Dome camera

Abstract

A dome camera, comprising a housing (10); a dome-shaped transparent cover (20); a horizontal rotating support (30), which can horizontally rotate, relative to the dome-shaped transparent cover (20), around a first central axis (LP); and a lens assembly (40), which is rotatably mounted on the horizontal rotating support (30) around a second central axis (LT) extending in a horizontal direction, so as to pitch up / down to adjust the direction of a second optical axis (LR). The lens assembly (40) comprises: a lens housing (41), which extends axially in a direction of the second optical axis (LR); a lens (42), which is mounted inside the lens housing (41) and a front end of which is exposed to a lens hole in a front end of the lens housing (41); a fill light lamp (43), which is mounted on the lens housing (41), wherein an emergent ray of the fill light lamp (43) is used for illuminating an image region of the lens (42); and a light shielding assembly (44), which is mounted on the lens housing (41) and is located between the lens (42) and the fill light lamp (43) in a radial direction of the lens housing (41), wherein the light shielding assembly (44) comprises a driving component (441), which is configured to output driving force for changing a gap between the front end of the light shielding assembly (44) and the dome-shaped transparent cover (20) in the direction of the second optical axis.

Description

Dome Camera

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on January 26, 2024, with application number 202410112017.X and invention name “Hemispherical Camera”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of camera equipment, and in particular to a hemispherical camera. Background Art

[0003] Some hemispherical products on the market currently add an external electric rotation mechanism to adjust the camera's shooting angle. This technical solution has high on-site installation costs and affects the overall appearance of the device.

[0004] Some hemispherical products on the market can achieve multi-directional adjustment, but lack fill lights, which reduces image quality. Some products are designed with fill lights, but in order to avoid the reflection of the fill lights on the transparent cover affecting the image quality, a more expensive transparent cover is used. In addition, the horizontal rotation can be forced by hand, which is not safe. Both technical solutions cannot perfectly meet users' needs for image quality and angle adjustment of hemispherical products. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In one embodiment of the present application, a hemispherical camera is provided, comprising:

[0006] a housing defining a first central axis extending in a vertical direction;

[0007] a hemispherical transparent cover, the hemispherical transparent cover being fixed to the shell and protruding from the lower surface of the shell;

[0008] a horizontally rotating bracket, the horizontally rotating bracket being rotatably mounted in the housing around the first central axis so as to horizontally rotate around the first central axis relative to the hemispherical transparent cover;

[0009] a lens assembly having a second optical axis, the lens assembly being rotatably mounted on the horizontal rotation bracket around a second central axis extending in the horizontal direction to adjust the second optical axis in pitch;

[0010] The lens assembly comprises:

[0011] a lens housing, wherein the lens housing extends axially along the second optical axis;

[0012] a lens, the lens being mounted in the lens housing and having its front end exposed to a lens hole at the front end of the lens housing;

[0013] A fill light, the fill light being mounted on the lens housing and emitting light for illuminating the image area of ​​the lens;

[0014] A shading assembly is mounted on the lens housing and is located between the lens and the fill light in the radial direction of the lens housing. The shading assembly includes a driving component that outputs a driving force along the second optical axis to change the gap between the front end of the shading assembly and the hemispherical transparent cover.

[0015] The hemispherical camera provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a shell, a hemispherical transparent cover, a horizontal rotation bracket and a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a lens shell, a lens, a fill light and a shading assembly. The lens assembly and the horizontal rotation bracket for driving the lens assembly to rotate are all installed in the hemispherical transparent cover, and also include a fill light for the lens assembly and a shading assembly isolated between the fill light and the lens. This can not only meet the angle adjustment requirements of the camera product, but also improve the image quality of the hemispherical camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The drawings described herein are used to provide further understanding of the present application and constitute a part of the present application. The illustrative embodiments of the present application and their descriptions are used to explain the present application and do not constitute improper limitations on the present application.

[0017] FIG1a is a schematic structural diagram of a hemispherical camera of the present application at a first angle.

[0018] FIG1 b is a schematic structural diagram of the hemispherical camera of FIG1 a from a second angle (the upper shell, the lower shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown).

[0019] FIG1c is a schematic structural diagram of the hemispherical camera of FIG1a from a third angle (the upper shell, the lower shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown).

