阅读说明：本技术 摄像机 (Video camera ) 是由 周斌 叶展 于 2019-08-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了一种摄像机。基于本发明,摄像机可以从水箱向镜头视窗供水,以支持对镜头视窗的清洗。当摄像机的机壳从镜头视窗处于拍摄位姿的第一支撑姿态切换为镜前开口腔处于蓄水位姿的第二支撑姿态时,从水箱供给的水可以贮存在镜前开口腔内,此时,利用超声波振子,可以使镜前开口腔内的水扰动,并且,超声波扰动下的水波可以将浮尘从镜头视窗脱离清除、并且可以完全消除对镜头视窗的接触式物理摩擦,从而实现非接触式清洗。而且,利用超声波振子实现的非接触式清洗还可以结合清洁刷实施物理清洗,并且,清洁刷与镜头视窗之间的湿润接触环境也可以减少镜头视窗的损伤和清洁刷的磨损。(The invention discloses a camera. Based on the invention, the camera can supply water from the water tank to the lens window to support the cleaning of the lens window. When the shell of the camera is switched from a first supporting posture that the lens window is in a shooting posture to a second supporting posture that the front opening cavity of the lens is in a water storage posture, water supplied from the water tank can be stored in the front opening cavity of the lens, at the moment, the water in the front opening cavity of the lens can be disturbed by the ultrasonic vibrator, floating dust can be separated and removed from the lens window by water waves under the ultrasonic disturbance, and contact type physical friction on the lens window can be completely eliminated, so that non-contact type cleaning is realized. Moreover, the non-contact cleaning realized by the ultrasonic vibrator can be combined with the cleaning brush to implement physical cleaning, and the wet contact environment between the cleaning brush and the lens window can also reduce the damage of the lens window and the abrasion of the cleaning brush.)

1. A camera, comprising:

a housing;

an imaging module disposed within the housing;

the lens is arranged on the shell and provided with a lens window for providing an imaging view field for the imaging module, and the lens is also provided with a window ledge which is closed and surrounded along the periphery of the lens window to form a front lens opening cavity;

an ultrasonic vibrator mounted in the open cavity in front of the mirror;

the ejection element is arranged in the front opening cavity of the mirror;

an elevation mechanism supporting the cabinet and providing the cabinet with a first support posture and a second support posture which are switchable, wherein when the cabinet is in the first support posture, the lens window is in a shooting posture facing a preset angle direction, and when the cabinet is in the second support posture, the lens window is in a water storage posture with the opening of the front mirror open cavity facing upwards;

the water tank is arranged on the machine shell;

a water supply element in communication with the water tank;

a water supply line communicating from the water supply element to the injection element.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the water tank has a water collection opening and a water supply opening, the water supply element is in communication with the water supply opening, and the water collection opening of the water tank is further provided with a one-way flow element.

3. The camera of claim 2,

the shell is provided with a ventilation cavity, the ventilation cavity is provided with a gas circulation port, and the gas circulation port is provided with a dust screen;

the camera further includes a cooling element having a condensing surface and a heat dissipating surface, wherein the condensing surface is disposed inside the venting chamber and the heat dissipating surface is exposed outside the venting chamber;

the water tank is arranged in the ventilation cavity, and the water collecting opening is positioned on the condensed water dropping side of the condensation surface.

4. The water collection mechanism of claim 3, wherein the condensation surface of the cooling element further has a drainage fin that is inclined toward the water collection opening of the tank.

5. The water collecting mechanism as claimed in claim 4, wherein the drainage fins comprise a plurality of drainage fins distributed at equal intervals, each drainage fin has a thickness of 0.5-3mm, the interval between adjacent drainage fins is 2-10mm, the span length of each drainage fin is 10-50mm, and the plurality of drainage fins are inclined at an angle of 0-45 degrees compared with the condensation surface.

6. A water collection mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the cooling element comprises a thermoelectric semiconductor cooler TEC.

7. A water collection mechanism as claimed in claim 3 wherein the heat dissipation surface of the cooling element is further provided with a heat sink.

