Camera system for monitoring a space area

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9503618-B2
Application number	US-42502109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2009
Priority date	Oct 17, 2006
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A camera system for monitoring a space area has a camera unit including an image sensor and a number of optical elements which form an imaging optics. A system body has at least one receptacle for the camera unit. A mounting part serves for aligning the system body relative to the space area. The optical elements are fastened on an objective body which has a mounting flange. The objective body is fastened in the receptacle by means of the mounting flange.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A camera system for safeguarding an automated installation arranged in a space area, the camera system comprising:
an integrally formed unitary system body having formed therein a first, a second and a third receptacle, which define a fixed triangle of receptacles,
a first camera unit arranged in the first receptacle, a second camera unit arranged in the second receptacle, and a third camera unit arranged in the third receptacle, and
a mounting part for aligning the system body relative to the space area,
wherein each of the first camera unit, the second camera unit and the third camera unit comprises:
an image sensor, a component carrier on which the image sensor is fastened, a number of optical elements which form an imaging optics, an objective body on which the optical elements are fixedly arranged, and a carrier ring,
with the image sensor being directly mounted onto the component carrier and without a sensor housing,
with the objective body comprising an integrally formed unitary component having a mounting flange via which the objective body is accurately positioned and fastened in one of said first, second, or third receptacles, so that each of said first, second and third camera units is positioned in a predetermined position in said unitary system body relative to the other camera units,
with the carrier ring comprising at least one conical aligning pin,
with the component carrier being fastened to the objective body via the at least one conical aligning pin, and
with the objective body being fastened in an accurately fitting fashion on the carrier ring, so that the image sensor is positioned in a predetermined position relative to said optical elements.

2. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the carrier ring comprises an external thread, where the objective body is screwed onto the external thread, and wherein a lock nut is also screwed onto the external thread between the component carrier and the objective body to fix the position of the optical elements relative to the image sensor and thereby fixedly focus the camera unit.

3. The camera system of claim 2 , wherein an O-ring is arranged between the objective body and the lock nut in order to achieve a pre-stress without play.

4. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the component carrier and the objective body form a dustproof encapsulation for the image sensor.

5. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein each of said first, second and third receptacles is a through opening having a stepped edge profile for receiving one of the camera units.

6. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the mounting flange is integrally formed on the objective body.

7. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging optics has an entry pupil, and the objective body has an outside facing away from the image sensor and lying substantially planar with the entry pupil.

8. The camera system of claim 7 , wherein the outside of the objective body has an outside area which is larger than the entry pupil by a factor of at least 10.

9. The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the system body has a fourth receptacle configured for detachably fastening the mounting part.

10. The camera system of claim 9 , wherein the fourth receptacle is a cutout with a circumferential inner edge, with at least three aligning surfaces being distributed along the inner edge, with each one from the at least three aligning surfaces lying in a defined position and alignment relative to the at least one receptacle for the camera unit.

11. The camera system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller operably connected to the first, second and third camera units, the controller being configured to evaluate images of the space area recorded by the first, second and third camera units, and to produce a safe stop signal for stopping an automated installation as a function of the images.

12. A camera system for monitoring a space area, the camera system comprising at least one camera unit having an image sensor and a number of optical elements which form an imaging optics, the camera system further comprising an integrally formed unitary system body which has at least one receptacle for the camera unit, and comprising a mounting part for aligning the system body relative to the space area, with the optical elements being fixedly arranged in an objective body which has a mounting flange, and with the objective body being fastened in the receptacle by means of the mounting flange which serves to accurately position the objective body in the receptacle and thereby position the camera unit in a predetermined position relative to the system body.

13. The camera system of claim 12 , wherein the camera unit has a component carrier on which the image sensor is fastened, with the component carrier being fastened on the objective body via at least one conical aligning pin.

14. The camera system of claim 13 , wherein the image sensor is bonded directly onto the component carrier without a sensor housing.

15. The camera system of claim 13 , wherein the component carrier and the objective body form a dustproof encapsulation for the image sensor.

16. The camera system of claim 13 , further comprising a carrier ring on which the at least one conical aligning pin is arranged, with the objective body being fastened in an accurately fitting fashion on the carrier ring to fix the position of the optical elements relative to the image sensor.

17. The camera system of claim 12 , wherein the mounting flange is integrally formed on the objective body.

18. The camera system of claim 12 , wherein the imaging optics has an entry pupil, and the objective body has an outside facing away from the image sensor and lying substantially planar with the entry pupil.

19. The camera system of claim 18 , wherein the outside of the objective body has an outside area which is larger than the entry pupil by a factor of at least 10.

20. A camera system for safeguarding an automated installation arranged in a space area, the camera system comprising:
an integrally formed unitary system body having formed therein a first, a second and a third receptacle, which define a fixed triangle of receptacles, wherein each of said first, second and third receptacles has a formed system body mounting feature,
a mounting part for aligning the system body relative to the space area, and
a first camera unit arranged in the first receptacle, a second camera unit arranged in the second receptacle and a third camera unit arranged in the third receptacle; wherein each of said first, second and third camera units comprises:
an image sensor, a component carrier on which the image sensor is fixedly mounted, a plurality of optical elements forming imaging optics, and an objective body,
wherein said objective body has three formed mounting features comprising:
a first mounting feature for mounting said plurality of optical elements,
a second mounting feature for connecting said component carrier to the objective body so that the image sensor mounted to said component carrier is positioned in a predetermined position relative to said optical elements, and
a third mounting feature configured to cooperate with said system body mounting feature to accurately position the objective body in one of said first, second and third receptacles,
wherein each of said first, second and third camera units is positioned in a predetermined position in said unitary system body relative to the other camera units.

21. The camera system of

Assignees

• Wendler Martin
• Pilz Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Wendler Martin

Classifications

• F16M11/041 Primary

  Allowing quick release of the apparatus · CPC title

• H04N23/50 Primary

  Constructional details · CPC title

• F16M11/06

  allowing pivoting · CPC title

• F16M13/02

  for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle · CPC title

• H04N5/2251 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic