JPH08116578A - Method for deciding address in universal head control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To obtain a method for deciding an address in the universal head control system setting automatically the address of a universal head controller. CONSTITUTION: In the universal head control system in which plural universal head controllers controlling the operation of panning and tilt or the like of universal heads are connected in series with a host computer, when the address of the universal head is decided, the host computer 20 provides an output of a signal 'A0' being a combination of an address allocation command A and an address initial value 0 to a 1st universal head controller 22. The universal head controller A2 sets its own address to 0 by the signal A0 and sends a value adding 1 to its own address 0 to a 2nd universal head controller 24 as A1. Furthermore, an optional universal head controller sets an address received with the address allocation command as its own address and sends an address resulting from incrementing the address to downstream universal head controllers together with the address allocation command.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an address determining method in a camera platform control system, and more particularly to an address determining method in a camera platform control system for automatically setting an address of a camera platform controller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 2, when a host computer 10 centrally controls a large number of pan heads a to d, it is necessary to assign an individual identification number (hereinafter referred to as an address) to each pan head. Therefore, conventionally, the pan head controllers 12, 14, 16 ... That control the driving of pans, tilts, etc. of the pan heads a to d have a built-in digital SW, and the set value thereof is used as an address.

When the host computer 10 issues an operation instruction to the camera platform d indicated by the arrow A, the address values of the camera platform controllers 12, 14 and 16 are represented by the address "-d". Send operation command.

[0004]

However, the digital S installed in each pan head controller as in the prior art is
When setting the address by W, if many pan head controllers are connected, the problem that the address value will be duplicated due to human error or when adding a new pan head controller will occur. However, it is necessary for human beings to set this address one by one, and it is necessary to make a note of the used address so that it does not overlap with the addresses of other pan head controllers.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an address determination method in a camera platform control system capable of automatically setting an address of a camera platform controller.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention connects a plurality of camera platform controllers for controlling a camera platform to one host computer in series via a communication line, Control each pan head by outputting a control command for controlling the pan head via the pan head controller together with an address value for selecting any pan head controller via the communication line from the host computer In the platform control system, the host computer transmits an address assignment command and an initial address value when determining the address of each platform controller, and each platform controller receives the address value received together with the address assignment command from the upstream side. While registering as an address, the address value is increased or decreased, and the address is Is characterized by transmitting an assignment command to the increase or decrease is not the address value on the downstream side.

[0007]

According to the present invention, when determining the addresses of a plurality of pan head controllers connected to each other, the host computer sends an address assignment command and an address initial value. When each platform controller receives the address allocation command and the address value from the upstream side, it registers the received address value as its own address and increases or decreases the address value, and the address allocation command and the increase or decrease. Sent address value to the downstream side.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of an address determining method in a camera platform control system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a pan head system to which an address determination method in a pan head control system according to the present invention is applied.

As shown in the figure, the pan head system mainly comprises a host computer 20, pan head controllers 22 and 2.
4, 26, pan head a connected to each pan head controller
~ D. In this platform control system, three platform controllers are installed in the host computer 20.
To 22, 24, and 26 are connected in series in this order. That is, the pan head controller receives the received data (Rx
d) terminal and transmission data (Txd) terminal, Rxd for return path
Four terminals, that is, a terminal and a Txd terminal are provided, and a forward path Rxd terminal and a Txd terminal are connected between the platform controllers, and a forward path Rxd terminal and a Txd terminal are connected.

The forward Rxd terminal and the backward Txd terminal of the pan head controller 22 are connected to the Txd terminal and the Rxd terminal of the host computer 20, respectively, and the final pan Txd terminal of the pan head controller 26 is connected. Is connected to its own return Rxd terminal.
Note that data transmission is performed according to the RS232C standard, for example, and cables for RS232C are used for connection between the platform controllers and between the host computer and the platform controller.

The pan head controller can control up to four pan heads.
Four pan heads a to d are connected to each 26.
When the host computer 20 outputs instruction information for instructing operations such as pan and tilt to the camera platform controller, the camera platform controller outputs a drive signal to the drive motor of the camera platform based on the instruction information, and pan, tilt, etc. to the camera platform. It is designed to perform the operation of.

