Camera head and imaging device

Abstract

To provide a universal head and an imaging apparatus that can be reduced in cost and size.SOLUTION: A universal head 200 comprises: a fixing pedestal 1; and a movable part 3 that has a camera 6 mounted thereon and moves relative to the fixing pedestal 1 together with the camera 6. The universal head 200 includes: first communication means 7 that communicably connects the fixing pedestal 1 and the movable part 3 with each other, and has a slip ring 35 as a first rotating part that, when the movable part 3 moves, is rotatable in association with the movement; and second communication means 8 that communicably connects the fixing pedestal 1 and the movable part 3 with each other in a non-contact state, and has a radio communication unit 20 as a second rotating part that, when the movable part 3 moves, is rotatable around the same axis as the slip ring 35 in association with the movement. The radio communication unit 20 has a hollow part 60 in which at least a leading end 351 of the slip ring 35 is arranged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a camera platform and an imaging device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a surveillance camera is known as an application example of an imaging device. The surveillance camera has an imaging unit that captures an image and a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the imaging unit. Some surveillance cameras have a rotation drive mechanism that rotates the imaging unit in a pan direction (around a vertical axis) without limit. This allows a 360° imaging range around the surveillance camera to be secured. Such surveillance cameras with unlimited rotation may use a slip ring as an electric module that can transmit an image signal (electrical signal) from the imaging unit regardless of the rotation angle of the imaging unit. The slip ring is, for example, configured with a cylindrical stationary body having a number of terminals, and a rotating body that has a number of brush terminals that contact each terminal of the stationary body and is rotatably supported inside the stationary body. When the slip ring is used for transmitting an image signal, each terminal is often configured with a precious metal such as gold, taking into consideration durability during transmission and transmission of a high-quality signal. Therefore, for example, as the number of terminals increases and the terminal (slip ring) becomes larger, the manufacturing cost of the slip ring tends to increase. In particular, when slip rings are used for transmitting high-speed video signals such as SDI (Serial Digital Interface) signals, there is concern that manufacturing costs will increase further.

[0003] Therefore, in the signal transmission device described in Patent Document 1, in addition to the signal transmission method using slip rings, an optical transmission method using optical coupling is used in combination to suppress an increase in the manufacturing cost of the slip rings. In the camera device described in Patent Document 2, in addition to the signal transmission method using slip rings, a signal transmission method using a waveguide is also used in combination to suppress an increase in the manufacturing cost of the slip rings. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-34043 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4916726 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the signal transmission device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to make the slip ring hollow and insert a signal transmission line for optical transmission by optical coupling into the hollow portion. Similarly, in the camera device described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to make the slip ring hollow and insert a signal transmission line for signal transmission by a waveguide into the hollow portion. And, in both devices described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the slip ring has a hollow shape, so its size (outer diameter) is enlarged, that is, there is a problem of enlargement. Also, as mentioned above, there is a problem of increased costs due to the enlarged slip ring.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a camera platform and an imaging device that can be made smaller and less expensive. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the camera platform of the present invention is a camera platform including a fixed portion that is fixedly installed, and a movable portion that is equipped with an imaging portion that captures an image and is movable together with the imaging portion with respect to the fixed portion, Provided on the fixed portion side and the movable portion side, The fixed section side and the movable section side are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. a first communication unit for connecting the fixed unit side and the movable unit side so as to be able to communicate with each other in a state in which the first communication unit on the fixed unit side and the first communication unit on the movable unit side are in contact with each other; When the movable part is moved, the movable part is rotatable in accordance with the movement of the movable part. Each of the first communication units also functions as a A first communication means having a first rotating portion; A second communication means having a second communication unit provided on each of the fixed unit side and the movable unit side for communicatively connecting the fixed unit side and the movable unit side, wherein the second communication unit on the fixed unit side and the second communication unit on the movable unit side are contactless N situation in The fixed portion and the movable portion are communicatively connected to each other, and when the movable portion moves, the movable portion is rotatable about the same axis as the first rotating portion. Each of the second communication units also functions as the second communication unit.and a second communication means having a second rotation portion, the second rotation portion having a hollow portion in which at least a portion of the first rotation portion is disposed. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve cost reduction and size reduction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of an imaging device having a camera platform. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the imaging device when viewed from a different direction from that in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including a pan rotation axis and a tilt rotation axis. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area [A] enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the pan rotation axis and perpendicular to the tilt rotation axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the configurations described in the following embodiments are merely examples, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the embodiments. For example, each part constituting the present invention can be replaced with any configuration that can exert the same function. In addition, any configuration may be added.

