Motion Controller Device with Master and Slave Units for Camera Lens Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
It is challenging for a single cameraperson to precisely control the focus, zoom, and iris positions of a video camera, leading to a need for a method that allows multiple individuals to easily share these operations.
Innovation Solution
A motion controller device with a master unit and one or more slave units that can communicate to control focus, zoom, and iris positions, allowing selection of which unit controls each function, and includes built-in motor-driven mechanisms or external motor control signals for precise adjustments, along with storage and reproduction capabilities for position states.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single cameraperson controls all focus, zoom, and iris positions, then the control is centralized, but it becomes very difficult to exactly control all parameters precisely
Solution Approach 1:
The control device is divided into a master unit and multiple slave units. Each slave unit can independently control specific parameters (focus, zoom, or iris), while the master unit provides overall coordination. This segmentation allows different operators to specialize in specific parameters, improving precision without overwhelming any single operator.
Solution Approach 2:
The master unit acts as an intermediary that receives control signals from operators and distributes them to appropriate slave units. It also coordinates between slave units to ensure synchronized operation, making the multi-parameter control system manageable and precise.
2Ease of operation
If different persons share focus, zoom, and iris position adjustment operations, then the operational burden is distributed, but coordination between operators becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple slave units are merged into a single coordinated system through the master unit. While each slave unit is independently operable, the master unit combines their functions and ensures they work together harmoniously, reducing the coordination complexity that would otherwise arise from completely independent control units.
Solution Approach 2:
The master unit serves multiple functions: it acts as a control unit itself, a coordination hub for slave units, and a communication bridge between operators and slave units. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system architecture while enabling flexible operational arrangements.
3Device complexity
If the master unit controls all output signals, then the control structure is simple, but it becomes a single point of failure and limits flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The control signal output is segmented across multiple independent slave units. Each slave unit can independently generate and output control signals for its assigned parameters, eliminating the single point of failure in the master unit and improving system reliability through distributed control.
4Adaptability or versatility
If built-in motor-driven mechanisms are used for focus and zoom control, then the control is integrated, but the lens must be specifically designed with these mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The control device acts as an intermediary that can adapt to different lens types. It provides motor-driven control signals that can interface with various lens mechanisms (built-in motors, focus rings, zoom rings), making the control system versatile without requiring specific lens modifications.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a motion controller device that allows users to easily share focus, zoom, and iris position control operations.A motion controller device includes a master unit and one or more slave units separated from the master unit and configured to communicate with the master unit. The master unit includes a focus control signal output unit configured to output a control signal for controlling a focus position of a lens of a video camera, a zoom control signal output unit configured to output a control signal for controlling a zoom position of the lens, and an iris control signal output unit configured to output a control signal for controlling an his position of the lens. A selection can be made as to whether an output from at least one of the focus control signal output unit, the zoom control signal output unit, and the iris control signal output unit is controlled by the master unit or the one or more slave units.