panning movable part or a tilting movable part. (Method 1) a mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanism position of a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; and a motor phase detection unit for detecting a rotor phase of a motor that drives a pan movable unit or a tilt movable unit, a step of updating a software position for driving a panning or tilting movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the motor phase detection means, and controlling the motor for driving the panning or tilting movable part to stop driving when the software position reaches a target position; after stopping the driving of the motor, acquiring first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means; a step of turning on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means when a command for a panning or tilting operation is received while the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are turned off, and acquiring second mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the panning movable part or the tilting movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means; correcting a software position for driving the pan movable unit or the tilt movable unit according to a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information; A method for controlling a pan head device, comprising: (Program 1) A program for causing a computer to function as the pan head device described in any one of configurations 1 to 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 100 pan head device, 116 system control unit, 117 storage device, 123 network I / F, 130 network equipment, 131 network, 132 operation device, 133 personal computer, 134 display device, 135 RAM, 136 CPU, 137 ROM, 138 operation unit, 140 external power supply, 150 power supply control unit, 160 motor control unit, 161 pan drive unit, 162 tilt drive unit, 163 pan motor unit, 164 pan movable unit, 165 tilt motor unit, 166 tilt movable unit, 171 pan mechanism position detection unit, 172 tilt mechanism position detection unit, 173 pan mechanism position detection control unit, 174 tilt mechanism position detection control unit, 180 pan motor phase detection control unit, 181 pan motor phase detection unit, 182 tilt motor phase detection control unit, 183 tilt motor phase detection unit

Claims

1. a mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanism position of a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; a motor phase detection means for detecting a rotor phase of a motor that drives a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; a motor control means for updating a software position for driving the panning or tilting movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the motor phase detection means, and controlling the motor for driving the panning or tilting movable part to stop when the software position reaches a target position; a first acquiring means for acquiring first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detecting means after the driving of the motor is stopped; a second acquisition means for, when receiving a command for a panning or tilting operation with the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means turned off, turning on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means and acquiring second mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the panning or tilting movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means; A camera head device characterized in that the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the pan movable part or the tilt movable part in accordance with the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information.

2. The mechanical position detection means a pan mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanical position of a pan movable part; a tilt mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanical position of the tilt movable portion, The motor phase detection means a pan motor phase detection means for detecting a rotor phase of a pan motor that drives a pan movable portion; tilt motor phase detection means for detecting the rotor phase of a tilt motor that drives the tilt movable part; the motor control means updates a software position for driving the pan movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the pan motor phase detection means, and controls to stop driving the pan motor when the software position reaches a pan target position; the motor control means updates a software position for driving the tilt movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the tilt motor phase detection means, and controls to stop driving the tilt motor when the software position reaches a tilt target position; the first acquisition means acquires first pan mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part detected by the pan mechanism position detection means after the driving of the pan motor is stopped; when receiving a panning operation instruction with the pan mechanism position detection means and the pan motor phase detection means turned off, the second acquisition means turns on the pan mechanism position detection means and the pan motor phase detection means and acquires second pan mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part detected by the pan mechanism position detection means; the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the pan movable portion in accordance with a difference between the first pan mechanism position information and the second pan mechanism position information; the first acquisition means acquires first tilt mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the tilt movable part detected by the tilt mechanism position detection means after the driving of the tilt motor is stopped; when receiving a tilt operation instruction with the tilt mechanism position detection means and the tilt motor phase detection means turned off, the second acquisition means turns on the tilt mechanism position detection means and the tilt motor phase detection means and acquires second tilt mechanism position information based on the mechanical position of the tilt movable part detected by the tilt mechanism position detection means; 2. The camera head device according to claim 1, wherein the motor control means corrects a software position for driving the tilt movable part in accordance with a difference between the first tilt mechanism position information and the second tilt mechanism position information.

3. 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the motor control means corrects the soft position by adding a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information to the soft position.

4. 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the motor control means corrects the software position by making the software position the same as the second mechanical position information.

5. The camera head device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the motor control means receives an instruction for a pan or tilt operation, it turns on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means and controls the motor to start driving.

6. The motor control means If the difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information is greater than a predetermined value, the software position is corrected; 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the soft position is not corrected when a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information is less than a predetermined value.

7. 7. The camera platform device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined value is a value corresponding to a value of backlash between gears of the panning movable part or the tilting movable part.

8. 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the second mechanical position information is an average value of mechanical position information based on the mechanical positions of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected multiple times by the mechanical position detection means.

9. 9. The camera platform device according to claim 8, wherein the mechanical position detection means is turned on before each of the multiple detections and turned off after each of the multiple detections.

10. The camera head device according to claim 1, characterized in that, if the soft position after the correction is not within the movable range of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part, the motor control means corrects the soft position to the mechanical end position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part.

11. The camera head device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first acquisition means acquires first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means when no instruction for panning or tilting operation is received for a predetermined time after the drive of the motor has stopped.

12. The camera head device of claim 1, characterized in that when the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are on, the motor control means performs position servo control so that the mechanical position information obtained based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means and the software position coincide with each other.

13. 13. The camera platform device according to claim 12, wherein the motor control means does not perform the position servo control when the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are in an off state.

14. 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical position detection means is an absolute position encoder that detects the absolute mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part.

15. 2. The camera platform device according to claim 1, wherein the motor phase detection means is a pulse encoder that detects the rotor phase of a motor that drives the panning or tilting movable portion.

16. a mechanism position detection means for detecting a mechanism position of a panning movable part or a tilting movable part; and a motor phase detection unit for detecting a rotor phase of a motor that drives a pan movable unit or a tilt movable unit, a step of updating a software position for driving a panning or tilting movable part based on the rotor phase detected by the motor phase detection means, and controlling the motor for driving the panning or tilting movable part to stop driving when the software position reaches a target position; acquiring first mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the pan movable part or the tilt movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means after stopping the driving of the motor; a step of turning on the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means when a command for a panning or tilting operation is received while the mechanical position detection means and the motor phase detection means are turned off, and acquiring second mechanical position information based on the mechanical position of the panning movable part or the tilting movable part detected by the mechanical position detection means; correcting a software position for driving the pan movable unit or the tilt movable unit according to a difference between the first mechanical position information and the second mechanical position information; A method for controlling a pan head device, comprising:

17. A program for causing a computer to function as the pan head device according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

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