[0011] FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an imaging device having a pan head. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the imaging device when viewed from a different direction from that of FIG. 1. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the imaging device 100 has a pan head (electric pan head) 200 and a camera (imaging unit) 6 mounted on the pan head 200. The pan head 200 has a fixed base (fixed portion) 1 and a movable portion 3 composed of a swivel head 2 and a camera mounting base 19. The fixed base 1 is fixed and installed at a location where imaging is required, such as a monitoring location. The camera mounting base 19 is mounted with a camera 6 that captures an image. In this mounted state, the swivel head 2 (movable portion 3) can rotate, i.e., move, around a pan rotation axis O3 with respect to the fixed base 1 together with the camera 6.

[0012] The swivel head 2 has a housing 51 and a pan axis motor 4 housed in the housing 51. The swivel head 2 can rotate in the direction of the arrow α around the pan rotation axis O3 by the operation of the pan axis motor 4. The pan rotation axis O3 is preferably parallel to the vertical direction. This allows the camera 6 to rotate in the pan direction (horizontal direction) and set the imaging direction to an arbitrary azimuth angle. In addition, in this embodiment, the swivel head 2 can rotate the camera 6 in the direction of the arrow β centered on the tilt rotation axis O7 perpendicular to the pan rotation axis O3. This allows the camera 6 to rotate in the tilt direction (up and down direction) and set the imaging direction to an arbitrary elevation angle. Then, by appropriately combining the rotation in the pan direction and the rotation in the tilt direction, both the azimuth angle and the elevation angle can be adjusted arbitrarily. In the imaging device 100, the adjustment of the azimuth angle and the elevation angle, that is, the rotation around the pan rotation axis O3 and the rotation of the tilt rotation axis O7 are performed by remote control.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the pan rotation axis and the tilt rotation axis. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the area [A] enclosed by the dashed line in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a plane including the pan rotation axis and perpendicular to the tilt rotation axis. As shown in FIG. 3, the fixed base 1 has a hollow truncated cone shape, and a cylindrical pan main shaft 9 is provided at its top (upper part). A pan axis worm wheel 10 is concentrically fixed to the upper part of the outer periphery of the pan main shaft 9. Also, as shown in FIG. 4, two pan axis bearings 11 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction, that is, along the pan rotation axis O3, between the flange part 91 at the bottom of the pan main shaft 9 and the pan axis worm wheel 10. Each pan axis bearing 11 is fitted to the outer periphery of the pan main shaft 9. These two pan axis bearings 11 are pressed together to the bottom of the housing 51 of the swivel head 2 by a pan axis bearing presser 12. This allows the swivel head 2 to rotate about the pan rotation axis O3 relative to the fixed base 1, while restricting the degrees of freedom other than the rotation.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, a cylindrical tilt main shaft 16 is supported horizontally (parallel to the left-right direction in FIG. 3) on the side (side wall) of the housing 51 of the swivel head 2. A tilt axis worm wheel 15 is fixed to the outer periphery of the tilt main shaft 16. A camera rotation unit 17 having a camera mounting base 19 is fixed to the side of the tilt main shaft 16 opposite the tilt axis worm wheel 15. Two tilt axis bearings 13 are fitted to the outer periphery of the tilt main shaft 16 in a state of being arranged side by side in the left-right direction. These two tilt axis bearings 13 are located between the tilt axis worm wheel 15 and the side of the housing 51. These two tilt axis bearings 13 are pressed together against the side of the housing 51 of the swivel head 2 by a tilt axis bearing presser 14. As a result, the camera rotation unit 17 can rotate together with the camera mount 19 around the tilt rotation axis O7, while the degrees of freedom other than that rotation are restricted. By rotating the camera rotation unit 17 around the tilt rotation axis O7, the elevation angle of the camera 6 mounted on the camera mount 19 can be changed. The camera mount 19 is configured to be able to adjust the position of the camera 6 in the direction of the optical axis of the lens 18 of the camera 6, i.e., in the front-to-back direction, and in the vertical direction, i.e., in the up-down direction.

[0015] The camera 6 receives a control signal and power supply from an external device, and outputs a video signal of the captured subject through the lens 18. For this reason, it is necessary to provide a signal and power transmission path between the camera 6 and the external device. In this embodiment, the imaging device 100 (camera head 200) has, as the signal and power transmission path, a first communication means 7 that communicatively connects the fixed base 1 (external device) side and the movable part 3 side, and a second communication means 8 that communicatively connects the fixed base 1 (external device) side and the movable part 3 side. Here, "communication" includes at least one of signal transmission and power transmission. The first communication means 7 communicatively connects the fixed base 1 side and the movable part 3 side, and has a slip ring 35 as a first rotating part that can rotate with the movable part 3 when the movable part 3 moves. The slip ring 35 will be described later.

