JP2001333320A - Remote control universal head system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a remote control universal head system where a universal head controller transmits a dummy signal to a universal head and measures a time until the universal head controller receives a reply signal from the universal head at start of communication between the universal head controller and the universal head, a delay wait time to await reception of the reply signal from the universal head is set on the basis of the measured time after the universal head controller transmits the control signal to the universal head so as to set the delay wait time with high reliability corresponding to the actual channel state. SOLUTION: A controller control section 32 of the universal head controller 12 transmits the dummy signal to the universal head 12 and measures a delay time until the control section 32 receives the reply signal from the universal head 10. Then the control section 32 conducts the measurement a plurality of times and sets a time resulting from the maximum delay time multiplied with a safety factor as the delay wait time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote control head system, and more particularly to a remote control head system for controlling a head by a head controller connected via a communication line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a camera platform equipped with a television camera,
Connect the pan head controller with a communication line (telephone line, etc.), and pan / tilt, focus,
2. Description of the Related Art There is known a remote control pan head system that transmits a control signal for instructing zoom or the like to a pan head so that a pan head and a television camera mounted on the pan head can be remotely controlled (Japanese Patent No. 2626).
No. 38098). In such a remote control pan head system, the pan head controller usually transmits a predetermined control signal to the pan head, waits for a response signal to the control signal to be returned from the pan head, and if a certain time elapses. Even if no response signal is returned, it is determined that a communication error has occurred, and a necessary measure such as transmitting the same control signal to the camera platform again is taken.

When a signal is exchanged using a communication line (particularly, a telephone line) in this way, the signal exchange naturally has a delay time due to the line, and the pan head controller transmits a control signal to the pan head. After that, the time required for receiving the response signal varies depending on the state of the line. For this reason, conventionally, after the pan head controller transmits the control signal, the waiting time for the reception of the response signal (delay waiting time), that is, even though the pan head controller has transmitted the control signal to the pan head, The time when it is determined that no signal is returned is set to an empirical value in consideration of the variation in the line condition.

[0004]

However, if the delay wait time is empirically set as described above, the delay wait time may be unnecessarily long or too short. Even when a response signal cannot be received, there has been a problem that it is not possible to accurately determine whether a communication error has occurred due to a failure of the device or a mere line delay.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and after a head controller sends a control signal to the head, a delay waiting time for waiting for a response signal from the head is set to an actual line. An object of the present invention is to provide a remote control pan head system that can be set to a highly reliable value according to a situation.

[Detailed Description of the Invention]

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a camera platform and a camera platform controller are connected by a communication line, and the camera platform controller is connected to the camera platform via a communication circuit. In the remote control head system for controlling the head by transmitting a control signal to the head, a control signal is transmitted from the head controller to the head, and the control signal is returned from the head. A delay time detecting means for detecting a delay time required until the head controller receives the response signal, and a head signal transmitted by the head controller based on the delay time detected by the response time detecting means. And a waiting time setting means for setting a waiting time for waiting for receiving a response signal from the camera platform.

[0008] The invention described in claim 2 is the first invention.
In the invention described in the above, the delay time detecting means transmits a dummy signal from the pan head controller to the pan head,
It is characterized in that the time until the head controller receives the response signal to the dummy signal is detected, the detection is performed a plurality of times, and the longest time among the detected times is the delay time.

[0009] The invention described in claim 3 is the first invention.
Alternatively, in the invention according to claim 2, the waiting time setting means sets a time obtained by multiplying the delay time detected by the delay time detecting means by a safety factor in consideration of safety as the waiting time. And

According to the present invention, after transmitting the control signal, the delay time required for receiving the response signal is actually detected using the communication line, and the waiting time for waiting for the response signal is determined based on the detected delay time. Since the setting is performed, the reliability of the set waiting time is high, and a problem that the waiting time is unnecessarily long or too short is prevented. In addition, because the reliability of the set waiting time has become higher, if a response signal cannot be received within the waiting time, the subsequent processing is performed based on the judgment that it is unlikely that delay in the line is the cause. Can be taken properly.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a remote control pan head system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a camera platform of a remote control camera platform system according to the present invention. The remote control head system shown in FIG. 1 includes a head 10 and a head controller 12. As shown in FIG.
Is composed of a housing 15 for accommodating a television camera (hereinafter simply referred to as a camera), not shown, and a camera platform body 16 for panning and tilting the camera together with the housing 15. A transparent front glass 17 is provided on a front surface of the housing 15, and a camera housed in the housing 15 can take a picture outside the housing 15 through the front glass 17.

