# US 10,375,290 B2 · Video equipment control

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- Number: US 10,375,290 B2
- Document ID: US10375290B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/818,663
- Filed: 2017-11-20
- Published: 2019-05-23
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-20
- Assignees: Ross Video Limited
- Applicants: Ross Video Limited
- Inventors: Neil Webster; Daniel M McInnis; Jean E. Frojo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10375290B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/66: Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
- B25J 5/007: {mounted on wheels}
- B25J 9/162: {Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it}
- H04N 23/60: Control of cameras or camera modules
- H04N 23/69: Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
- H04N 23/695: Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
- Y10S 901/01: Mobile robot
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A control handle extends at least partially around a hub. Multiple arms extend in respective different directions between the hub and the control handle. Sensors sense an effect of an input force applied to the control device and acting on each of the arms relative to multiple directions. A controller interface is coupled to the sensors, to enable communication with a controller of the video equipment. Such a control device could be implemented in conjunction with a video equipment pedestal that also includes a base and an equipment support. The control device could be used to drive motion of the video equipment pedestal based on readings by the sensors. A user input device could be provided to control one or more of virtual mass, virtual friction, enabling and disabling of driving motion, and/or enabling and disabling of motion relative to any one or more of multiple axes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A video equipment control device to control video equipment, the video equipment control device comprising:
a hub;
a control handle extending at least partially around the hub;
a plurality of arms extending in respective different directions between the hub and the control handle;
a plurality of sensors, comprising multiple sensors mounted to each of the plurality of arms, to sense an effect of an input force applied to the video equipment control device and acting on each of the plurality of arms relative to multiple directions; and
a controller interface, coupled to the plurality of sensors, to enable communication with a controller that is configured to drive a motion of the video equipment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The control device of claim 1, wherein the control handle comprises a ring that extends around the hub.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The control device of claim 1, further comprising a respective compliant coupling between the control handle and each of the plurality of arms.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The control device of claim 3, wherein each compliant coupling comprises a leaf spring.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The control device of claim 1, further comprising:
the controller, coupled to the controller interface, to receive readings from the sensors and to provide control signals to the video equipment based on the readings.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is separate from the control device.

### Claim 7

A video equipment pedestal comprising:
a base;
an equipment support coupled to the base, to support video equipment controllable by a video equipment control device on the base;
a hub coupled to the equipment support;
a control handle extending at least partially around the hub;
a plurality of arms extending in respective different directions between the hub and the control handle;
a plurality of sensors, comprising multiple sensors mounted to each of the plurality of arms, to sense an effect of an input force applied to the video equipment control device and acting on each of the plurality of arms relative to multiple directions; and
a controller coupled to the sensors, to drive motion of the video equipment pedestal based on readings by the sensors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, wherein the motion comprises movement of the base on a surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, wherein the motion comprises movement of the equipment support relative to the base.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, further comprising:
a user input device to control virtual mass associated with the motion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, further comprising:
a user input device to control virtual friction associated with the motion.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, further comprising:
a user input device to control enabling and disabling of driving motion of the video equipment pedestal by the controller.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The video equipment pedestal of claim 7, further comprising:
a user input device to control enabling and disabling of motion relative to any one or more of multiple axes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 7)

A video equipment system comprising:
the video equipment pedestal of claim 7; and
video equipment mounted to the equipment support.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
receiving readings from a plurality of sensors, comprising multiple sensors mounted to each of a plurality of arms of a control device, to sense an effect of an input force applied to a control device and acting on each of the plurality of arms of the control device relative to multiple directions, the plurality of arms extending in respective different directions between a control handle of the control device and a hub of the control device around which the control handle at least partially extends; and
providing control signals to drive a motion of video equipment based on the readings.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
resolving the readings into linear force components and moment components; and
generating the control signals based on the linear force components and the moment components.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the providing comprises providing the control signals to a controller that is located remotely from the control device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving an input from a user input device to control virtual mass associated with the motion,
the providing comprising providing the control signal to control the motion of the video equipment further based on the received input.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving an input from a user input device to control virtual friction associated with the motion,
the providing comprising providing the control signal to control the motion of the video equipment further based on the received input.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving an input from a user input device to control enabling and disabling motion control of the video equipment based on the control signal.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising:
receiving an input from a user input device to control enabling and disabling of motion control relative to any one or more of multiple axes.

### Claim 22

A method comprising:
providing a hub for a video equipment control device;
providing a control handle for a video equipment control device, the control handle extending at least partially around the hub;
providing a plurality of arms for the video equipment control device, the plurality of arms extending in respective different directions between the hub and the control handle;
providing a plurality of sensors, comprising multiple sensors mounted to each of the plurality of arms, to sense an effect of an input force applied to the video equipment control device and acting on each of the arms relative to multiple directions; and
providing a controller interface, coupled to the plurality of sensors, to enable communication with a controller that is configured to drive a motion of the video equipment.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to drive motion of the video equipment based on readings by the plurality of sensors, the method further comprising providing one or more of:
a user input device to control virtual mass associated with the motion;
a user input device to control virtual friction associated with the motion;
a user input device to control enabling and disabling of motion control; and
a user input device to control enabling and disabling of motion relative to any one or more of multiple axes.