[0020] FIG1d is a schematic structural diagram of the hemispherical camera of FIG1a at a fourth angle (the lower shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown).

[0021] FIG1e is a schematic structural diagram of the hemispherical camera of FIG1a at a fifth angle (the lower shell, the lower half of the lens housing and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown).

[0022] FIG2 is an exploded schematic diagram of the hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0023] FIG3 a is a schematic diagram of a first light-shielding position of a light-shielding component in a hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0024] FIG3 b is a schematic diagram of a second light-shielding position of the light-shielding component in the hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0025] FIG3 c is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point A in FIG3 a .

[0026] FIG3 d is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point B in FIG3 b .

[0027] FIG3e is a cross-sectional view of the hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0028] FIG3 f is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point C in FIG3 e .

[0029] FIG3g is a partial enlarged schematic diagram of point D in FIG3e.

[0030] FIG4 is a partial exploded view of the first embodiment of the hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0031] FIG5 is a partial exploded view of the light shielding assembly of the present application in FIG4 .

[0032] FIG6 is a partial exploded view of the second embodiment of the hemispherical camera of the present application.

[0033] Figure markings: Shell 10; upper shell 10a; lower shell 10b; hemispherical transparent cover 20; horizontal rotation bracket 30; lens assembly 40; lens shell 41; fill light slot 411; lens 42; fill light 43; shading assembly 44; driving component 441; shading ring 442; shading bracket 443; fixed arm 444; fixed ring 445; mainboard assembly 50; horizontal drive motor 60; first gear 61; second gear 62; motor screw 63; pitch drive motor 70; third gear 71; fourth gear 72; lens rotation drive motor 80; fifth gear 81; sixth gear 82; first center axis LP; second center axis LT; second optical axis direction LR. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application more clearly understood, the present application is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. It is apparent that the described examples are only a portion of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments derived by persons of ordinary skill in the art based on the examples in this application are intended to fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] In order to have a clearer understanding of the technical features, purposes and effects of the invention, the specific implementation methods of this application are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the same numbers in each figure represent the same parts.

[0036] In this document, “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration”, and any diagram or implementation described in this document as “illustrative” should not be interpreted as a more preferred or more advantageous technical solution.

[0037] To simplify the drawings, only the parts relevant to the present application are schematically shown in each figure and do not represent the actual structure of the product. In addition, to simplify the drawings and facilitate understanding, in some figures, only one of the components with the same structure or function is schematically shown or labeled.

[0038] In this document, “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, etc. are only used to indicate the relative position relationship between related parts, rather than to limit the absolute positions of these related parts.

[0039] In this article, "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish each other, and do not indicate the importance and order, or the prerequisite for each other's existence.

[0040] In this document, "equal" and "same" are not strictly limited in the mathematical and / or geometric sense, but also include errors that can be understood by those skilled in the art and are allowed in manufacturing or use. Unless otherwise specified, the numerical ranges herein include not only the entire range within its two endpoints, but also several sub-ranges contained therein.

[0041] Various exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. To address the problems of the prior art, the present application provides a hemispherical camera, wherein a lens assembly and a rotating bracket for driving the lens assembly to rotate are entirely housed within a hemispherical transparent cover. The camera also includes a fill light for the lens assembly and a light shielding assembly isolated between the fill light and the lens. This design not only meets the angle adjustment requirements of camera products but also improves the image quality of the hemispherical camera.

[0042] As shown in Figures 1a to 5, Figure 1a is a structural schematic diagram of the first angle of the hemispherical camera of the present application; Figure 1b is a structural schematic diagram of the second angle of the hemispherical camera of Figure 1a (the upper shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown); Figure 1c is a structural schematic diagram of the third angle of the hemispherical camera of Figure 1a (the upper shell, the lower shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown); Figure 1d is a structural schematic diagram of the fourth angle of the hemispherical camera of Figure 1a (the lower shell and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown); Figure 1e is a structural schematic diagram of the fifth angle of the hemispherical camera of Figure 1a (the lower shell, the lower half of the lens housing and the hemispherical transparent cover are not shown); Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the hemispherical camera of the present application Exploded schematic diagram of a camera; Figure 3a is a schematic diagram of the first shading position of the shading component in the hemispherical camera of the present application; Figure 3b is a schematic diagram of the second shading position of the shading component in the hemispherical camera of the present application; Figure 3c is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of point A in Figure 3a; Figure 3d is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of point B in Figure 3b; Figure 3e is a sectional view of the hemispherical camera of the present application; Figure 3f is a partially enlarged view of point C in Figure 3e; Figure 3g is a partially enlarged view of point D in Figure 3e; Figure 4 is a partially exploded view of the first embodiment of the hemispherical camera of the present application; Figure 5 is a partially exploded view of the shading component of the first embodiment of the hemispherical camera of the present application in Figure 4.

