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US 7,841,783 B2Granted
Miniaturized turret-mounted camera assembly
AssigneeBrandebury Tool Company, Inc.
InventorWilliam B. Harvey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A light weight camera mounting assembly allowing for tilt and pan of a camera through a significant portion of a spherical rang of view with minimal parts count, minimal weight and minimal weight in the rotated portion of the assembly. A retraction/extension assembly for a light weight camera with minimal weight and complexity. Doors which open to allow a camera to extend beyond the surface of a vehicle and close to protect the camera and allow for landing of the vehicle without external skids.
Claims10
A camera mount comprising:
- a base;
- a yoke pivotally mounted to the base;
- a camera semi-shell pivotally mounted to the yoke;
- a pan servo to rotate the yoke with respect to a pan axis, the pan axis being perpendicular to the base;
- a tilt servo to rotate the camera semi-shell with respect to a tilt axis, the tilt axis being parallel to the base, wherein a rotational displacement of the camera semi-shell about the tilt axis is controlled by a control cable driven by the tilt servo, wherein said control cable is routed to the camera semi-sphere through a sheath passing through the center of yoke rotation;
- and
- first and second position feedback means for monitoring an extent of rotation implemented by said pan and tilt servos.
4 more elements
A method for operating a camera mount comprising:
- mounting a yoke pivotally over a base;
- mounting a camera semi-shell pivotally to the yoke;
- a pan servo for rotating the yoke with respect to a pan axis, the pan axis being perpendicular to the base;
- a tilt servo for rotating the camera semi-shell with respect to a tilt axis, the tilt axis parallel to the base;
- controlling a rotational displacement of the camera semi-shell about the tilt axis through a control cable driven by the tilt servo, wherein said control cable is routed to the camera semi-sphere through a sheath passing through the center of yoke rotation;
- and
- monitoring the extent of rotation implemented by the pan and tilt servos with first and second position feedback means.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.