“DEVICE FOR MOVING A VIDEO CAMERA AND CORRESPONDING OPTICAL INSPECTION UNIT”

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a device for moving a video camera, able to be concealed in order to allow undercover filming, and the corresponding optical inspection unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the context of investigations by the police force, for example, video cameras can be used, concealed inside common objects, for example electrical junction boxes, domestic appliances, lamps, cabinets, street lamps or other.

To allow the video camera to film, a through hole is normally made on a wall of a concealing object and must be as invisible as possible. For example, its sizes vary from about 1 mm to about 10 mm, also according to the distance from the hole of the subject or scene or zone to be filmed.

In order to perform a correct filming it is necessary to adjust the position of the video camera by means of swing operations, that is, by varying the inclination of the video camera with respect to the through hole.

This adjustment is substantially the result of the combination of two rotation movements, that is, two movements to orient the video camera to the right or to the left, called “panning”, and one upward or downward movement, called “tilting”.

The swinging movement can be either manual, that is, adjusted only once during installation, or automatic, that is, continuously adjusted by means of remotely controlled motors.

To perform its function, the video camera has to be in a position where its optical axis, that is, the line that passes through the center of the lens of the optical unit and the center of the sensor, passes through the through hole. Moreover, the optical unit of the video camera has to be as close as possible to the through hole, to avoid filming the internal wall of the concealing object.

For reasons of simplicity, all the panning and tilting systems on the market have their axes of rotation in the center of the body of the video camera. This kinematic mechanism has the advantage that it is simple and compact but in practice it is unusable when the camera has to be concealed, because the optical axis of the video camera, rotating, inevitably at least partly does not film the zone to be monitored, but rather the interior of the object that conceals it.

There is therefore a need to perfect a device for moving a video camera which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art.

In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for moving a video camera which can be used effectively in any situation of concealment whatsoever, in such a way as to be able to maintain the video camera’s field of view inside the through hole present in the concealing object, and in such a way that the optical axis of the video camera is kept substantially at the center of the through hole whatever the inclination of the camera.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for moving a video camera which is simple to manufacture, compact and with reduced overall sizes.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a device for moving a video camera by means of which the video camera can be positioned and kept as close as possible to the through concealing hole, so as to always guarantee the correct and precise filming of the zone to be monitored.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, the present invention concerns a device for moving a video camera, with a main body provided with an optical unit configured to be positioned in proximity to a through hole made in a surface, for example of a concealing object.

According to one aspect of the invention, the movement device comprises at least a first articulated mechanism, provided with a series of sides that are connected by means of hinges, directly or indirectly associated during use with the surface by means of one or more hinges, and at least a second articulated mechanism, provided with a series of sides that are connected by means of hinges, associated on one side and by means of one or more hinges with the first articulated mechanism and on the other side and by means of one or more hinges with the main body of the video camera.

The hinges of the first articulated mechanism are directed in a first direction, while the hinges of the second articulated mechanism are directed in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Said first and second directions represent two free coordinates of the device and said first and second directions, or directions parallel to said first and second directions, intersect in a point outside the overall size of the device.

The first and second articulated mechanisms allow effective swinging movements, such as a movement to incline the video camera toward the right or left, called “panning”, and a movement to orient the video camera upward or downward, called “tilting”. In this way, the video camera’s field of view is kept inside the through hole of the concealing surface without interfering with the edge of the through hole, and the optical axis of the video camera is kept as much as possible at the center of the through hole whatever the inclination of the video camera.

The first articulated mechanism can be associated by means of a pair of hinges with a support attached during use to the surface where the through hole is made. Alternatively, the first articulated mechanism can be attached directly to such surface by means of the pair of hinges.

The second articulated mechanism can be associated with a final side of the first articulated mechanism by means of a pair of hinges.

The second articulated mechanism can be connected to the main body of the video camera by means of a pair of hinges.

The first and second articulated mechanisms can each comprise at least a first articulated quadrilateral associated with at least a second articulated quadrilateral.