[0043] One embodiment of the present application provides a hemispherical camera, including a shell 10, a hemispherical transparent cover 20, a horizontal rotation bracket 30 and a lens assembly 40; the shell 10 defines a first central axis LP extending in a vertical direction; the hemispherical transparent cover 20 is fixed to the shell 10 and protrudes from the lower surface of the shell 10; the horizontal rotation bracket 30 is rotatably mounted in the shell 10 around the first central axis LP so as to rotate horizontally around the first central axis LP relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20; the lens assembly 40 has a second optical axis direction LR, and the lens assembly 40 is rotatably mounted on the horizontal rotation bracket 30 around the second central axis LT extending in the horizontal direction so as to pitch adjust the second optical axis direction LR.

[0044] The lens assembly 40 includes a lens housing 41, a lens 42, a fill light 43 and a shading assembly 44. The lens housing 41 extends axially along the second optical axis direction LR; the lens 42 is installed in the lens housing 41, and the front end is exposed to the lens hole at the front end of the lens housing 41; the fill light 43 is installed in the lens housing 41, and the output light of the fill light 43 is used to illuminate the image area of ​​the lens 42; the shading assembly 44 is installed in the lens housing 41, and is located between the lens 42 and the fill light 43 in the radial direction of the lens housing 41, and the shading assembly 44 includes a driving component 441, and the driving component 441 outputs a driving force along the second optical axis direction LR to change the gap between the front end of the shading assembly 44 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0045] The hemispherical camera provided in the embodiment of the present application includes a shell, a hemispherical transparent cover, a horizontal rotation bracket and a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a lens shell, a lens, a fill light and a shading assembly. The lens assembly and the horizontal rotation bracket for driving the lens assembly to rotate are all installed in the hemispherical transparent cover, and also include a fill light for the lens assembly and a shading assembly isolated between the fill light and the lens. This can not only meet the angle adjustment requirements of the camera product, but also improve the image quality of the hemispherical camera.

[0046] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1a, 3a, and 3b, the lens assembly 40 is completely disposed within a body assembly formed by the housing 10 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20. The body assembly completely encloses the lens assembly 40. As shown in Figure 2, the housing 10 includes an upper shell 10a and a lower shell 10b. The housing 10 defines a first central axis LP extending in a vertical direction. The bottom surface of the lower shell 10b has a through hole. The hemispherical transparent cover 20 is fixed to the through hole and protrudes from the lower surface of the lower shell 10b. The hemispherical transparent cover 20 and the housing 10 together form a closed cavity for mounting the lens assembly 40.

[0047] As shown in FIG2 , the dome camera further includes a mainboard assembly 50, which is mounted within a housing 10. The hemispherical transparent cover 20 is formed of a transparent material, through which the lens assembly 40 captures images. The housing 10 is typically formed of an opaque material. The mainboard assembly 50, a bracket for supporting and driving the lens assembly 40, and a motor are mounted within the housing 10.

[0048] As shown in FIG1a , the optical axis of the lens assembly 40 is the second optical axis LR. The second optical axis LR can be achieved by rotating the lens assembly 40 along three axes: pan (P), pitch (T), and roll (R). The three-axis rotation of the lens assembly 40 enables the hemispherical camera to capture images from different angles.

[0049] The housing 10 is mounted on a carrier, which may be a ceiling, a wall, a bracket, a desktop, a robot, etc.