The housing 15 is cantilevered by a tilt shaft (not shown) extending from the camera platform main body 16, and the tilt shaft is driven to rotate by a tilt motor built in the camera platform main body 16. Thereby, the camera in the housing 15 is tilted. The pan head main body 16 is supported by a pan shaft 18 fixed on a mounting table (not shown). The pan head main body 16 is driven to rotate by a built-in pan motor around the pan shaft 18. Thereby, the camera in the housing 15 pans.

The pan head controller 12 is connected to the pan head 10 via a communication line such as a public line such as a telephone line or a dedicated line, and operates based on the operation of various operation members provided in the pan head controller 12. A control signal is transmitted to the camera platform 10 to control various operations of the camera platform 10 and a camera mounted on the camera platform 10.

The pan head controller 12 is provided with various operation members as shown in the plan view of FIG. For example,
Operation stick (joystick) 20, focus knob 2
2. A zoom knob 24 is provided. When the joystick 20 is operated back and forth and right and left, the camera can be panned and tilted. When the focus knob 22 and the zoom knob 24 are operated to rotate, the focus of the camera can be adjusted.
Zoom adjustment can be performed. still,
The pan head controller 12 includes these operation members 20 to 2
In addition to the switches 4, switches for operating various functions (shot function, etc.) of the camera platform 10 and various functions (gain adjustment, extender magnification setting, etc.) of the camera body of the camera mounted on the camera platform 10 and the lens device are provided. Although switches for operation are provided, description of these switches is omitted.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of the remote control pan head system. As shown in the figure, the controller control section 32 of the pan head controller 12 detects the operation of the operation member 30 disposed on the pan head controller 12 such as the joystick 20, and outputs a control signal according to the operation content to the modem 34. Output to The modem 34 transmits the control signal to the modem 36 on the camera platform 10 through a communication line (a telephone line in the present embodiment). The control signal received by the modem 36 is provided to the camera platform control unit 38 of the camera platform 10.

Upon receiving the control signal from the pan head controller 12 as described above, the pan head control unit 38 transmits a response signal indicating that the control signal has been received to the modem 3 in a manner opposite to the above.
6 to the camera platform controller 12 via the telephone line and the modem 34. Then, the camera platform control unit 38 executes various processes based on the received control signal. For example, when a control signal for instructing panning or tilting is received, the pan motor 40 or the tilt motor 42 is driven based on the control signal. When a control signal related to control of the camera body 44 or the lens device 46 is received, the camera main body 44 or the lens device 46 executes processing of the control content.

After transmitting the control signal to the camera platform 10 as described above, the controller control section 32 of the camera platform controller 12 transmits a response signal to the control signal from the camera platform 10 for a predetermined delay waiting time. Wait for a reply. If a response signal is received during the delay waiting time, it is determined that communication has been normally performed, and the next process is executed. On the other hand, if the response signal cannot be received even after the elapse of the delay waiting time, processing for a communication error such as transmitting the same control signal is performed again.

Next, the procedure for setting the delay waiting time will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. At the start of startup (at the start of communication), first, the controller control unit 32 of the pan head controller 12 sends a signal of the connection check command to the pan head 1.
0 (step S10). Upon receiving the signal, the head controller 38 of the head 10 returns a response signal to the controller controller 32 of the head controller 12 (step S12). When confirming the response signal (step S14), the controller control unit 32 next transmits a dummy command signal (dummy signal) to the camera platform control unit 38 (step S18). Then, the timer is started together with the transmission to start time measurement (step S20). On the other hand, when the pan head controller 38 receives the dummy signal,
A response signal is returned to the controller control unit 32 (step S18).