The first and second articulated mechanisms can each comprise at least one hinge associated with an actuator for moving the corresponding articulated mechanism.

The actuator can comprise at least one shaft rotating in one sense or the other around an axis and associated with at least one shape memory metal wire electrically excitable so as to lengthen or contract determining a rotation of the shaft.

The metal wire can comprise at least one pair of branches connected to the shaft, wherein a first branch is electrically excitable to allow the rotation of the shaft around the axis in one sense and a second branch is electrically excitable to allow the rotation of the shaft in a second sense, opposite the first sense.

The actuator can comprise a main body in which there is housed a clutch associated with the shape memory metal wire.

The present device can also comprise a control unit configured to regulate the drive of the first and second articulated mechanisms remotely.

The present invention also concerns an optical inspection assembly comprising a video camera, provided with a main body equipped with an optical unit configured to be positioned in proximity to a through hole made in a surface and with a movement device as defined above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a device for moving a video camera according to the present invention;

- fig. 2a is a schematic lateral view of a part of the present device in a first operating position;

- fig. 2b is a schematic lateral view of a part of the present device in a second operating position;

- fig. 3 is a schematic lateral view of a variant of an articulated mechanism of the present device;

- fig. 4 is a schematic lateral view of another variant of an articulated mechanism of the present device;

- fig. 5 is a schematic lateral view of another variant of an articulated mechanism of the present device;

- fig. 6 is a schematic lateral view of another variant of an articulated mechanism of the present device; - fig. 7 is a lateral view of an actuator usable in the present device and with which there is associated a shape memory metal wire;

- fig. 7a is a schematic example of an equivalent electric circuit;

- fig. 8 is a section view of the actuator considered according to line VIII of fig. 7;

- fig. 9 is a three-dimensional and exploded view of the actuator;

- fig. 10 is an assembled view of the actuator;

- fig. 11 is a top view of the actuator;

- fig. 12 is a section view of the actuator considered along the line XII-XII of fig. 11.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We will now refer in detail to the possible embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings, by way of a non-limiting illustration. The phraseology and terminology used here is also for the purposes of providing non-limiting examples.

The attached drawings, see in particular fig. 1, fig. 2a and fig. 2b, show a device 10 for moving a video camera 11 according to possible embodiments described here.

The video camera 11 is generally able to be concealed to allow undercover filming. In particular, the video camera 11, which in fig. 1 is shown only in part for ease of understanding, comprises a main body 12 provided with an optical unit 13. The main body 12 is configured to be positioned in proximity to a through hole 14 made in a surface 15, for example a surface of an object for concealing the video camera 11, such as a wall or other suitable concealing element.

The device 10 and the video camera 11 substantially form, or are comprised in, an optical inspection assembly, which is also the subject of the present invention.

The video camera 11 , schematically shown for example in figs, from 2a to 6, is configured to define a field of view V which develops from the optical unit 13 and passes through the through hole 14. The field of view V can be, in particular, defined by the optical unit 13. Fig. 1 schematically shows a support I la for accommodating the video camera 11.

The device 10 comprises at least a first articulated mechanism 16, provided with a series of sides 22 that are connected by means of hinges 18, directly or indirectly associated during use with the surface 15 by means of one or more hinges 18a, for example a pair of hinges 18a (fig. 1).

The device 10 comprises at least a second articulated mechanism 17 (figs. 2a, 2b), provided with a series of sides 23 that are connected by means of hinges 19, associated on one side, and by means of one or more hinges 19a, with the first articulated mechanism 16 and on the other side, and by means of one or more hinges 19b, with the main body 12 of the video camera 11, or with a support element of the same video camera 11.

In the center of the field of view V it is possible to identify an optical axis A of the video camera 11 (figs. 2a, 2b). Advantageously, with the present invention the field of view V of the video camera 11 is always contained within the through hole 14, that is, it does not interfere with the edge of the through hole 14 and the optical axis A is preferably always substantially at the center of the through hole 14.