[0050] Typically, the lens assembly 40 is mounted in a substantially horizontal position (e.g., a ceiling) such that the first central axis LP extends vertically. Rotation in the P direction corresponds to horizontal rotation of the lens assembly 40, i.e., panning; rotation in the T direction corresponds to pitching of the lens assembly 40; and rotation in the R direction corresponds to rotation of the lens assembly 40 about its second optical axis LR.

[0051] In this example, as shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the lens assembly 40 is installed in the housing 10 via a horizontal rotation bracket 30. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3e, the horizontal rotation bracket 30 is installed on the inner wall of the upper shell 10a and can rotate around the first central axis LP to drive the lens assembly 40 to rotate horizontally around the first central axis LP relative to the housing 10 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the horizontal rotation bracket 30 may include a pair of arms for supporting the lens assembly 40, forming a downwardly opening U-shaped bracket. The pair of arms extend along the first central axis LP, and the lens assembly 40 is rotatably mounted between the pair of arms. Each arm may have a rotation hole at its base, and the pair of rotation holes define a second central axis LT extending horizontally. The lens assembly 40 is mounted in the rotation hole to allow pitch rotation relative to the horizontal rotation bracket 30 about the second central axis LT, and to allow pitch rotation relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20. The lens assembly 40 itself may have the freedom to rotate about the second optical axis LR. Therefore, regardless of the support on which the housing 10 is mounted relative to the first central axis LP, the relative relationship of the lens assembly 40 in the P, T, and R directions remains unchanged, while its orientation relative to the ground changes.

[0053] As shown in Figures 1b to 4, the horizontal rotation bracket 30 is provided with a rotation hole, a rotation protrusion and a groove. Protruding shafts are provided on both sides of the outer shell of the lens assembly 40. The protruding shafts extend horizontally along the second center axis LT and extend into the rotation hole to cooperate with the rotation. The protruding shafts are the second center axis LT. The lens assembly 40 is rotatably connected to the horizontal rotation bracket 30 around the second center axis LT. The second center axis LT is perpendicular to the first center axis LP. When the lens assembly 40 rotates around the second center axis LT, it drives the lens assembly 40 to rotate in the T direction around the second center axis LT, thereby realizing the T-direction rotation of the lens assembly 40.

[0054] As shown in Figure 1a, the lens assembly 40 includes a fill light 43 mounted on the lens housing 41. The fill light 43 is used to provide light for the image area of ​​the lens, providing supplemental illumination for the lens assembly 40 in low ambient light conditions. Light emitted by the fill light 43 can be reflected by the hemispherical transparent cover 20 and enter the lens 42, causing the captured image to appear whitish. In this embodiment, a light shielding assembly 44 is provided between the lens 42 and the fill light 43. This shielding assembly 44 is radially separated from the lens housing 41, thereby preventing the light emitted by the fill light 43 from directly entering the lens 42. Furthermore, the light shielding assembly 44, driven by a driving component 441, can change the gap between the fill light 43 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20 along the second optical axis LR. This improves image quality by preventing the light emitted by the fill light 43 from being reflected by the hemispherical transparent cover 20 and entering the lens 42.

[0055] Specifically, the shading assembly 44 has a first shading position as shown in FIG3a, which is located in the lens housing 41 and has a front end flush with the lens hole, and

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3 b , the front end protrudes from the lens hole out of the lens housing 41 and contacts the second light-shielding position of the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 .

[0057] It is understood that, as shown in FIG3 a , since the lens assembly 40 can be rotated and adjusted in the P, T, and R directions within the hemispherical transparent cover 20, a gap inevitably exists between the front end of the lens assembly 40, i.e., the front end of the lens housing 41, and the hemispherical transparent cover 20. Therefore, if the light shielding assembly 44 were not present, the light reflected by the fill light on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 would inevitably enter the lens 42.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3b, when the shading component 44 contacts the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 as shown in Figure 3b, in the radial direction, the shading component 44 is located between the fill light 43 and the lens 42, and at the same time completely blocks the light path between the fill light 43 and the lens 42, which can effectively prevent the light emitted by the fill light 43 from entering the lens 42.