[0016] The second communication means 8 is configured to be capable of transmitting electrical signals between the camera mount 19 and the swivel head 2, and between the fixed base 1 and the swivel head 2 (movable part 3). In this embodiment, the camera mount 19 usually rotates at most ±90 degrees with respect to the swivel head 2, so a harness (cable) can be used to transmit electrical signals. On the other hand, the swivel head 2 is rotated endlessly with respect to the fixed base 1, that is, it is an unlimited rotation with no restrictions on the rotation limit, so it is preferable to use a method other than a harness to transmit electrical signals. Therefore, in this embodiment, a wireless communication unit 20 that is paired on the fixed base 1 side and the swivel head 2 side is used to transmit electrical signals. The wireless communication unit 20 is a second rotation part that connects the fixed base 1 side and the movable part 3 side in a non-contact state so as to be able to communicate with each other, and is capable of rotating around the pan rotation axis O3 in accordance with the movement of the swivel head 2 when the swivel head 2 moves. This enables the transmission of electrical signals (video signals and control signals) between the fixed base 1 and the swivel head 2.

[0017] The wireless communication unit 20 has a metallic board fixing plate 21, metallic spacers 22a and 22b, a fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, board fixing screws 24a and 24b, a fixed-side antenna board (stationary board) 25, and board-to-board connectors 26a and 26b. The wireless communication unit 20 also has a disk-shaped rotating-side antenna board (rotating board) 27, a rotating-side wireless conversion board 28, a metallic board fixing plate 29, and a rotation transmission guide 30. On the upper side of the pan axis worm wheel 10, the board fixing plate 21, the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, the fixed-side antenna board 25, the rotating-side antenna board 27, and the rotating-side wireless conversion board 28 are arranged in this order from the fixed base 1 side (lower side) to the swivel head 2 side (upper side). Furthermore, the substrate fixing plate 21, the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, the fixed-side antenna board 25, the rotation-side antenna board 27, and the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 have conductive circuit patterns (not shown) formed thereon and are disposed apart from one another. Furthermore, the substrate fixing plate 21, the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, the fixed-side antenna board 25, the rotation-side antenna board 27, and the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 are each disk-shaped.

[0018] A spacer 22a is crimped and fixed to the board fixing plate 21 arranged on the fixed side. A fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 is fixed to the spacer 22a via a board fixing screw 24a. A fixed-side antenna board 25 is connected to the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 via a board-to-board connector 26a. The board-to-board connector 26a is arranged between the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 and the fixed-side antenna board 25. A board fixing plate 29 arranged on the rotating side has a box (cup) shape, and a spacer 22b is crimped and fixed to the inside thereof. A rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 is fixed to the spacer 22b via a board fixing screw 24b. A rotation-side antenna board 27 is connected to the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 via a board-to-board connector 26b. The rotation-side antenna board 27 is arranged facing the fixed-side antenna board 25 in a non-contact state. As a result, the wireless communication unit 20 is in a state where the rotation limit is not restricted between the fixed-side antenna board 25 and the rotating-side antenna board 27, and electric field communication (electromagnetic field coupling) is possible. As a result, the wireless communication unit 20 can connect the fixed base 1 side and the movable part 3 side in a non-contact state so that they can communicate with each other regardless of the imaging direction of the camera 6. The board-to-board connector 26b is disposed between the rotating-side wireless conversion board 28 and the rotating-side antenna board 27. As shown in FIG. 2, the board fixing plate 29 is connected to the side of the housing 51 of the swivel head 2 via the rotation transmission guide 30. As a result, when the swivel head 2 swivels around the pan rotation axis O3, the rotating-side antenna board 27 rotates with the rotation because it is fixed to the board fixing plate 29, but the fixed-side antenna board 25 does not rotate because it is fixed to the fixed base 1.

[0019] A ground line is electrically connected to the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28. A ground line is electrically connected to the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 and the rotation-side antenna board 27. Each ground line is indirectly electrically connected to the housing 51 of the swivel head 2. The board fixing plate 21 is fixed to the metal pan axis worm wheel 10 via a metal screw. The pan axis worm wheel 10 is fixed to the metal pan main shaft 9 via a metal screw. The pan main shaft 9 is fixed to the metal fixed base 1 via a metal screw. A ground line is electrically connected to the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 and the fixed-side board fixing plate 21. Each ground line is indirectly electrically connected to the fixed base 1. The board fixing plate 29 may be formed integrally with the pan axis worm wheel 10, but by configuring it separately from the pan axis worm wheel 10, the assembly of the imaging device 100 is improved.

