US 7,616,229 B2
Surveillance camera apparatus
Jouji Wada, Yokohama (Japan); Tetsurou Kajino, Tokyo-to (Japan); Yoshihiro Fujiwara, Sagamihara (Japan); and Gil Palma Guerrero, Jr., Metro Manila (Philippines)
Assigned to Panasonic Corporation, Osaka (Japan)
Filed on Jul. 08, 2003, as Appl. No. 10/615,691.
Claims priority of application No. 2002-199096 (JP), filed on Jul. 08, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2004/0032492 A1, Feb. 19, 2004
Int. Cl. H04N 7/18 (2006.01); H04N 5/225 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 348—151  [348/373] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surveillance camera apparatus, comprising: a housing assembly having a slanted plate portion with an inner surface; and a camera assembly accommodated in said housing assembly, said slanted plate portion defining an opening therein, said opening having a central axis thereof, said opening having an imaginary inner surface flush with said inner surface of said slanted plate portion, and said imaginary inner surface of said opening having the shape of a circle, said camera assembly, including:
a stationary member;
a pan shaft having a pan axis thereof, said pan shaft being supported by said stationary member to be revolvable around said pan axis, said slanted plate opening inner surface having a slanted angle with respect to said pan axis;
a retaining member integrally formed with said pan shaft;
a tilt shaft having a tilt axis thereof, said tilt shaft being retained by said retaining member to be revolvable around said tilt axis under the state that said tilt axis of said tilt shaft is in perpendicular relationship with said pan axis of said pan shaft;
an imaging unit for taking an image of a specific object through said opening of said slanted plate portion, said imaging unit having a light axis thereof, said imaging unit being integrally supported by said tilt shaft under the state that said light axis of said imaging unit is in perpendicular relationship with said tilt axis of said tilt shaft;
a pan motor for having said pan shaft driven around said pan axis;
a controlling unit for changing an upper-limiting pan value in response to said slanted angle of said opening and a direction of said imaging unit while controlling said pan motor to allow said imaging unit to be pivotally moved around said pan axis of said pan shaft within said changed upper-limiting pan value.