WO2024255721A1 - Gimbal camera - Google Patents

Abstract

A gimbal camera, which relates to the technical field of imaging devices. The gimbal camera comprises an infrared module (1) and a gimbal apparatus (2), wherein the infrared module (1) comprises an infrared lens and an infrared camera core, and is used for acquiring an infrared image; the gimbal apparatus (2) is provided with at least one rotatable motion assembly; the infrared module (1) is connected to the motion assembly; and the motion assembly is used for driving the infrared module (1) to move. The gimbal camera provided in the present invention can control the action of the infrared module (1) by means of the gimbal apparatus (2), so as to adjust an imaging angle of the infrared module (1), and can be applied to all-weather different-illumination environments; moreover, the combination of the gimbal apparatus (2) and the infrared module (1) can improve the photographing stability of the infrared module (1) during an action process.

Description

A pan-tilt camera

This application claims the priority of the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on June 15, 2023, with application number 202321526562.0 and invention name “A pan-tilt camera”, the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the technical field of imaging equipment, and more specifically, to a pan-tilt camera.

Background Art

Currently, the gimbal cameras on the market are generally used for unmanned aerial vehicles. They are mainly white light cameras and most of them are single-light devices. They can only shoot in high-illuminance environments and can be used for high-altitude shooting, but cannot be used outdoors at night.

In summary, how to provide a pan-tilt camera that can be used in different imaging environments around the clock is a problem that currently needs to be solved urgently by those skilled in the art.

Summary of the invention

In view of this, an object of the present invention is to provide a pan-tilt camera that can be used under different imaging conditions around the clock to broaden the spectral observation range.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

A pan-tilt camera, comprising:

Infrared module, used to obtain infrared images;

The pan-tilt device is provided with at least one rotatable motion component, and the infrared module is connected to the motion component to drive the infrared module to move.

Optionally, it further comprises a laser module for emitting laser, wherein the laser module is connected to the motion component, and the laser module moves synchronously with the infrared module.

Optionally, the laser module includes a green laser for emitting green laser.

Optionally, the motion assembly includes a first power member, a first connecting member, a second power member, a second connecting member and a third power member, one end of the first connecting member is connected to the output end of the first power member, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second power member, one end of the second connecting member is connected to the output end of the second power member, and the other end is fixedly connected to the third power member;

The first power member is used to drive the infrared module to rotate around a first axis, the second power member is used to drive the infrared module to rotate around a second axis, and the third power member is used to drive the infrared module to rotate around a third axis;

Any two of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other.

Optionally, the first power member, the second power member and the third power member are all servo motors.

Optionally, it also includes an operating handle, the pan-tilt device is installed on the operating handle, the operating handle is provided with a control component, and the control component is connected to the pan-tilt device and the infrared module.

Optionally, the control component includes an action button and a shooting control button arranged on the operating handle, the action button is connected to the pan-tilt device to control the pan-tilt device to drive the infrared module to move; the shooting control button is connected to the infrared module to control the shooting of the infrared module.

Optionally, the operating handle is provided with a display screen that can rotate around different axes, and the operating handle is provided with a groove for accommodating the display screen, and the display screen can be rotated into the groove or rotated to be perpendicular to the operating handle.

Optionally, the operating handle is provided with a memory card slot and a data interface for an external memory card;

And/or, the operating handle is provided with an indicator light for displaying the remaining power and the remaining storage space.

Optionally, an adsorption fixing part is further included, and the pan-tilt device is installed on the adsorption fixing part. During the use of the pan-tilt camera provided by the present invention, the action of the infrared module can be controlled by the pan-tilt device to adjust the imaging angle of the infrared module, and the camera can be used in different illumination environments around the clock and in different imaging environments. The combination of the pan-tilt device and the infrared module can improve the shooting stability of the infrared module during the action process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are only embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, Without any creative work, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings.

FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of a pan/tilt camera provided by the present invention;

FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the pan-tilt camera in FIG1 from another angle;

FIG3 is a side view schematic diagram of the pan-tilt camera in FIG1 ;

FIG4 is a schematic diagram of the structure in which the display screen of the pan/tilt camera in FIG1 is rotated to be perpendicular to the operating handle;

FIG5 is a schematic top view of the pan-tilt camera in FIG4 ;

FIG6 is a side view schematic diagram of the pan-tilt camera in FIG4 ;

FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of another specific embodiment of the pan-tilt camera provided by the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of the pan-tilt camera in FIG. 7 from another angle.

In Figures 1 to 8:

1 is the infrared module, 11 is the infrared lens, 12 is the infrared movement, 2 is the pan-tilt device, 21 is the first power part, 22 is the first connecting part, 23 is the second power part, 24 is the second connecting part, 25 is the third power part, 26 is the wire hole, 3 is the laser module, 4 is the operating handle, 41 is the external threaded hole, 5 is the display screen, 51 is the flip axis, 61 is the action button, 62 is the shooting control button, 63 is the power button, 64 is the action remote sensing button, 71 is the TYPE-C socket, and 72 is the TF card slot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

The core of the present invention is to provide a pan-tilt camera that can be used under different imaging conditions around the clock to broaden the spectral observation range.

Please refer to Figures 1 to 6.

This specific embodiment discloses a pan-tilt camera, including an infrared module 1 and a pan-tilt device 2. As shown in FIG5 , the infrared module 1 includes an infrared lens 11 and an infrared movement 12. The infrared module 1 is used to acquire infrared images. The pan-tilt device 2 is provided with at least one rotatable motion component. The infrared module 1 is connected to the motion component, and the motion component is used to drive the infrared module 1 to move.

Preferably, the PTZ camera can be used with infrared hotspot tracking technology to achieve low-light complex environments. Target observation in the environment.

Specifically, the infrared lens 11 can be adjusted manually, and the infrared lens 11 is responsible for collecting infrared light within a focal length range of 10-15 mm, and the infrared movement 12 is responsible for imaging the input 8-12 um long-wave infrared light.

During specific use, the action of the infrared module 1 can be controlled by the pan-tilt device 2 to adjust the imaging angle of the infrared module 1. It can be used under different imaging conditions around the clock to broaden the spectral observation range. The combination of the pan-tilt device 2 and the infrared module 1 solves the problem of infrared imaging stability, and can improve the shooting stability of the infrared module 1 during action to continuously output stable infrared images, thus avoiding the problem of having to use infrared equipment in a stationary and stable manner.

In a specific embodiment, the pan-tilt camera also includes a laser module 3 for emitting lasers, the laser module 3 is connected to the motion component, and the laser module 3 and the infrared module 1 move synchronously. Specifically, the laser module 3 and the infrared module 1 can be set as an integrated structure; during use, in the initial state, the relationship between the imaging of the infrared module 1 and the laser emission direction is adjusted, and there is no need to adjust the laser module 3 separately later. The laser emission direction and the imaging of the infrared module 1 can be adjusted synchronously, which is convenient for adjusting the laser emission direction. The infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 are combined together to solve the problem of laser and infrared off-axis, and the stable state can avoid the problem of laser position change caused by movement.

Preferably, the laser module 3 includes a green laser for emitting green laser light. Compared with a common red laser light, the green laser light is easier to be found and has better visibility.

Specifically, the laser module 3 is responsible for outputting a green laser of 500-540 nm, with a coaxiality of at least 50 m and visibility within 100-150 m.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the gimbal camera includes a first power member 21, a first connecting member 22, a second power member 23, a second connecting member 24, a third power member 25 and a wire hole 26, the wire hole 26 is used to pass the wire, one end of the first connecting member 22 is connected to the output end of the first power member 21, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second power member 23, one end of the second connecting member 24 is connected to the output end of the second power member 23, and the other end is fixedly connected to the third power member 25; the first power member 21 is used to drive the infrared module 1 to rotate around the first axis, the second power member 23 is used to drive the infrared module 1 to rotate around the second axis, and the third power member 25 is used to drive the infrared module 1 to rotate around the third axis, and any two of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other.