In this way, the center of the through hole 14 becomes a fulcrum F around which the video camera 11 can swing; therefore, the optical axis A and the field of view V will always be contained within the through hole 14 and there will be no risk of framing the inside of the surface 15 of the concealing object, whatever the inclination of the video camera 11.

In this regard, please compare figs. 2a and 2b, where in fig. 2a the video camera 11 is in a first operating position to frame a subject Pl. Following the displacement of the subject Pl, the video camera 11 passes, automatically and thanks to the present device 10, into a second operating position, shown in fig. 2b, always keeping the field of view V inside the through hole.

According to some embodiments, the first articulated mechanism 16 can be directly or indirectly associated, and by means of one pair of the hinges 18a, with the surface 15. In the case of direct association, the first articulated mechanism 16 can be connected directly to the surface 15 by means of the hinges 18a. In the case of indirect association, on the other hand, the first articulated mechanism 16 can be connected to an intermediate support 20 attached to the surface 15. The pair of hinges 18a in this case is associated with the support 20.

In some embodiments, the second articulated mechanism 17 can be associated with a final side 22a of the first articulated mechanism 16, in this specific case by means of a pair of hinges 19a.

Furthermore, the second articulated mechanism 17 can be connected to the main body 12 of the video camera 11 , or to a support element of the same video camera 11, in this specific case by means of a pair of hinges 19b.

The hinges 18, 18a and 19, 19a, 19b of each of the first and second articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 can be directed substantially in a respective same direction X and Y of rotation.

In other words, the hinges 18, 18a of the first articulated mechanism 16 will be directed in a first direction X, while the hinges 19, 19a, 19b of the second articulated mechanism 17 will be directed in a second direction Y.

The directions X and Y can represent or be parallel to the directions around which the video camera 11 is swung by means of the device 10. The video camera 11 can for example be swung around the axes X and Y or axes parallel to X and Y, passing through point J of fig. 2a, that is, a point outside the overall size of the device 10.

Substantially, therefore, the directions around which the video camera 11 can be swung actually represent two free coordinates of the device 10.

The hinges 19b are also aligned along the axis A, while the hinges 19a are aligned along an axis B that intersects the axis A in point J.

In some embodiments, the hinges 18, 18a and 19, 19a, 19b can be made by means of additive manufacturing or injection molding, or they can be equivalent mechanical hinges, for example with a metal axis.

The first and second articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 can each comprise at least a first articulated quadrilateral 24 and 25 associated with at least a second articulated quadrilateral 26 and 27, see in particular the second articulated mechanism 17 schematically shown in figs. 2a and 2b and provided with the first articulated quadrilateral 25 and with the second articulated quadrilateral 27. The articulated quadrilaterals of each of the articulated mechanisms 16, 17 can have one side in common, see for example the side 23a of the articulated quadrilaterals 25 and 27 of figs. 2a and 2b. In this case, substantially, the side 23a in common belongs to the first articulated quadrilateral 25.

In particular, the articulated mechanism 17 shown in fig. 2a and 2b can comprise seven hinges 19, 19a, 19b. Similarly, the articulated mechanism 16 can comprise seven hinges 18, 18a.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 show some variants of the articulated mechanism 17, which could also be provided for the articulated mechanism 16.

Fig. 3 shows an articulated mechanism 17a provided with seven hinges 19, 19a, 19b and the side in common to the articulated quadrilaterals 25 and 27 is a side 23b of the second articulated quadrilateral 27.

Fig. 4 shows an articulated mechanism 17b provided with seven hinges 19, 19a, 19b and the second articulated quadrilateral 27 is substantially elongated toward a final side 23c of the first articulated quadrilateral 25, in particular by means of the side 23b hinged at the end to the side 23c.

Fig. 5 shows an articulated mechanism 17c provided with eight hinges, in which the sides 23a and 23b of the articulated quadrilaterals 25 and 27 intersect and both extend beyond the intersection point, in which a hinge 19c is provided.