[0059] When the lens assembly 40 is rotatably adjusted in the P, T, and R directions within the hemispherical transparent cover 20, the contact between the light shielding assembly 44 and the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 causes friction on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. Therefore, the light shielding assembly 44 also has a first light shielding position in which it is disengaged from the hemispherical transparent cover 20, thereby creating a gap between the front end of the light shielding assembly 44 and the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 so as not to affect the rotational adjustment of the lens assembly 40 within the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0060] Optionally, since the fill light 43 is not turned on when the lens assembly 40 is rotated and adjusted, the shading assembly 44 is not required to block the reflected light of the fill light 43.

[0061] As shown in FIG5 , in a specific example, the light shielding component 44 includes:

[0062] The light shielding ring 442 is driven by the driving member 441 and moves along the second optical axis direction LR.

[0063] The diameter of the lens 42 is smaller than the diameter of the lens hole. The light shielding ring 442 is formed in a ring shape coaxially arranged with the lens 42. The light shielding ring 442 is installed in the gap between the lens 42 and the lens hole.

[0064] The light shielding ring 442 is loosely fitted with the lens hole and the lens 42 , so that the movement of the light shielding ring 442 along the second optical axis direction LR does not interfere with the lens hole and the lens 42 .

[0065] As shown in FIG5 , the light shielding component 44 includes:

[0066] The light shielding bracket 443 includes a pair of fixing arms 444 extending along the second optical axis direction LR, and a fixing ring 445 supported by the fixing arms 444 .

[0067] The fixed arm 444 is symmetrically located outside the lens 42 , the fixed ring 445 is supported on the front end of the fixed arm 444 , and the driving component 441 outputs a driving force along the second optical axis direction LR via the rear end of the fixed arm 444 .

[0068] The light shielding ring 442 is mounted on the front surface of the fixing ring 445 .

[0069] The light shielding ring 442 is made of a soft, elastically deformable material, such as a silicone material. The front end surface of the light shielding ring 442 can be formed into an arc edge or a chamfered edge for forming a close fit with the arc inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0070] To ensure the light shielding quality, the thickness of the light shielding ring 442 or the sum of the thickness of the light shielding ring 442 and the fixing ring 445 is greater than or equal to the gap between the lens 42 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20 .

[0071] That is, the distance between the first light-shielding position and the second light-shielding position should be less than or equal to the thickness of the light-shielding ring 442, or less than or equal to the sum of the thicknesses of the light-shielding ring 442 and the fixing ring 445. The thickness direction corresponds to the second optical axis direction LR. In this case, when the light-shielding assembly 44 moves to the second light-shielding position, it still completely shields the lens 42 and the fill light 43 in the radial direction, preventing light from the fill light 43 from directly entering the lens 42.

[0072] Furthermore, as shown in FIG4 , the lens housing 41 includes:

[0073] The fill light slot 411 is located outside the lens hole. The fill light slot 411 has a fill light slot bottom surface located on the rear side of the lens hole in the second optical axis direction LR, and a fill light slot side wall extending along the second optical axis direction LR between the fill light slot bottom surface 441 and the shading assembly 44.

[0074] The fill light 43 is installed on the bottom surface of the fill light slot.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in FIG1b , the hemispherical camera of this embodiment includes:

[0076] The lens driving assembly includes a horizontal driving motor 60 for driving the horizontal rotating bracket 30 to rotate horizontally around the first central axis LP relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20, and a pitch driving motor 70 for driving the lens assembly 40 to pitch and rotate relative to the horizontal rotating bracket 30 around the second central axis LT.

[0077] Specifically, a first gear 61 is provided on the rotating protrusion of the horizontal rotating bracket 30, and the horizontal driving motor 60 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom of the upper shell 10a. The output shaft of the horizontal driving motor 60 is connected to the second gear 62, and the second gear 62 is engaged with the first gear 61, so that the horizontal driving motor 60 drives the horizontal rotating bracket 30 to rotate horizontally around the first central axis LP relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20 through the first gear 61 and the second gear 62.

[0078] As shown in Figure 1c, a first gear 61 is provided on the rotating protrusion of the horizontal rotating bracket 30, and the horizontal driving motor 60 is fixedly connected to the inner bottom of the upper shell 10a. The output shaft of the horizontal driving motor 60 is connected to the motor screw 63. The horizontal driving motor 60 drives the motor screw 63 to rotate, and the motor screw 63 is connected to the second gear 62. The motor screw 63 causes the second gear 62 to rotate, and the second gear 62 is engaged with the first gear 61, so that the horizontal driving motor 60 drives the horizontal rotating bracket 30 to rotate horizontally around the first central axis LP relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20 through the motor screw 63, the first gear 61 and the second gear 62.