Preferably, the first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 can all be set as servo motors for easy control; of course, the first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 can also be other power structures such as rotary cylinders and electric cylinders, which are determined according to actual conditions and will not be elaborated here.

As shown in Figure 1, the first axis is a vertical axis, and the first power member 21 can drive the infrared module 1, the laser module 3, the second power member 23 and the third power member 25 to rotate around the first axis; the second power member 23 can drive the infrared module 1, the laser module 3, and the third power member 25 to roll around the second axis; the third power member 25 can drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to pitch around the third axis. Preferably, the first power component 21 can be set as an azimuth motor, the second power component 23 can be set as a roll motor, and the third power component 25 can be set as a pitch motor. The azimuth motor, roll motor and pitch motor are connected through a mounting base and a rotating shaft. At the same time, the azimuth motor, roll motor and pitch motor realize the control of the gimbal infrared module through a connecting mechanism; specifically, during actual use, the roll motor is responsible for realizing the roll flipping of the gimbal module (0°～150°); the azimuth motor is responsible for realizing the azimuth change of the gimbal module (0°～360°); the pitch motor is responsible for realizing the pitch angle change of the gimbal module (-90°～90°); of course, it can also be other rotation angles, which are determined according to actual conditions.

Specifically, the rotation angle range of the first power member 21 can be 1° to 360°, and 360° rotation can be achieved in the circumferential direction; the rotation angle range of the second power member 23 is 0° to 150°, and the rotation angle of the third power member 25 is -90° to 90°. Of course, the first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 can also be other rotation angles, which are determined according to actual conditions and will not be elaborated here.

In this specific embodiment, the first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to rotate as a whole, which can effectively improve the stability of the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 and improve the imaging quality.

In a specific embodiment, the gimbal camera further includes an operating handle 4 , the gimbal device 2 is mounted on the operating handle 4 , the operating handle 4 is provided with a control component, and the control component is connected to both the gimbal device 2 and the infrared module 1 .

During actual use, the operating handle 4 can be held by hand to control the movement of the pan/tilt device 2 and the shooting of the infrared module 1 through the operation control component.

Preferably, the operating handle 4 is ergonomically designed and easy to grip.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the control component includes an action button 61 and a shooting control button 62 arranged on the operating handle 4. The action button 61 is connected to the pan-tilt device 2 to control the pan-tilt device 2 to drive the infrared module 1 to move; the shooting control button 62 is connected to the infrared module 1 to control the infrared module 1 to shoot.

The operating handle 4 is arranged so that it is convenient to grasp and use.

In Figures 1 and 4, the action button 61 is a five-way control button. By pressing different buttons of the five-way control button, different power parts in the pan-tilt device 2 can be controlled to move, so as to realize the movement of the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3; for example, by pressing the up and down buttons in the five-way control button, the action of the third power part 25 can be controlled to drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to rotate as a whole around the third axis to realize pitch; by pressing the left and right buttons in the five-way control button, the action of the second power part 23 can be controlled to drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to rotate as a whole around the second axis to realize roll; by pressing the middle button in the five-way button, the action of the first power part 21 can be controlled to drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to rotate as a whole around the first axis to realize azimuth change.

As shown in FIG7 , a motion remote sensing button 64 may be provided, and the motion remote sensing button 64 is connected to the pan-tilt device 2 to control the pan-tilt device 2 to drive the infrared module 1 to move. Compared with other case forms, the motion remote sensing button 64 in this specific embodiment has a better operational feel.

The power button 63 can be configured as a structure as shown in FIG. 8 , or as a structure as shown in FIG. 2 , depending on actual conditions.

The shooting control button 62 is used to control quick functions such as shooting, recording, mode selection, and plan confirmation.

As shown in FIG. 2 , a power button 63 is disposed on the side of the operating handle 4 , which can be used to control the power on and off of the pan/tilt camera.