Fig. 6 shows an articulated mechanism 17d similar to the articulated mechanism 17c but provided with seven hinges 19, in which the sides 23a and 23b of the articulated quadrilaterals 25 and 27 intersect and both extend beyond the intersection point, in which a hinge 19c is provided. The sides 23d and 23 e respectively of the first articulated quadrilateral 25 and of the second articulated quadrilateral 27 are interrupted in correspondence with vertex hinges 19d and 19e respectively.

As mentioned, the configurations shown for the articulated mechanism 17, 17a, 17b, 17c and 17d could be provided in the same way for the first articulated mechanism 16.

Therefore, according to the embodiments described here, different combinations of the articulated mechanisms as above can be provided in order to carry out the swinging movements of the video camera 11 around the axes X and Y, for example: an articulated mechanism 17 made according to fig. 2a could be associated with an articulated mechanism 16 made according to figs. 2a, 3, 4, 5, 6, or an articulated mechanism 17a according to fig. 3 could be associated with an articulated mechanism 16 made according to figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, or an articulated mechanism 17b according to fig. 4 could be associated with an articulated mechanism 16 according to figs. 4, 5, 6, or again an articulated mechanism 17c made according to fig. 5 could be associated with an articulated mechanism 16 according to fig. 5, or an articulated mechanism 17d made according to fig. 6 could be associated with an articulated mechanism 16 according to fig. 6, or other.

In possible embodiments, in order to move the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 independently of each other, at least one hinge 18 and 19 can be associated with an actuator 28, in particular rotary, for moving the corresponding articulated mechanism 16 or 17, see for example the hinge 19a of the second articulated mechanism 17 of figs. 2a and 2b.

In possible embodiments, the actuator 28, in particular a rotary actuator, see for example figs. 6 and 7, can comprise at least one shaft 29 rotating in one sense or the other around an axis B and associated with at least one shape memory metal wire 30, electrically excitable so as to lengthen or contract determining a rotation of the shaft 29 around the axis B.

The metal wire 30, when heated by means of electric current, contracts, that is, reduces its length. When the electrical excitation that causes the heating ceases, the metal wire 30 cools and therefore lengthens thanks to the shape memory metal alloy that it is made of. In substance, the metal wire 30 returns to its idle position.

In some embodiments, the shaft 29 can be, for example, cylindrical in shape, associated with one of the hinges 18 and 19, or it can itself constitute the rotation hinge.

The metal wire 30 can comprise at least one pair of branches 31 and 32 connected to the shaft 29 and electrically excitable so as to allow the rotation of the shaft 29 in one sense, or in the opposite sense, around the axis B.

The metal wire 30 can be electrically excited by means of an electric circuit 33 associated with the two branches 31 and 32 and with a common branch connected to the shaft 29, identifiable in fig. 7a. The electric circuit 33 can be driven automatically so that the branch 31 or the branch 32 is alternately powered, so as to rotate the shaft 29 and therefore the hinge 18 or 19 in the desired sense. The electric circuit 33 in fig. 6 is shown for illustrative purposes only and some parts have been omitted for simplicity, for example the common branch. In any case, for further illustrative and non-limiting purposes, fig. 7a shows an equivalent electric circuit 33’. In this equivalent electric circuit 33’, by means of the branch 31 a clockwise rotation (CW) of the shaft 29 is achieved and by means of the branch 32 a counter-clockwise rotation (CCW) is achieved.

The metal wire 30 can be wound around the shaft 29 and clamped in position by means of a screw 34 or suchlike.

The actuator 28, see also from fig. 9 to fig. 12, can comprise a main body 35 in which there is housed a clutch 36 associated with the shape memory metal wire 30.

In some embodiments, the clutch 36 can comprise a slider 40 configured to translate in one sense or the other of a given direction C along a seating 37 made in the main body 35, the slider 40 being associated with a pre-load spring 43. The slider 40 comprises a first rounded end 41 facing toward the shaft 29 and a second end 42 provided with pins 39 for supporting the slider 40. The first end 41 can comprise, for example, two rounded and parallel arms.