[0079] As shown in Figure 1b, a pitch drive motor 70 is fixedly connected to the horizontal rotation bracket 30, and the output shaft of the pitch drive motor is connected to the third gear 71. A fourth gear 72 is provided on the lens housing 41 corresponding to the third gear 71. The third gear 71 is engaged with the fourth gear 72, so that the pitch drive motor 70 drives the lens assembly 40 to pitch and rotate around the second center axis LT relative to the horizontal rotation bracket 30 through the third gear 71 and the fourth gear 72.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 1 e , the lens driving assembly further includes a lens rotation driving motor 80 for driving the lens 42 to rotate relative to the lens housing 41 around the second optical axis direction LR.

[0081] Specifically, a lens rotation drive motor 80 is fixedly connected to the lens housing 41, and the output shaft of the lens rotation drive motor 80 is connected to the fifth gear 81. A sixth gear 82 is provided on the lens 42 corresponding to the fifth gear 81. The fifth gear 81 is engaged with the sixth gear 82, so that the lens rotation drive motor 80 drives the lens 42 to rotate around the second optical axis direction LR relative to the lens housing 41 through the fifth gear 81 and the sixth gear 82.

[0082] Among them, the lens driving assembly and the driving component 441 are started selectively.

[0083] As mentioned above, in order to prevent the shading assembly 44 from interfering with the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 when the lens assembly 40 is rotated and adjusted, and the shading assembly 44 from causing friction on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20, either the lens driving assembly or the driving component 441 is started.

[0084] That is to say, when the driving component 441 is started, the shading component 44 will come into contact with the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this time, if the lens driving component is started, the lens component 40 will drive the shading component 44 to rotate. Since the shading component 44 comes into contact with the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20, the shading component 44 will cause friction on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. Therefore, the lens driving component and the driving component 441 need to be started selectively and cannot be started at the same time.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 3 c and FIG. 3 d , the driving component 441 can drive the light shielding assembly 44 to switch between the first light shielding position and the second light shielding position.

[0086] As shown in FIG3 c , the closing of the driving component 441 corresponds to the first light-shielding position, and as shown in FIG3 d , the opening of the driving component 441 corresponds to the second light-shielding position.

[0087] The driving component 441 is used to drive the light shielding assembly 44 to switch between the first light shielding position and the second light shielding position. Therefore, the opening or closing of the driving component 441 necessarily corresponds to the position of the light shielding assembly 44. Specifically, when the driving component 441 is closed, the light shielding assembly 44 is in the first light shielding position, and a gap exists between the front end of the light shielding ring and the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this time, the lens driving assembly can be activated, and the lens assembly 40 can be rotated and adjusted. At this time, the light shielding assembly 44 does not contact the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0088] When the drive unit 441 is turned on, the light shielding assembly 44 is in the second light shielding position, with the front end of the light shielding ring contacting the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this time, the lens drive assembly cannot be activated, and the lens assembly 40 cannot be rotated or adjusted. At the same time, the fill light 43 can be turned on, and the light shielding assembly 44 is used to block the light reflected by the fill light 43 on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 from entering the lens 42.

[0089] When the lens assembly 40 is rotated in any direction, the shading assembly 44 is necessarily unable to switch the shading position. Alternatively, when the shading assembly 44 is switching the shading position, the lens assembly 40 is necessarily unable to rotate. The selective activation of the lens drive assembly and the drive component 441 means that when any one or more of the lens drive assemblies are activated, the drive component 441 will not be in the activated state. As shown in FIG5 , the drive component 441 can optionally be a solenoid valve that drives the shading assembly 44 to switch between the first shading position and the second shading position.

[0090] The closing of the driving component 441 corresponds to the first light-shielding position, and the opening of the driving component 441 corresponds to the second light-shielding position.