When the controller control section 32 receives the response signal from the camera platform control section 38 and confirms the response (step S22), it stops the timer (step S22).
24), the time measured by the timer, that is,
, A waiting time (delay time) from when a dummy signal is transmitted to when a response signal to the dummy signal is received is acquired. The controller control unit 32 repeatedly executes the processing from step S16 to step S24 a plurality of times (for example, three times), and acquires the delay time for the plurality of times.

Next, the controller control section 32 selects the largest one (maximum delay time) from the plurality of delay times acquired in the plurality of processes of steps S16 to S24, and secures the maximum delay time. (For example, 1.5 times) is calculated (step S26). Then, the obtained time is determined as the delay waiting time (step S28).

After setting the delay waiting time according to the actual line condition by the above processing, the controller control unit 32 transmits a control signal corresponding to the operation of the operation member 30 to the camera platform 10 as described above. At that time, for a set delay waiting time, the control unit 10 waits for a response signal returned from the camera platform 10 in response to the control signal. If a response signal is received during the delay waiting time, it is determined that communication has been normally performed, and the next process is executed. On the other hand, if the response signal cannot be received even after the elapse of the delay waiting time, processing for a communication error such as transmitting the same control signal is performed again.

As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the dummy signal is transmitted from the camera platform controller 12 to the camera platform 10 in order to set the delay wait time. In several times, the control of the camera platform 10 is performed by transmitting a control signal corresponding to the operation of the operation member 30 to the camera platform 10 without setting the delay waiting time (or setting the temporary delay waiting time). At the same time, the delay time until the response signal is received may be measured, and the delay waiting time may be set based on the measured delay times for the plurality of times as described above.

In the above embodiment, the setting process of the delay waiting time is performed at the time of startup. However, if a communication error frequently occurs even at the time of the startup, the delay waiting time is again set. May be performed.

[0025]

As described above, according to the remote control head system according to the present invention, the delay time required for receiving the response signal after transmitting the control signal is actually detected using the communication line. Since the waiting time for waiting for the response signal to be received is set on the basis of the above, the reliability of the set waiting time is high, and a problem that the waiting time is unnecessarily long or too short is prevented. In addition, because the reliability of the set waiting time has become higher, if a response signal cannot be received within the waiting time, the subsequent processing is performed based on the judgment that it is unlikely that delay in the line is the cause. Can be taken properly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing an embodiment of a pan head of a remote control pan head system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a camera platform controller.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram of a remote control pan head system according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for setting a delay waiting time;

[Explanation of symbols]

10: head, 12: head controller, 32: controller controller, 34, 36: modem, 38: head controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04Q 9/00 301 H04Q 9/00 301E F term (Reference) 2H105 AA12 AA14 5C022 AB01 AB21 AB43 AB62 AB65 AC27 AC31 AC41 AC61 AC69 AC74 AC77 5K048 AA06 BA03 BA10 DC07 EB02 EB03 EB06 HA04 HA06 5K101 KK11 LL01 NN06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A remote control head system for controlling a head by connecting a head and a head controller via a communication line, transmitting a control signal from the head controller to the head via a communication line, and controlling the head. A delay time for detecting a delay time required for the head controller to receive a response signal returned from the head with respect to the control signal after transmitting a control signal from the head controller to the head. Detecting means, based on the delay time detected by the response time detecting means, the head controller, after transmitting a control signal,
A wait time setting means for setting a wait time for waiting for receiving a response signal from the camera platform. 2. The delay time detecting means transmits a dummy signal from the pan head controller to the pan head, detects a time until the pan head controller receives a response signal to the dummy signal, and Perform detection multiple times,
2. The remote control head system according to claim 1, wherein the longest time among the detected times is set as the delay time. 3. The waiting time setting means sets a time obtained by multiplying a delay time detected by the delay time detecting means by a safety factor in consideration of safety as the waiting time. Or the remote control pan head system according to claim 2.