Addresses are set in the platform controller and platform, respectively, and the host computer 20
When transmitting instruction information to a desired pan head (pan head controller), the address of this pan head is transmitted at the same time to identify to which pan the instruction information is directed. In this embodiment, the pan head controller is set with an address of an integer number 0, 1, 2 from the side closer to the host computer 20 (a method of setting the address will be described later), and the pan head is a. The symbols from to d are set. That is, the platform is set with a relative address with respect to the platform controller, and for example, the address of the platform d of the platform controller 24 is "1-d".

Next, an address determination method for automatically determining the address of the above-described platform controller will be described.
The address of the camera platform controller is set when the host computer 20 is powered on.
This is performed when there is an address setting instruction from inside or outside 0.

For example, when the power of the host computer 20 is turned on, the host computer 20 sends the transmission data (T
The signal "A0" is output from the xd) terminal. This signal ”
A of A0 ″ indicates a command for instructing execution of address allocation (hereinafter referred to as address allocation command),
0 represents the initial address value, and indicates the address value of the platform controller that first received this signal (ie,
The address of the platform controller 22).

The signal "A0" output from the Txd terminal of the host computer 20 is first sent to the platform controller 2
2 is input to the Rxd terminal for the outward path. When the signal "A0" is input, the camera platform controller 22 sets its own address to 0 according to the instruction of this signal. At the same time, the address indicated by the signal is incremented, and the signal of "A1" is output from the Txd terminal for the forward path.

The "A1" signal output from the outward Txd terminal of the platform controller 22 is transmitted to the platform controller 2.
When it is input to the Rxd terminal for the outward path of No. 4, the own address is set to 1 as in the camera platform controller 22. Along with this, the address indicated by the signal is incremented, and the signal of "A2" is output from the Txd terminal for the outward path.

Similarly, the platform controller 26 sets its own address to 2 in accordance with the instruction of the signal "A2", and outputs the signal "A3" from the outgoing Txd terminal. There is no succeeding platform controller in the platform controller 26, and the forward Txd terminal is connected to the backward Rxd terminal. Therefore, Tx for the outbound path
The "A3" signal output from the d terminal is R for this return path.
Input to xd terminal.

When the signal with the address allocation command A is received from the return Rxd terminal, the platform controller does not take any action on the signal,
The signal input from the return path Rxd terminal is returned to the return path Txd
Output to the terminal. Therefore, the signal “A3” output from the platform controller 26 is
It is directly input to the Rxd terminal of the host computer 20 via.

The host computer 20 uses this "A3"
It can be known from the signal that there are three pan head controllers used in the pan head system. The address determination method when three pan head controllers are connected as shown in FIG. 1 has been described above. However, no matter how many pan head controllers are connected, the pan head controller can be The algorithm is the same as in the above embodiment.

That is, from the Txd terminal for the outward path, "Ai"
When the signal of (i is an integer) is input, the address of itself is set to i, and the signal of "A (i + 1)" is output from the Txd terminal. In addition, "A" from the Rxd terminal for the return path
When the signal of "i" is input, this signal is sent to Tx of the return path.
Output from the d terminal as it is.

[0021]

As described above, according to the address determining method in the camera platform control system according to the present invention, the address of the camera platform controller can be automatically determined by the address assignment command transmitted from the host computer. , By returning the final address to the host computer, it is possible to determine the addresses of a large number of pan head controllers without mistakes by a simple procedure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a camera platform system to which an address determining method in a camera platform control system according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a system diagram showing a conventional pan head system.

[Explanation of Codes] 20 ... Host computer 22, 24, 26 ... Pan head controller a, b, c, d ... Pan head

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of pan head controllers for controlling a pan head are connected in series to one host computer via a communication line, and an arbitrary pan head controller is connected from the host computer via the communication line. In a pan head control system for controlling each pan head by outputting a control command for controlling the pan head via the pan head controller together with an address value for selecting When the address is determined, the address allocation command and the address initial value are transmitted, and each platform controller registers the address value received together with the address allocation command from the upstream side as its own address and increases or decreases the address value,
An address determination method in a camera platform control system, characterized in that the address allocation command and the increased or decreased address value are transmitted to a downstream side. 2. The last pan head controller sends the address allocation command and the increased or decreased address value to the upstream side, and each pan head controller directly receives the address allocation command and the address value received from the downstream side. The address determination method in the camera platform control system according to claim 1, wherein