[0020] As described above, the substrate fixing plate 29 is box-shaped. This allows the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, the fixed-side antenna board 25, the rotation-side antenna board 27, and the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 to be stored inside the substrate fixing plate 29. Also, the gap 50 between the substrate fixing plate 29 and the substrate fixing plate 21, i.e., the closest distance, can be set to 1 mm or less. With this configuration, the influence of electromagnetic waves from the surrounding motors and the like on the rotation-side antenna board 27 and the fixed-side antenna board 25 can be suppressed, and therefore the quality of the video signal can be transmitted while being maintained. Note that the frequency of the video signal in this embodiment is not particularly limited, but for example, a frequency band of 1 GHz or more and 2 GHz or less is preferably used, and more preferably a frequency band of 1.5 GHz or more and 2 GHz or less is used. Also, the main frequency of the control signal is not particularly limited, but for example, a frequency band of 1 MHz or more and 2 MHz or less is preferably used. Therefore, in the imaging device 100, the thickness of the plate members constituting the substrate fixing plate 29 and the substrate fixing plate 21 and the size of the gap 50 are set so as to shield electromagnetic waves in the frequency band of 1 MHz or more and 2 GHz or less. In addition, since the substrate fixing plate 29 and the substrate fixing plate 21 also function as an electromagnetic shield, it is possible to omit providing a separate electromagnetic shield, which prevents an increase in the number of parts of the imaging device 100 and therefore contributes to reducing the manufacturing cost of the imaging device 100.

[0021] The transmission path of the video signal will be described in detail. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the second communication means 8 is connected to the rotation-side antenna board 27 via the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28, and has a rotation-side harness (second movable part side cable) 40 extending to the movable part 3 side. The rotation-side harness 40 is connected to the camera 6 on the movable part 3 side. As shown in Fig. 5, the second communication means 8 is connected to the fixed side antenna board 25 via the fixed side wireless conversion board 23, and has a fixed side harness (second fixed part side cable) 41 extending to the fixed base 1 side, and a fixed base board 42 connected to the fixed side harness 41. The video signal of SDI (Serial Digital Interface) output from the camera 6 is sent to the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 via the rotation-side harness 40. After that, this video signal is converted into a voltage waveform for wireless transmission by the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28, and is transmitted to the rotation-side antenna board 27. As described above, electric field communication (electromagnetic field coupling) is possible between the rotation-side antenna board 27 and the fixed-side antenna board 25. This allows the voltage waveform for wireless transmission transmitted to the rotation-side antenna board 27 to be generated as is in the fixed-side antenna board 25. The voltage waveform generated in the fixed-side antenna board 25 is then reconverted into a video signal by the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23. This reconverted video signal is transmitted to the fixed base board 42 via the fixed-side harness 41. In the fixed base board 42, the video signal is converted into an optical signal or the like and output to the outside from a video signal output terminal (not shown). The fixed-side harness 41 is inserted through the fixed base 1, and the fixed base board 42 is disposed within the fixed base 1.

[0022] A transmission path of a control signal will be described. A control signal of serial communication supplied from an external device (controller) is input from a control signal input terminal (not shown) provided on the fixed base 1. This control signal is input to the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 via the fixed-side harness 41. The control signal input to the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 is converted from a voltage signal of serial communication to a voltage waveform for wireless transmission. Then, through electric field communication between the fixed-side antenna board 25 and the rotating-side antenna board 27, the voltage waveform generated in the rotating-side antenna board 27 is reconverted again to a voltage signal of serial communication by the rotating-side wireless conversion board 28. This reconverted serial communication signal is supplied to the camera 6 via the rotating-side harness 40. This controls the camera 6 to enable imaging. In this way, the second communication means 8 (wireless communication unit 20) is responsible for two-way communication transmission from the camera 6 side and communication transmission to the camera 6 side. The operating power of the wireless communication unit 20 is supplied from, for example, the fixed base board 42 or the swivel head board 38. The swivel head substrate 38 is disposed within a housing 51 of the swivel head 2 .

[0023] In this embodiment, the first communication means 7 also plays a role in power transmission. As described above, the first communication means 7 has a slip ring 35. As shown in FIG. 4, the slip ring 35 has a conductor ring portion (rotating body) 32, a brush portion (stationary body) 33, and a bearing (bearing in slip ring) 34. The conductor ring portion 32 is connected and fixed to the substrate fixing plate 29 via a coupling 31. The brush portion 33 is cylindrical and is inserted into the pan main shaft 9 and fixed thereto. Inside the brush portion 33, the conductor ring portion 32 is arranged, which is configured by stacking a plurality of conductor rings for power transmission. Inside the brush portion 33, bearings 34 are arranged above and below the conductor ring portion 32. Each bearing 34 is fitted with the outer periphery of the conductor ring portion 32 and fitted with the inner periphery of the brush portion 33. This allows the conductor ring portion 32 to rotate around the pan rotation axis O3 inside the brush portion 33 without any restriction on its rotation limit. Like the conductor ring portion 32 (slip ring 35), the wireless communication unit 20 can also rotate around the pan rotation axis O3 without any restriction on its rotation limit. This allows the swivel head 2 (movable portion 3) to rotate coaxially with the slip ring 35 and the wireless communication unit 20, i.e., around the pan rotation axis O3 with respect to the fixed base 1 without any restriction on its rotation limit. This allows the imaging direction of the camera 6 mounted on the swivel head 2 via the camera mounting base 19 to be quickly set to any azimuth angle. In addition, a metal brush is provided on the inner periphery of the brush portion 33. When the conductor ring portion 32 rotates around the pan rotation axis O3, the outer periphery of each conductor ring slides on the brush of the brush portion 33. This allows the slip ring 35 to connect the fixed base 1 side and the movable portion 3 side in a contact state so that they can communicate with each other, regardless of the imaging direction of the camera 6.

[0024] As described above, bearings 34 are arranged inside the brush portion 33 above and below the conductor ring portion 32. Each bearing 34 is configured separately from the pan axis bearing 11. As a result, even if the rotation center of the pan axis bearing 11 is misaligned with the rotation center of the wireless communication unit 20, the rotation centers of the rotation-side antenna board 27 and the fixed-side antenna board 25 are aligned by the bearings 34. This makes it possible to transmit signals with a high S / N ratio.

[0025] In the pan head 200, the inner periphery of the substrate fixing plate 29 is fitted to the outer periphery of the coupling 31, the inner periphery of the coupling 31 is fitted to the outer periphery of the conductor ring portion 32, and the outer periphery of the conductor ring portion 32 is fitted to the inner periphery of the bearing 34. In addition, in the pan head 200, the rotation-side antenna substrate 27 can be assembled by screwing it to the substrate fixing plate 29 while adjusting the mounting position so that the center of the rotation-side antenna substrate 27 and the center of the substrate fixing plate 29 coincide with each other. This allows the rotation center of the bearing 34 to be aligned with the rotation center of the rotation-side antenna substrate 27, thereby suppressing eccentricity of the rotation center of the rotation-side antenna substrate 27. Similarly, in the pan head 200, the inner periphery of the substrate fixing plate 21 is fitted to the outer periphery of the brush portion 33, and the inner periphery of the brush portion 33 is fitted to the outer periphery of the bearing 34, and the pan head is assembled so that the center of the fixed-side antenna substrate 25 and the center of the substrate fixing plate 21 coincide with each other. This allows the rotation center of the bearing 34 and the rotation center of the fixed-side antenna substrate 25 to be aligned. In addition, the bearing 34 can suppress the misalignment between the rotation center of the conductor ring portion 32 and the rotation center of the brush portion 33, and therefore allows for stable power supply. The coupling 31 may be configured as an Oldham coupling capable of absorbing the eccentricity of the rotation center. In this embodiment, since the rotation transmission guide 30 has the function of absorbing the eccentricity of the rotation center as described later, a rigid coupling that is less expensive than an Oldham coupling is used as the coupling 31. The coupling 31 supports a conductor ring harness (first movable portion side cable) 37 connected to the conductor ring portion 32. The conductor ring harness 37 extends to the swivel head substrate 38 (movable portion 3) side and is connected to the swivel head substrate 38.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the rotation transmission guide 30 is made of a metal plate bent into an L-shape, and one end of the rotation transmission guide 30 is fixed to the housing 51 of the swivel head 2 by a screw, and the other end of the rotation transmission guide 30 is fixed to the board fixing plate 29 by a screw. As a result, when the swivel head 2 rotates, the board fixing plate 29 can also rotate together with the housing 51 of the swivel head 2. The conductor ring harness 37 is fastened and fixed to the rotation transmission guide 30 by a tie wrap (cable tie) 36. As a result, even if the swivel head 2 rotates, it is possible to prevent the conductor ring harness 37 from being displaced on the rotation transmission guide 30, that is, the conductor ring harness 37 is stably placed on the rotation transmission guide 30. The board fixing plate 29 and the rotation transmission guide 30 are fixed to each other with a play, for example, due to a spacer, that is, in a floating state. As a result, even if the pan axis worm wheel 10 is positioned eccentrically relative to the pan axis bearing 11, when the swivel head 2 rotates, the wireless communication unit 20 can smoothly follow and rotate.