8. A water collecting mechanism as claimed in claim 7, wherein the heat sink is provided with a fan.

9. The camera of claim 1, wherein the second support posture is an angular posture in which an optical axis direction of the lens window is inclined by 0 to 10 degrees from a vertical direction.

10. The camera of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said ultrasound transducers are equiangularly distributed along an edge of said lens window.

11. The camera of claim 1, further comprising a water level sensor disposed within the water tank and a processor, the processor further configured to:

receiving an image from the imaging module;

performing stain detection on the received image;

when the dirt is detected in the image, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor;

when the fact that the water storage amount in the water tank is not lower than the second water amount threshold value is detected, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the machine shell into the second supporting posture;

when the casing is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are started;

and when the duration of starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second duration, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped, and the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the shell back to the first supporting posture.

12. The camera of claim 1, further comprising:

the cleaning brush is arranged on the shell, a brush piece of the cleaning brush is inserted into the front opening cavity of the mirror, and the swinging range of the brush piece of the cleaning brush covers the lens window.

13. The camera of claim 12, further comprising a water level sensor disposed within the water tank and a processor, the processor further configured to:

receiving an image from the imaging module;

performing stain detection on the received image;

when stains are detected in the image, inquiring a cleaning mark position of a cleaning brush, and detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor;

when the cleaning mark position of the cleaning brush is inquired to be an invalid value which indicates that the cleaning brush is not used for cleaning and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach a preset first water amount threshold value, starting the water supply element and the cleaning brush for a preset first time length, and setting the cleaning record mark position to be an effective value which indicates that the cleaning brush is used for cleaning;

when the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is an effective value representing that cleaning is performed by using a cleaning brush and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach a preset second water amount threshold, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the casing into the second supporting posture, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are started after the casing is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, when the duration of starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second duration, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the casing back into the first supporting posture, and the cleaning record flag bit is an invalid value representing that cleaning by using the cleaning brush is not performed.

14. The camera of claim 13, further comprising a humidity sensor disposed within the vent chamber, a water level sensor disposed within the water tank, and a processor to:

detecting the air humidity in the ventilation cavity by using a humidity signal output by the humidity sensor;

when the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity reaches a preset humidity threshold value, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor;

when the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to be lower than a preset third water amount threshold value, starting the refrigeration element;

deactivating the cooling element when it is detected that the amount of water stored in the tank has risen to the third water amount threshold after activating the cooling element;

wherein the third water volume threshold is not less than the sum of the first water volume threshold and the second water volume threshold.

Technical Field

The invention relates to a camera cleaning technology, in particular to a camera capable of realizing self-cleaning of a lens window.

Background

The cleanliness of the lens window of the camera affects the imaging quality, and therefore the dust removal requirement for the lens window exists.

If the lens window is cleaned by dry physical cleaning, the floating dust attached to the lens window will be diffused and even accumulated outside the cleaning range of the cleaning tool, and will not be removed from the lens window, and the lens window will be scratched by the dry contact between the cleaning tool and the lens window, and the abrasion of the cleaning tool will be accelerated.

Therefore, the dry physical cleaning has poor dust removal effect on the lens window and easily damages the lens window.

Therefore, how to improve the dust removal effect of the lens window and reduce the damage to the lens window becomes a technical problem to be solved in the prior art.

Disclosure of Invention

One embodiment of the present invention provides a camera including:

a housing;

an imaging module disposed within the housing;

the lens is arranged on the shell and provided with a lens window for providing an imaging view field for the imaging module, and the lens is also provided with a window ledge which is closed and surrounded along the periphery of the lens window to form a front lens opening cavity;

an ultrasonic vibrator mounted in the open cavity in front of the mirror;

the ejection element is arranged in the front opening cavity of the mirror;

an elevation mechanism supporting the cabinet and providing the cabinet with a first support posture and a second support posture which are switchable, wherein when the cabinet is in the first support posture, the lens window is in a shooting posture facing a preset angle direction, and when the cabinet is in the second support posture, the lens window is in a water storage posture with the opening of the front mirror open cavity facing upwards;

the water tank is arranged on the machine shell;

a water supply element in communication with the water tank;

a water supply line communicating from the water supply element to the injection element.