The travel of the translation of the slider 40 can be determined by the extension of a pair of slits 38 made on the main body 35 and in which the ends of the pins 39 for supporting the slider 40 are inserted.

The slider 40 can therefore move between two positions, that is, at least a first position shown in fig. 10 in which the clutch 36 is in contact with the shaft 29 and exerts a braking action on it, and a second position in which it is at the maximum distance from the shaft 29. In the position of equilibrium of the slider 40, the pins 39 are located substantially in an intermediate position of the slits 38.

During operation, the slider 40 can translate by a few hundredths of a millimeter around the position of equilibrium. The slits 38 therefore have the purpose of allowing a rectilinear motion of the slider 40 and of limiting its sliding, so that during assembly, even in the temporary absence of the shaft 29, the slider 40 remains constrained to the main body 35 and contains the spring 43.

In some embodiments, the actuator 28 is also provided with a series of pins 45, for example four pins 45, for supporting an equal number of corresponding pulleys 46, around which the metal wire 30 is suitably wound.

The metal wire 30, therefore, in addition to acting in order to make the shaft 29 rotate, can also act on the slider 40 and when the metal wire 30 exceeds a certain degree of deformation due to the action of the heat generated by the electric excitation, as well as determining a rotary motion of the shaft 29, it also determines a force on the slider 40. The metal wire 30, pulling the slider 40, contrasts the force exerted by the spring 43. The slider 40, while remaining in contact with the shaft 29, now exerts a weaker force on the shaft 29 and therefore a lower braking torque.

The main body 35 can comprise a rounded seating 47 where the shaft 29 is housed. The shaft 29 can be equipped with ends associated with attachment elements 48 such as nuts or suchlike that keep it in position in the seating 47.

Even if the embodiments described above in relation to the actuator 28 prove to be particularly effective to drive the present movement device 10 provided with articulated mechanisms 16 and 17, these are not to be considered as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention; in fact, it is understood that other types of known actuators could also be used, alternatively or in combination.

For example, a rotary actuator, equipped with a core-less brush motor, could also be used in the present device 10, to which there is keyed, in proximity to the rear end of the shaft, a multi-line rotary encoder that acts as a rotary sensor in order to thus implement a feedback position control. A gear reducer can also be associated with the motor in order to reduce the high number of revolutions of the motor and amplify its torque. At exit from the reducer there could be provided a shaft that would replace one of the hinges of the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17.

In some embodiments, the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 can be connected to a control unit 21 configured to regulate, for example remotely, their displacements, so as to place the video camera 11 on each occasion in the desired position with respect to the through hole 14.

The control unit 21, in particular, will be associated with the rotary actuators of the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17, see in particular figs, from 2a to 6, in which the control unit 21 is associated with the actuator 28. In some embodiments, the control unit 21 can also be associated with a display or suchlike, through which an operator can view what is being framed by the video camera 11.

Furthermore, the control unit 21 can also be associated with the electric circuit 33 for excitation of the branches 31 or 32 of the metal wire 30.

Favorably, according to the present invention, the displacements of the video camera 11 are all carried out thanks to the drive of the device 10 according to the embodiments described here, therefore thanks to the drive of the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17. The articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 can be made for example as shown in figs, from 2a to 6.

By means of the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17 it is possible to provide swinging movements of the video camera 11 that comprise any combination of movements whatsoever with respect to the directions X and Y of fig. 1.

By suitably driving the present device 10 and therefore the articulated mechanisms 16 and 17, it is possible to obtain any inclination of the video camera 11 whatsoever, always keeping it with the optical unit 13 in the vicinity of the through hole 14 so that the field of view V is always contained within the through hole 14 and does not interfere with the edge of the through hole 14.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the device 10 for moving a video camera as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading and they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection claimed in the specific claims.