Robotic camera systems

{
  "publication_number": "US2017289456A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Robotic camera systems",
  "abstract": "A direct drive servo motor is provided and may include a quadrature encoder and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to the encoder's shaft that is attached to the rotor hub and may also include an axle fixed to the rotor hub, inner and outer bearings, front and rear bearing plates, an outer stator, and an inner rotor rare earth magnet ring. A computer-controlled camera system is also provided and includes a direct drive camera gimbal; a pan-bar system; a robotic control system; a master interconnect unit; custom control software; and a track and gantry system. A universal camera tripod head adapter is also provided and includes front and rear clamps, a clamp handle, side and rear brackets and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to the shaft of each encoder that rides on the pan and tilt axis lips of a camera tripod head.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A three-phase direct drive axial servo motor comprising: an outer stator; an inner rotor comprising: a ring of rare earth magnets positioned inside the outer stator; a rotor hub that is spoked having an inside portion to which an axle is fixed; and an inner bearing and an outer bearing for supporting the axle; an encoder having a shaft and fastened to a rear bearing plate; and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to the shaft of the encoder, wherein the sleeve rides on the rotor hub. 2. The motor of claim 1, wherein the encoder engages the rotor hub of the motor. 3. The motor of claim 1, wherein the encoder is a low resolution encoder. 4. The motor of claim 3, wherein the rotor hub with the silicone rubber sleeve coupled to it creates a ratio-metric multiplication to improve the resolution of the low resolution encoder. 5. The motor of claim 1, further comprising front and rear heavy duty precision bearings seated in the front and rear bearing plates and walls respectively. 6. The motor of claim 1, wherein the axle is separate from an axle plate to provide multiple mounting options. 7. An integrated robotic, gyroscopically stabilized, computer-controlled camera system comprising: a robotic, gyroscopically stabilized, 3-axis, direct drive camera gimbal; a pan-bar system; an 8-axis robotic control system mounted on the pan-bar system; a master interconnect unit connected to the 8-axis robotic control system; a track and gantry system coupled to the camera gimbal for moving the camera gimbal vertically and horizontally; and a computer operating control software connected to the 8-axis robotic control system, wherein operation of the control software records, modifies, and plays back all eight axes of the camera gimbal and the track and gantry system. 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a camera remote control coupled to the robotic control unit. 9. A universal camera tripod head adapter comprising: front and rear body clamps; a clamp handle coupling the front and rear body clamps together; tilt and pan encoder brackets, wherein an encoder is fastened to each encoder bracket; a pan encoder bracket clamp to clamp the pan encoder bracket to the rear body clamp; and a silicone rubber sleeve affixed to a shaft of each encoder rides on the pan and tilt axis lips of the tripod camera head. 10. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the adapter is mountable to a basic camera tripod head to convert the basic camera tripod head into an encoder-equipped camera tripod head. 11. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the encoders are changeable. 12. The adapter of claim 9, wherein the adapter may comprise potentiometers in the place of the encoders for use with control systems requiring variable resistance. 13. The adapter of claim 9, wherein The adapter provides comparable functionality and precision at a lower cost of production than integrated camera tripod heads. 14. The adapter of claim 9, further comprising a connector housing for connecting a controller with processing electronics to the camera tripod. 15. The adapter of claim 14, further comprising switches for reversing the sensing direction of the encoders to accommodate user preferences."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION['S] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “APPLICATION OF RATIO-METRIC MULTIPLICATION TO GENERATE ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION IN DIRECT DRIVE SERVO MOTORS,” Ser. No. 62/316,324, filed Mar. 31, 2016, now pending; U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “ROBOTIC, GYROSCOPICALLY STABILIZED, COMPUTER-CONTROLLED CAMERA SYSTEM,” Ser. No. 62/316,337, filed on Mar. 31, 2016, now pending; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application entitled “UNIVERSAL CAMERA TRIPOD HEAD ADAPTER,” Ser. No. 62/316,343, filed on Mar. 31, 2016, now pending, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated entirely herein by reference.\n\nTechnical Field This invention relates to a direct drive, three phase axial servo motor; and more particularly to the use of ratio-metric multiplication to significantly increase the resolution in a zero-cogging, direct drive, three-phase axial servo motor. This invention also relates generally to a robotic, gyroscopically stabilized, computer-controlled camera system; and more particularly, to an integrated system comprised of a robotic, gyroscopically stabilized, 3-axis, direct drive camera gimbal; a pan-bar system; an 8-axis robotic control system; a master interconnect unit; custom control software; and a track and gantry system for use with large cameras in the television, motion picture, and video production industries.",
  "cpc": [
    "H02K 1/2753",
    "B25J 13/088",
    "B25J 9/02",
    "F16M 11/02",
    "F16M 13/04",
    "G03B 17/563",
    "H02K 1/274",
    "H02K 11/21",
    "H02K 24/00",
    "H02K 5/15",
    "H02K 5/1732",
    "H04N 23/65",
    "H04N 23/66",
    "H04N 23/69",
    "H04N 5/2253",
    "H04N 5/23203",
    "H04N 5/23287",
    "Y10S 901/23"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 13/08",
    "B25J 9/02",
    "G03B 17/56",
    "H02K 1/27",
    "H02K 24/00",
    "H04N 5/225",
    "H04N 5/232"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "DAVID STEVEN W"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "DAVID STEVEN W"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-03-31",
  "publication_date": "2017-10-05",
  "priority_date": "2016-03-31",
  "application_number": "US-201715476375-A",
  "family_id": "59962156"
}