Optionally, the water tank has a water collection opening and a water supply opening, the water supply element is in communication with the water supply opening, and the water collection opening of the water tank is further provided with a one-way flow element.

Optionally, the housing has a vent cavity with a gas flow port fitted with a dust screen; the camera further includes a cooling element having a condensing surface and a heat dissipating surface, wherein the condensing surface is disposed inside the venting chamber and the heat dissipating surface is exposed outside the venting chamber; the water tank is arranged in the ventilation cavity, and the water collecting opening is positioned on the condensed water dropping side of the condensation surface.

Optionally, the condensing surface of the cooling element further has a drainage fin inclined toward the water collection opening of the water tank.

Optionally, the drainage fin comprises a plurality of drainage fins distributed at equal intervals, the thickness of each drainage fin is 0.5-3mm, the interval between adjacent drainage fins is 2-10mm, the span length of each drainage fin is 10-50mm, and the inclination angle of each drainage fin relative to the condensation surface is 0-45 degrees.

Optionally, the cooling element comprises a thermoelectric semiconductor cooler TEC.

Optionally, the heat dissipation surface of the refrigeration element is further provided with a heat sink.

Optionally, the heat sink is provided with a fan.

Optionally, the second support posture is an angular posture in which the optical axis direction of the lens window is 0 to 10 degrees compared with the vertical direction.

Optionally, a plurality of the ultrasonic vibrators are distributed along the edge of the lens window at equal angles.

Optionally, the water level sensor is disposed in the water tank, and the processor is further configured to: receiving an image from the imaging module; performing stain detection on the received image; when the dirt is detected in the image, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor; when the fact that the water storage amount in the water tank is not lower than the second water amount threshold value is detected, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the machine shell into the second supporting posture; when the casing is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are started; and when the duration of starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second duration, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped, and the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the shell back to the first supporting posture.

Optionally, further comprising: the cleaning brush is arranged on the shell, a brush piece of the cleaning brush is inserted into the front opening cavity of the mirror, and the swinging range of the brush piece of the cleaning brush covers the lens window.

Optionally, the water level sensor is disposed in the water tank, and the processor is further configured to: receiving an image from the imaging module; performing stain detection on the received image; when stains are detected in the image, inquiring a cleaning mark position of a cleaning brush, and detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor; when the cleaning mark position of the cleaning brush is inquired to be an invalid value which indicates that the cleaning brush is not used for cleaning and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach a preset first water amount threshold value, starting the water supply element and the cleaning brush for a preset first time length, and setting the cleaning record mark position to be an effective value which indicates that the cleaning brush is used for cleaning; when the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is an effective value representing that cleaning is performed by using a cleaning brush and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach a preset second water amount threshold, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the casing into the second supporting posture, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are started after the casing is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, when the duration of starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second duration, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the casing back into the first supporting posture, and the cleaning record flag bit is an invalid value representing that cleaning by using the cleaning brush is not performed.

Optionally, the air conditioner further comprises a humidity sensor disposed in the aeration chamber, a water level sensor disposed in the water tank, and a processor for: detecting the air humidity in the ventilation cavity by using a humidity signal output by the humidity sensor; when the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity reaches a preset humidity threshold value, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor; when the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to be lower than a preset third water amount threshold value, starting the refrigeration element; deactivating the cooling element when it is detected that the amount of water stored in the tank has risen to the third water amount threshold after activating the cooling element; wherein the third water volume threshold is not less than the sum of the first water volume threshold and the second water volume threshold.

Based on the above embodiments, the camera may supply water from the water tank to the lens window to support cleaning of the lens window. When the shell of the camera is switched from a first supporting posture that the lens window is in a shooting posture to a second supporting posture that the front opening cavity of the lens is in a water storage posture, water supplied from the water tank can be stored in the front opening cavity of the lens, at the moment, the water in the front opening cavity of the lens can be disturbed by the ultrasonic vibrator, floating dust can be separated and removed from the lens window by water waves under the ultrasonic disturbance, and contact type physical friction on the lens window can be completely eliminated, so that non-contact type cleaning is realized.