In a specific embodiment, the operating handle 4 is provided with a display screen 5 that can rotate around different axes. The operating handle 4 is provided with a groove to accommodate the display screen 5. The display screen 5 can be rotated into the groove or rotated to be perpendicular to the operating handle 4.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the display screen 5 is rotated into the groove, and the outer surface of the display screen 5 is flush with the outer surface of the operating handle 4; as shown in FIG. 1 , the display screen 5 is rotatably arranged on the operating handle 4 via a flip axis 51, and the operating handle 4 can be rotated to the position shown in FIG. 4 for easy observation.

Specifically, to flip from the state shown in FIG. 2 to the state shown in FIG. 4 , the display screen 5 first needs to rotate around the flip axis 51 Flip it to be perpendicular to the operating handle 4, with the display interface of the display screen 5 facing the bottom of the operating handle 4, and then control the display screen 5 to rotate around another axis perpendicular to the flip axis 51 until it rotates to the state shown in FIG. 4 .

Preferably, the display screen 5 is a touch screen, and during use, the display status or shooting action of the display screen 5 can be controlled by touching; specifically, virtual buttons for controlling the action of the pan-tilt device 2 and the shooting action of the infrared module 1 can be set on the display screen 5.

In this specific embodiment, the display screen 5 is a large side-expanding screen, which can meet the user's observation needs and improve the user experience and effect.

As shown in FIG. 1 , an external threaded hole 41 is provided at the lower portion of the operating handle 4 , which can be used to connect to a structure such as a bracket to fix the gimbal camera.

In a specific embodiment, the operating handle 4 is provided with a storage card slot and a data interface for an external storage card; as shown in FIG2 , the external storage card is a TF card slot 72, to which an external TF card can be connected to expand the storage space to meet long-term recording requirements and storage tasks; the data interface is a TYPE-C socket 71, which can provide complete TYPE-C protocol content to realize data content export and quick charging; of course, the storage card slot and the data interface can also be other structural forms, which are determined according to actual conditions and will not be elaborated here.

It should be noted that the operating handle 4 is provided with a battery, a motor control board and a main control board, wherein the main control board is connected to the infrared module, the laser module, the display screen 5, the control assembly, the motor control board, etc. The battery is used to power the pan/tilt device 2, the infrared module 1, the laser module 3 and other structures, and the main control board is used to realize the product's functions such as recording, shooting, image processing, function switching, content storage, etc. The main control board is screwed to the outer shell of the operating handle 4; the signal of the display screen 5 is connected to the main control board through a flexible flat cable to a coaxial line.

The operating handle 4 may also be provided with indicator lights for displaying the remaining power and the remaining storage space, so as to facilitate real-time understanding of the remaining power and the remaining storage space.

In a specific embodiment, the gimbal camera also includes an adsorption fixing part, and the gimbal device 2 is installed on the adsorption fixing part. During use, the gimbal camera can be directly fixed by the adsorption fixing part; the adsorption fixing part can be a magnetic fixing part, an electrostatic adsorption fixing part, or a vacuum adsorption fixing part, and is used according to actual conditions.

For example, when riding, the adsorption fixture can be attached to the vehicle body or to a hat or other accessories. When shooting in a fixed position, the adsorption fixture can also be fixed to a structure such as a desktop by adsorption. The specific method is determined according to the actual situation and will not be described in detail here.

The pan-tilt camera provided in this application has the following beneficial effects during use:

1. An infrared module 1 is provided to adapt to different imaging conditions around the clock and broaden the spectral observation range.

2. The combination of the pan-tilt device 2 and the infrared module 1 solves the problem of infrared imaging stability, can improve the shooting stability of the infrared module 1 during action, and continuously output stable infrared images, avoiding the problem that the infrared device must be used in a static and stable manner.

3. The laser module 3 includes a green laser for emitting green laser. Compared with the general red laser, the green laser is easier to be found and has better visibility.

4. The laser module 3 and the infrared module 1 are set as an integrated structure, which solves the problem of laser and infrared off-axis. At the same time, the stable state can avoid the problem of laser position change caused by movement.

5. The pan-tilt device 2 includes a first power member 21, a second power member 23, and a third power member 25. The first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 drive the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 to rotate as a whole, which can effectively improve the stability of the movement of the infrared module 1 and the laser module 3 and improve the imaging quality; the first power member 21, the second power member 23, and the third power member 25 can all be set as motors for easy control.

6. An operating handle 4 is provided for easy gripping and use.

7. The operating handle 4 is provided with a display screen 5 that can rotate around different axes, which is convenient for observing the imaging situation; the display screen 5 is a touch screen. During use, the display situation or shooting action of the display screen 5 can be controlled by touching, which simplifies the operation process.

In this specification, each embodiment is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts between the embodiments can be referred to each other. Any combination of all embodiments provided by the present invention is within the protection scope of this invention and will not be described in detail here.

The above is a detailed introduction to the pan-tilt camera provided by the present invention. This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only used to help understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, the present invention can be further improved in several ways without departing from the principles of the present invention. Improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims (11)

A pan-tilt camera, characterized by comprising: An infrared module (1), used for acquiring infrared images; The pan-tilt device (2) is provided with at least one rotatable motion component, and the infrared module (1) is connected to the motion component to drive the infrared module (1) to move. The pan-tilt camera according to claim 1 is characterized in that it also includes a laser module (3) for emitting laser, the laser module (3) is connected to the motion component, and the laser module (3) and the infrared module (1) move synchronously. The pan-tilt camera according to claim 2, characterized in that the laser module (3) comprises a green laser for emitting green laser. The pan-tilt camera according to claim 1, characterized in that the motion assembly comprises a first power member (21), a first connecting member (22), a second power member (23), a second connecting member (24) and a third power member (25), one end of the first connecting member (22) is connected to the output end of the first power member (21), and the other end is fixedly connected to the second power member (23), one end of the second connecting member (24) is connected to the output end of the second power member (23), and the other end is fixedly connected to the third power member (25); The first power member (21) is used to drive the infrared module (1) to rotate around a first axis, the second power member (23) is used to drive the infrared module (1) to rotate around a second axis, and the third power member (25) is used to drive the infrared module (1) to rotate around a third axis; Any two of the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other. The pan-tilt camera according to claim 4, characterized in that the first power member (21), the second power member (23) and the third power member (25) are all servo motors. The gimbal camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is characterized in that it also includes an operating handle (4), the gimbal device (2) is installed on the operating handle (4), and the operating handle (4) is provided with a control component, and the control component is connected to the gimbal device (2) and the infrared module (1). The pan-tilt camera according to claim 6, characterized in that the control component comprises an action button (61) and a shooting control button (62) arranged on the operating handle (4), and the action button (61) is connected to the pan-tilt device (2) to control the pan-tilt device (2). The infrared module (1) is driven to move; the shooting control button (62) is connected to the infrared module (1) to control the infrared module (1) to shoot. The gimbal camera according to claim 6 is characterized in that the operating handle (4) is provided with a display screen (5) that can rotate around different axes, and the operating handle (4) is provided with a groove for accommodating the display screen (5), and the display screen (5) can be rotated into the groove or rotated to be perpendicular to the operating handle (4). The pan-tilt camera according to claim 6, characterized in that the operating handle (4) is provided with a memory card slot and a data interface for an external memory card; And/or, the operating handle (4) is provided with an indicator light for displaying the remaining power and the remaining storage space. The pan-tilt camera according to any one of claims 1 to 5 is characterized in that it also includes an adsorption fixing component, and the pan-tilt device (2) is installed on the adsorption fixing component. The pan-tilt camera according to claim 6 is characterized in that the control component also includes an action remote sensing button (64) arranged on the operating handle (4), and the action remote sensing button (64) is connected to the pan-tilt device (2) to control the pan-tilt device (2) to drive the infrared module (1) to move.