[0027] 2, when the camera 6 is mounted on the camera mount 19, a video signal input terminal (not shown), a control signal output terminal (not shown), and a camera power supply terminal (not shown) on the swivel head board 38 are each connected to the camera 6 via a camera harness 39. As described above, in this embodiment, the camera mount 19 normally rotates at most about ±90 degrees with respect to the swivel head 2. In this range of rotation angles, the camera harness 39, which provides a wired connection, can be used to connect the swivel head board 38 and the camera 6.

[0028] As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a brush part harness (first fixed part side cable) 43 is connected to the brush part 33. The brush part harness 43 extends to the fixed base board 42 (fixed base 1) side and is connected to the fixed base board 42. An external device (not shown) that serves as an electric power supply source is also connected to the fixed base board 42. As a result, power from the external device is supplied to the swivel head board 38 via the fixed base board 42, the brush part harness 43, the slip ring 35, and the conductor ring part harness 37 in this order. Then, power is supplied from the swivel head board 38 to the pan axis motor 4 and the tilt axis motor 44.

[0029] Next, the swivel drive mechanism 70 of the swivel head 2 and the up-down swing drive mechanism (elevation drive mechanism) 80 of the camera mount 19 will be described. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the swivel drive mechanism 70 is composed of a pan axis motor 4, a pan axis worm 45 attached to the rotation shaft of the pan axis motor 4, and a pan axis worm wheel 10 attached to the pan main shaft 9. The pan axis motor 4 is fixed to the swivel head 2 via a pan axis gear box 46. The pan axis worm 45 and the pan axis worm wheel 10 mesh with each other. Then, by operating the pan axis motor 4, the driving force is transmitted to the swivel head 2 via the pan axis worm 45 and the pan axis worm wheel 10. This allows the swivel head 2 to rotate about the pan rotation axis O3, thereby enabling remote control of the azimuth angle of the camera 6.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 2, the up-down swing drive mechanism 80 is composed of a tilt shaft motor 44, a tilt shaft worm 47 attached to the rotation shaft of the tilt shaft motor 44, and a tilt shaft worm wheel 15 attached to the tilt main shaft 16. The tilt shaft motor 44 is fixed to the swivel head 2 via a tilt shaft gear box 48. The tilt shaft worm 47 and the tilt shaft worm wheel 15 mesh with each other. When the tilt shaft motor 44 is operated, its driving force is transmitted to the camera mount 19 via the tilt shaft worm 47 and the tilt shaft worm wheel 15. This allows the camera mount 19 to rotate about the tilt rotation axis O7, thereby enabling remote control of the elevation angle of the camera 6.

[0031] The electrical connection between the fixed base 1 and the swivel head 2 during azimuth remote control is provided by an electromagnetic coupling method in the wireless communication unit 20 in the signal system, and by a sliding contact method in the slip ring 35 in the power system. This allows endless pan rotation. In addition, by connecting these control signal input terminals and video signal output terminals to an external device with a cable, it is possible to monitor the image of the subject captured by the camera 6. In addition, by rotating the camera 6 by remote control, it is possible to monitor the image of the subject in any azimuth. In this way, in the imaging device 100, the azimuth angle of the camera 6 mounted on the camera mount 19 can be remotely controlled endlessly, and the elevation angle of the camera 6 can also be remotely controlled. As a result, for example, when the imaging device 100 is used for surveillance at an airport, it is possible to continue to stably and reliably capture the image of the aircraft, which is the imaging target, regardless of the number of turns or course of the aircraft circling in the sky.

[0032] Next, the positional relationship between the wireless communication unit 20 and the slip ring 35 will be described. As described above, the wireless communication unit 20 has the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23, the fixed-side antenna board 25, the rotation-side antenna board 27, and the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28. As shown in FIG. 4, a circular through hole 231 is formed in the center of the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23. A circular through hole 251 is formed in the center of the fixed-side antenna board 25. A circular through hole 271 is formed in the center of the rotation-side antenna board 27. A circular through hole 281 is formed in the center of the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28. In the wireless communication unit 20, the through hole 231, the through hole 251, the through hole 271, and the through hole 281 collectively form one hollow portion 60.