Moreover, the non-contact cleaning realized by the ultrasonic vibrator can be combined with the cleaning brush to implement physical cleaning, and the wet contact environment between the cleaning brush and the lens window can also reduce the damage of the lens window and the abrasion of the cleaning brush.

Drawings

The following drawings are only schematic illustrations and explanations of the present invention, and do not limit the scope of the present invention:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a water collection mechanism for washing a camera in one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary method of controlling water collection suitable for use with the water collection mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary configuration of a camera employing the water collection mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary wash control method suitable for use with the camera shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an exemplary configuration of another camera employing the water collection mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a cleaning state of the camera shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a schematic flow chart of an exemplary wash control method suitable for use with the camera shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing an exemplary structure of still another camera to which the water collecting mechanism shown in FIG. 1 is applied;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a secondary cleaning state of the camera shown in FIG. 8;

fig. 10 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary cleaning control method suitable for use with the camera shown in fig. 8.

Description of the reference numerals

10 water collecting mechanism

11 plenum chamber

110 humidity sensor

12 refrigeration element

13 drainage fin

14 radiator

15 Fan

16 water tank

160 water level sensor

17 Water supply element

18 water supply pipeline

19 ejector element

20 casing

200 lens window

30 end face flange

40 cleaning brush

41 electric machine

42 rotating shaft

43 Brush arm

44 brush piece

50 window ledge

500 water level

60 ultrasonic array

70 lifting mechanism

Detailed Description

In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples.

Fig. 1 is an exemplary structural diagram of a water collecting mechanism for washing a camera in one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to fig. 1, in this embodiment, a water collecting mechanism 10 for washing a camera may include a ventilation chamber 11, a cooling member 12, a water tank 16, a water supply member 17, and a water supply line 18.

The ventilation chamber 11 is used for circulating the collected air, and the ventilation chamber 11 has a gas circulation port. The gas flow opening of the ventilation chamber 11 may further be provided with a dust screen in order to purify the air collected by the circulation.

The cooling element 12 may be an element having a cooling function such as TEC (Thermoelectric Cooler) for condensing water in the air collected by the circulation of the ventilation chamber 11 by cooling, and the cooling element 12 has a condensing surface disposed inside the ventilation chamber 11 and a heat radiating surface exposed to the outside of the ventilation chamber 11. In order to enhance the condensation efficiency of the cooling element 12, the heat dissipation surface of the cooling element 12 may be further provided with a heat sink 14, and if it is desired to further enhance the condensation efficiency of the cooling element 12, the heat sink 14 may be provided with a fan 15.

The water tank 16 is used for collecting condensed water generated by the refrigeration of the refrigeration element 12, and the water tank 16 is disposed in the ventilation chamber 11. The water tank 16 has a water collection port located on the condensation water dropping side of the condensation surface of the refrigeration component 12, and a water supply port. To facilitate the collection of the condensed water, the condensing surface of the cooling element 12 may further have a guide fin 13 inclined toward the water collection port of the water tank 16. For example, the flow-guiding fin 13 may include a plurality of flow-guiding fins distributed at equal intervals, each flow-guiding fin may have a thickness of 0.5 to 3mm, an interval between adjacent flow-guiding fins may be 2 to 10mm, a span length of each flow-guiding fin may be 10 to 50mm, and the plurality of flow-guiding fins may have an inclination angle of 0 to 45 degrees with respect to the condensation surface of the refrigeration element 12.

Also, the water collection opening of the water tank 16 may be further provided with a one-way flow element, such as a one-way valve, to ensure that the collected condensed water does not overflow due to deflection or vibration of the water collection mechanism 10.

