Patent · US Expired

Automatic focusing control of a video camera for industrial and military purposes

US5016110A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
2References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 17, 1989
Grant dateMay 14, 1991
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 17, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N23/695
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A video camera is used for controlling the adjustment of a manipulator unit. An object is imaged by the video camera which is optimumly focused with respect to the object as a function of the mean brightness of a predetermined image from containing the image of the object. The focusing operation is carried out on the basis of obtaining an optimum value for the mean brightness of the image elements within the predetermined image frame enclosing the object image. The manipulator unit may contain an industrial robot for selectively adjusting either one of a workpiece or a tool acting upon a workpiece. Furthermore, the manipulator unit may contain a target tracking platform for tracking a target constituting the object imaged by the video camera.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.