[0033] Further, the outer diameter φB of the tip 351 of the slip ring 35 is smaller than the inner diameter φA of the hollow portion 60. This allows the tip 351 (part) of the slip ring 35 to be inserted into the lower side of the hollow portion 60 and arranged concentrically with the hollow portion 60. Further, the tip 371 of the conductor ring harness 37 is connected to the coupling 31. The outer diameter φC of the coupling 31 is smaller than the inner diameter φA of the hollow portion 60, similar to the outer diameter φB of the tip 351. This allows the tip 371 (part) of the conductor ring harness 37 to be inserted into the upper side of the hollow portion 60 together with the coupling 31 and arranged concentrically with the hollow portion 60. In this way, the tip 351 of the slip ring 35 is arranged on the lower side of the hollow portion 60, and the tip 371 of the conductor ring harness 37 is arranged on the upper side. That is, when viewed from the direction of the pan rotation axis O3 (top view or bottom view) and when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the pan rotation axis O3 (side view), the tip 351 of the slip ring 35 and the tip 371 of the conductor ring harness 37 overlap in the hollow portion 60. Therefore, the hollow portion 60 functions as an arrangement space for the tip 351 of the slip ring 35 and the tip 371 of the conductor ring harness 37. This positional relationship can reduce the size of the imaging device 100 (platform head 200), i.e., save space, compared to a case in which the wireless communication unit 20 and the slip ring 35 are arranged at a distance from each other in the direction of the pan rotation axis O3.

[0034] In addition, since there is no need to hollow the slip ring 35, the slip ring 35 can be made smaller (smaller in diameter), which results in a lower cost of the imaging device 100 (camera head 200) having the slip ring 35. The wireless communication unit 20 can be manufactured using a general substrate material. This allows the wireless communication unit 20 to reduce component costs compared to the slip ring 35 whose terminals are made of precious metal. In addition, the combination of the wireless communication unit 20 and the slip ring 35 allows the implementation of an endlessly rotatable camera head 200 with reduced manufacturing and component costs compared to the case where the slip ring 35 alone has the same function as the wireless communication unit 20. In addition, the high-frequency video signal is transmitted by the wireless communication unit 20. This allows the slip ring 35 to handle only relatively low-frequency signal transmission, which further reduces component costs. Furthermore, since signal transmission in the wireless communication unit 20 is non-contact, deterioration of the wireless communication unit 20 over time is suppressed, and durability is improved.

[0035] In this embodiment, the tip portion 351 of the slip ring 35 is disposed in the hollow portion 60, but it is sufficient that at least a part of the slip ring 35 is disposed therein. For example, depending on the size of the hollow portion 60 and the size of the slip ring 35, the entire slip ring 35 may be disposed in the hollow portion 60. In this case, the tip portion 371 of the conductor ring harness 37 is disposed at a position outside the hollow portion 60 together with the coupling 31.

[0036] The disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration. (Configuration 1) A camera platform including a fixed section that is fixedly installed, and a movable section that is equipped with an imaging section that captures an image and is movable together with the imaging section with respect to the fixed section, Provided on the fixed portion side and the movable portion side, The fixed section side and the movable section side are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other. a first communication unit for connecting the fixed unit side and the movable unit side so as to be able to communicate with each other in a state in which the first communication unit on the fixed unit side and the first communication unit on the movable unit side are in contact with each other; When the movable part is moved, the movable part is rotatable in accordance with the movement of the movable part. Each of the first communication units also functions as aA first communication means having a first rotating portion; A second communication means having a second communication unit provided on each of the fixed unit side and the movable unit side for communicatively connecting the fixed unit side and the movable unit side, wherein the second communication unit on the fixed unit side and the second communication unit on the movable unit side are contactless N situation in The fixed portion and the movable portion are communicatively connected to each other, and when the movable portion moves, the movable portion is rotatable about the same axis as the first rotating portion. Each of the second communication units also functions as the second communication unit. and a second communication means having a second rotating portion, A camera head, characterized in that the second rotation portion has a hollow portion in which at least a portion of the first rotation portion is disposed. (Configuration 2) The pan head according to configuration 1, wherein a part of the first rotation part is concentrically disposed in the hollow part. (Configuration 3) The pan head according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the first rotation section and the second rotation section each have no rotation limits. ( Configuration 4 The first rotating portion is a slip ring having a cylindrical stationary body and a rotating body that rotates and slides inside the stationary body. Any one of configurations 1 to 3 The tripod head described in. ( Configuration 5 the first communication means includes a first fixed-unit-side cable connected to the stationary body and extending toward the fixed unit, and a first movable-unit-side cable connected to the rotating body and extending toward the movable unit, A part of the first movable part side cable is disposed in the hollow part. Configuration 4 The tripod head described in. ( Configuration 6 The second rotating portion is capable of electric field communication. Configurations 1 to 5 1. The tripod head according to any one of the preceding claims. ( Configuration 7 The second rotating section has a stationary substrate having electrical conductivity and a rotating substrate facing the stationary substrate and spaced apart from the stationary substrate, and the electric field communication is possible between the stationary substrate and the rotating substrate. Configuration 6 The tripod head described in. ( Configuration 8 The stationary base plate and the rotating base plate each have a through hole formed in the center thereof, and the through hole constitutes the hollow portion. Configuration 7The tripod head described in. ( Configuration 9 The second communication means includes a second fixed portion side cable connected to the stationary base plate and extending toward the fixed portion, and a second movable portion side cable connected to the rotating base plate and extending toward the movable portion. Configuration 7 or 8 The tripod head described in. ( Configuration 10 The second communication means is capable of communicating a video signal having a frequency of 1 GHz or more. Configurations 1 to 9 1. The tripod head according to any one of the preceding claims. ( Configuration 11 The movable portion rotates coaxially with the first rotation portion and the second rotation portion. Configurations 1 to 10 1. The tripod head according to any one of the preceding claims. ( Configuration 12 ) Configurations 1 to 11 A tripod head according to any one of the preceding claims, and the imaging unit is mounted on the movable part of the camera platform.