The water supply member 17 may be a water pump, and the water supply member 17 may communicate with a water supply port of the water tank 16. The water supply line 18 may communicate from the water supply member 17 to an injection member 19 (e.g., a sprayer) disposed at an edge of the lens window 200 of the camera, for example, the injection member 19 may be provided at an end face flange 30 protruding from the edge of the lens window 200, and an injection port of the injection member 19 may be directed toward an orientation where the lens window 200 is located, that is, an injection range of the injection member 19 covers the lens window 200.

In this embodiment, the water supply element 17 is arranged inside the ventilation cavity 11 and the water supply line 18 passes out of the ventilation cavity 11 and through the housing 20 of the camera to the ejection element 19 at the edge of the lens viewing window 200, but in practice the water supply element 17 is not necessarily arranged inside the ventilation cavity 11, but may be arranged outside the ventilation cavity 11; similarly, the water supply line 18 may be disposed outside the cabinet 20.

Based on the above-described embodiment, condensed water in the air may be collected by the cooling element 12, and the collected condensed water may be supplied to the lens window 200 by the water supply element 17 to support the cleaning of the lens window 200. Moreover, the condensed water is similar to neutral pure water without impurities and pH value, so that the phenomena of blockage and corrosion are not easy to occur in a water supply loop.

In practical applications, the above-described embodiments may enable automatic water collection without manual intervention and without reliance on random external conditions, such as rainfall. Specifically, the water collecting mechanism 10 may further include a humidity sensor 110, a water level sensor 160, and a processor (not shown in the drawings). Wherein the humidity sensor 110 may be disposed within the ventilation chamber 11 for detecting whether the air collected within the ventilation chamber 11 contains a desired moisture content; a water level sensor 160 may be provided in the water tank 16 for detecting whether the amount of water stored in the water tank 16 is sufficient.

The processor may be in signal communication with the humidity sensor 110 and the water level sensor 160 and may be either the CPU of the camera or an additional processor separate from the CPU of the camera. The processor may be configured to:

detecting the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity 11 by using the humidity signal output by the humidity sensor 110;

when the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity 11 reaches a preset humidity threshold value, the water level signal output by the water level sensor 160 is used for detecting the water storage quantity in the water tank 16;

when the water storage amount in the water tank 16 is detected to be lower than the preset water amount threshold value, the refrigerating element 12 is started, and the water level signal output by the water level sensor 160 is used for monitoring the water storage amount change in the water tank 16;

when it is detected that the amount of water stored in the tank 16 has risen to the water threshold, the refrigeration unit 12 is deactivated.

Also, for the case where the heat sink 14 and fan 15 are further provided, the processor may further activate the fan 15 while activating the cooling element 12 and deactivate the fan 15 while deactivating the cooling element.

Fig. 2 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary water collection control method suitable for use in the water collection mechanism shown in fig. 1. Referring to fig. 2, the water collection control method in this embodiment may include:

s210: detecting the air humidity in the ventilation cavity by using a humidity signal output by a humidity sensor, namely detecting whether the air humidity in the ventilation cavity reaches a preset humidity threshold value;

if the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity reaches the humidity threshold value, jumping to S220;

if the air humidity in the ventilation cavity is detected not to reach the humidity threshold value, the current air humidity level is not suitable for water collection or the water collection efficiency is not high, and the step is returned to continue to detect the air humidity.

S220: when the humidity of the air in the ventilation cavity reaches a preset humidity threshold value, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor, namely detecting whether the water storage amount in the water tank is lower than a preset water amount threshold value or not;

if the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to be lower than the preset water amount threshold value, jumping to S230;

if the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to be not lower than the preset water amount threshold value, the current water storage amount is enough to be cleaned, the water collection and water supplement amount can be temporarily stopped, and the step returns to S210 to continuously detect the air humidity.

S230: when the water storage quantity in the water tank is detected to be lower than a preset water quantity threshold value, the refrigerating element is started, and the water storage quantity change in the water tank is monitored by utilizing a water level signal output by the water level sensor.

For the case that the water collection mechanism is further provided with a radiator and a fan, the step can further activate the fan.