[0091] The solenoid valve is used to drive the light shielding assembly 44 to switch between a first light shielding position and a second light shielding position. The opening or closing of the solenoid valve necessarily corresponds to the position of the light shielding assembly 44. Specifically, when the solenoid valve is closed, the light shielding assembly 44 is in the first light shielding position, with a gap between the front end of the light shielding ring and the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this point, the lens drive assembly can be activated, and the lens assembly 40 can be rotated and adjusted. At this point, the light shielding assembly 44 is in the second light shielding position, with the front end of the light shielding ring contacting the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this point, the lens drive assembly cannot be activated, and the lens assembly 40 cannot be rotated and adjusted. Simultaneously, the fill light 43 can be turned on, and the light shielding assembly 44 is used to block light reflected from the fill light 43 on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 from entering the lens 42.

[0092] From the above technical solution, it can be seen that when the shading component 44 in the lens assembly 40 is shooting normally without the need for angle adjustment, the shading component 44, especially the shading ring, is in contact with the hemispherical transparent cover 20. When the lens 42 needs to be adjusted in the T direction and P direction, the shading component 44 moves along the second optical axis direction LR to the first shading position. The shading component 44 does not contact the hemispherical transparent cover 20, forming a gap to prevent the shading ring from scratching the hemispherical transparent cover when moving in the P direction or T direction, thereby causing image problems.

[0093] As shown in FIG1a to FIG3f and FIG6, the present application also provides a hemispherical camera, comprising a housing 10, a hemispherical transparent cover 20, a horizontal rotation bracket 30 and a lens assembly 40;

[0094] The housing 10 defines a first central axis LP extending in a vertical direction;

[0095] The hemispherical transparent cover 20 is fixed to the housing 10 and protrudes from the lower surface of the housing 10;

[0096] The horizontal rotation bracket 30 is rotatably mounted in the housing 10 so as to horizontally rotate around the first central axis LP relative to the hemispherical transparent cover 20;

[0097] The lens assembly 40 has a second optical axis LR. The lens assembly 40 is rotatably mounted on the horizontal rotation bracket 30 around a second central axis LT extending along the horizontal direction to adjust the second optical axis LR in pitch.

[0098] The lens assembly 40 includes a lens housing 41, a lens 42, a fill light 43 and a light shielding assembly 44:

[0099] The lens housing 41 extends axially along the second optical axis direction LR;

[0100] The lens 42 is installed in the lens housing 41, and the front end is exposed to the lens hole at the front end of the lens housing 41;

[0101] A fill light 43 is mounted on the lens housing 41 , and the light emitted by the fill light 43 is used to illuminate the image area of ​​the lens 42 ;

[0102] The shading assembly 44 is installed in the lens housing 41 and is located between the lens 42 and the fill light 43 in the radial direction of the lens housing 41. The shading assembly 44 includes a driving component 441, which outputs a driving force along the second optical axis direction LR to change the gap between the front end of the shading assembly 44 and the hemispherical transparent cover 20.

[0103] The driving component 441 is a linear motor, which drives the shading component 44 to move between the first shading position and the second shading position.

[0104] The activated state of the lens driving assembly does not correspond to the second light shielding position.

[0105] The linear motor is used to drive the shading assembly 44 between the first and second shading positions. Therefore, the turning on and off of the linear motor necessarily corresponds to the motion state of the shading assembly 44. Specifically, when the linear motor is off, the shading assembly 44 is in the first or second shading position. When the linear motor is on, the shading assembly 44 is in any position between the first and second shading positions and is in motion.

[0106] When the light shielding assembly 44 is in the first light shielding position, a gap exists between the front end of the light shielding ring and the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this point, the lens drive assembly can be activated, and the lens assembly 40 can be rotated and adjusted. At this point, the light shielding assembly 44 does not contact the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. When the light shielding assembly 44 is in the second light shielding position, the front end of the light shielding ring contacts the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20. At this point, the lens drive assembly cannot be activated, and the lens assembly 40 cannot be rotated and adjusted. At the same time, the fill light 43 can be turned on, and the light shielding assembly 44 is used to block light reflected by the fill light 43 on the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover 20 from entering the lens 42.

[0107] The linear motor can be realized as a lead screw motor.