[0037] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, an endless rotation element similar to that of the rotation drive mechanism may be applied to the elevation drive mechanism. In addition, in the imaging device 100, it is also possible to partially replace the signals transmitted between the wireless communication unit 20 and the slip ring 35. In addition, the imaging device 100 may be configured such that the pan rotation axis O3 does not coincide with the rotation axis of the wireless communication unit 20 and the slip ring 35. In addition, the fixed-side wireless conversion board 23 and the fixed-side antenna board 25 are configured as separate bodies, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, they may be configured as one board, that is, integrally. Similarly, the rotation-side antenna board 27 and the rotation-side wireless conversion board 28 are configured as separate bodies, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, they may be configured as one board, that is, integrally. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Fixed base (fixed part) 3 Moving parts 6 Camera (imaging unit) 7. First means of communication 8. Second means of communication 20 Wireless communication unit 35 Slip ring 60 Hollow part 100 Imaging device 200 Head (Electric Head)

Claims

1. A camera platform including a fixed portion that is fixedly installed, and a movable portion that is equipped with an imaging portion that captures an image and is movable together with the imaging portion with respect to the fixed portion, a first communication means having a first communication unit provided on each of the fixed section side and the movable section side for communicatively connecting the fixed section side and the movable section side, the first communication unit communicatively connecting the fixed section side and the movable section side in a state in which the first communication unit on the fixed section side and the first communication unit on the movable section side are in contact with each other, and the first communication means has a first rotation unit including a portion that can rotate in association with the movement of the movable section when the movable section moves, and also functioning as each of the first communication units; a second communication means having a second communication unit provided on each of the fixed section side and the movable section side for communicatively connecting the fixed section side and the movable section side, the second communication unit on the fixed section side and the second communication unit on the movable section side communicatively connecting the fixed section side and the movable section side in a non-contact state, the second communication means having a second rotation unit including a portion that can rotate coaxially with the first rotation unit in association with the movement of the movable section when the movable section moves, and also functioning as each of the second communication units; The camera head according to claim 1, wherein the second rotation portion has a hollow portion in which at least a portion of the first rotation portion is disposed.

2. The pan head according to claim 1 , wherein a part of the first rotation part is concentrically disposed in the hollow part.

3. 2. The camera head according to claim 1, wherein the first rotation section and the second rotation section have no rotation limits.

4. 2. The camera head according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating part is a slip ring having a cylindrical stationary body and a rotating body that rotates and slides inside the stationary body.

5. the first communication means includes a first fixed unit side cable connected to the stationary body and extending toward the fixed unit side, and a first movable unit side cable connected to the rotating body and extending toward the movable unit side, The pan head according to claim 4 , wherein a part of the first movable section side cable is disposed in the hollow section.

6. The camera platform according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation section is capable of electric field communication.

7. The tripod head described in claim 6, characterized in that the second rotating part has a stationary base plate having conductivity and a rotating base plate having conductivity, which is arranged opposite and spaced apart from the stationary base plate, and the electric field communication is possible between the stationary base plate and the rotating base plate.

8. 8. The pan head according to claim 7, wherein the stationary base plate and the rotating base plate each have a through hole formed in the center thereof, the through hole constituting the hollow portion.

9. The tripod head described in claim 7, characterized in that the second communication means has a second fixed part side cable connected to the stationary base and extending toward the fixed part side, and a second movable part side cable connected to the rotating base and extending toward the movable part side.

10. 2. The camera platform according to claim 1, wherein the second communication means is capable of communicating a video signal having a frequency of 1 GHz or higher.

11. The camera platform according to claim 1 , wherein the movable portion rotates coaxially with the first rotation portion and the second rotation portion.

12. The camera platform according to claim 1 ; and the imaging unit is mounted on the movable part of the camera platform.

Images