[0108] It can be seen from the above technical solution that when the shading component 44 in the lens assembly 40 is shooting normally without the need for angle adjustment, the shading component 44, especially the shading ring, is in contact with the hemispherical transparent cover 20. When the lens 42 needs to be adjusted in the T direction and P direction, the shading component 44 moves along the second optical axis direction LR to the first shading position. The shading component 44 does not contact the hemispherical transparent cover 20, forming a gap to prevent the shading ring from scratching the hemispherical transparent cover when moving in the P direction or T direction, thereby causing image problems.

[0109] The series of detailed descriptions listed above are merely specific descriptions of feasible implementation methods of the present application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present application. Any equivalent implementation plans or changes that do not depart from the technical spirit of the present application, such as the combination, division or repetition of features, should be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A hemispherical camera, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing defining a first central axis extending along a vertical direction; A hemispherical transparent cover fixed to the housing and protruding from the lower surface of the housing; A horizontal rotating bracket rotatably mounted in the housing about the first central axis to horizontally rotate about the first central axis relative to the hemispherical transparent cover; A lens assembly having a second optical axis direction, the lens assembly being rotatably mounted on the horizontal rotating bracket about a second central axis extending along a horizontal direction to pitch-adjust the second optical axis direction; The lens assembly includes: A lens housing axially extending along the second optical axis direction; A lens mounted in the lens housing with its front end exposed through a lens hole at the front end of the lens housing; A fill light mounted on the lens housing, the emitted light of the fill light being used to illuminate the image area of the lens; A light-shielding assembly mounted on the lens housing and located between the lens and the fill light in the radial direction of the lens housing, the light-shielding assembly including a driving member that outputs a driving force along the second optical axis direction to change the gap between the front end of the light-shielding assembly and the hemispherical transparent cover.

2. The hemispherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that The light-shielding assembly has a first light-shielding position located inside the lens housing and flush with the lens hole at the front end, and A second light-shielding position where the front end protrudes from the lens hole out of the lens housing and abuts against the inner surface of the hemispherical transparent cover.

3. The hemispherical camera according to claim 2, characterized in that The light-shielding assembly includes: A light-shielding ring driven by the driving member to move along the second optical axis direction, wherein the diameter of the lens is smaller than the diameter of the lens hole, the light-shielding ring is formed as an annular shape coaxially arranged with the lens, and the light-shielding ring is mounted in the gap between the lens and the lens hole.

4. The hemispherical camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, The light-shielding assembly includes: A light-shielding bracket including a pair of fixing arms extending along the second optical axis direction and a fixing ring supported by the fixing arms; wherein the fixing arms are symmetrically located outside the lens, the fixing ring is supported at the front ends of the fixing arms, and the driving member outputs a driving force along the second optical axis direction through the rear ends of the fixing arms; The light-shielding ring is mounted on the front surface of the fixing ring.

5. The hemispherical camera according to claim 4, characterized in that, The thickness of the light-shielding ring or the sum of the thicknesses of the light-shielding ring and the fixing ring is greater than or equal to the gap between the lens and the hemispherical transparent cover.

6. The hemispherical camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lens housing includes: A fill light groove located outside the lens hole, the fill light groove having a fill light groove bottom surface located behind the lens hole in the second optical axis direction and a fill light groove side wall extending along the second optical axis direction between the fill light groove bottom surface and the light-shielding assembly; wherein the fill light is mounted on the fill light groove bottom surface.

7. The hemispherical camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, Comprising: A lens driving assembly, the lens driving assembly including a horizontal driving motor for driving the horizontal rotating bracket to horizontally rotate relative to the hemispherical transparent cover about the first central axis, and a pitching driving motor for driving the lens assembly to pitch and rotate relative to the horizontal rotating bracket about the second central axis; Wherein, the lens driving assembly and the driving component are alternatively started.

8. The hemispherical camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving component is a solenoid valve, and the solenoid valve drives the light-shielding component to switch between the first light-shielding position and the second light-shielding position; Wherein, the closing of the driving component corresponds to the first light-shielding position, and the opening of the driving component corresponds to the second light-shielding position.

9. The hemispherical camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, The driving component is a linear motor, and the linear motor drives the light-shielding component to move between the first light-shielding position and the second light-shielding position.

10. The hemispherical camera according to claim 9, characterized in that, The start of the lens driving assembly does not correspond to the second light-shielding position.

Images