S240: and when the water storage quantity in the water tank is monitored to rise to the water quantity threshold value, the refrigeration element is stopped.

In the case where the water collecting mechanism is further provided with a radiator and a fan, this step may further deactivate the fan.

After this step, the process returns to S210 to continue detecting the air humidity.

The water collecting mechanism provided by the embodiment can realize the dust removal of the lens window 200 by combining the physical cleaning of the cleaning brush, can also realize the dust removal of the lens window 200 by combining the non-contact cleaning of the ultrasonic array, and the water collecting control method can be compatible no matter which dust removing mode is realized by the water collecting mechanism. The following examples will explain the combination scheme in detail.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing an exemplary structure of a camera to which the water collecting mechanism shown in fig. 1 is applied. Referring to fig. 3, taking the water collecting mechanism 10 combined with the cleaning brush to perform physical cleaning for dust removal as an example, the camera may include a housing 20, the water collecting mechanism 10 installed in the housing 20, an imaging module disposed in the housing 11, and a lens installed in the housing 20, wherein the lens has a lens window 200 for providing an imaging view for the imaging module.

Still referring to fig. 3, the camera in this embodiment may further include a cleaning brush 40, the cleaning brush 40 is mounted to the housing 11, and a swing range of the brush piece 44 of the cleaning brush 40 covers the lens window 200. Specifically, the cleaning brush 40 may include a motor 41 mounted to the housing 11, a rotating shaft 42 coaxially connected to an output shaft of the motor 41, and a brush arm 43 mounted to the rotating shaft 42, and a brush 44 mounted to a distal end of the brush arm 43 and movably suspended within a visual field of the lens viewing window 200.

Based on the above embodiment, the condensed water supplied by the water collection mechanism 10 helps the cleaning brush 40 to remove the floating dust from the lens window 200, and the wet contact environment due to the condensed water can also reduce the damage of the lens window 200 and the abrasion of the cleaning brush 40.

In practical applications, the camera in the above embodiments can achieve automatic water collection and cleaning without manual intervention and without dependence on random external conditions such as rainfall. That is, the water collecting mechanism 10 may further include a humidity sensor 110, a water level sensor 160, and a processor (not shown in the drawings), which is preferably a CPU of the camera, to implement self-cleaning control of the camera.

Specifically, the processor may implement automatic water collection control in the manner shown in fig. 2, and assign the water amount threshold in the flow chart shown in fig. 2 to be not less than a preset first water amount threshold Thre1, wherein the first water amount threshold Thre1 may be set to be not less than the water amount required by the injection element 19 to continuously inject the first duration T1. And, the processor may also implement a purge control and further to:

receiving an image from an imaging module;

performing stain detection on the received image;

when the stain is detected in the image, the water level signal output from the water level sensor 160 is used to detect the water storage amount in the water tank 16;

when the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach the first water amount threshold Thre1, the water supply element 17 and the cleaning brush 40 are started;

when the duration of activation of the water supply member 17 and the cleaning brush 40 reaches the preset first time period T1, the cleaning brush 40 and the water supply member 17 are deactivated.

Fig. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary cleaning control method suitable for use with the camera shown in fig. 3. Referring to fig. 4, the cleaning control method in this embodiment may include:

s410: receiving an image from the imaging module and carrying out stain detection on the received image, namely detecting whether a graph area representing stain exists in the image;

and if the stains are detected, jumping to S420, otherwise, returning to the step to continue receiving and detecting the image.

S420: when the dirt is detected in the image, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor, namely detecting whether the water storage amount in the water tank reaches a preset first water amount threshold Thre 1;

if the water storage amount reaches the first water amount threshold Thre1, the water storage amount is enough to be cleaned, and the step is shifted to S430;

if the water storage amount does not reach the first water amount threshold value Thre1, returning to the step for waiting until the water collection is triggered according to the water collection control flow shown in the figure 2 and the water storage amount is enough to be cleaned.

S430: when it is detected that the water storage amount in the water tank reaches the first water amount threshold Thre1, the water supply member and the cleaning brush are activated.

S440: when the duration of the activation of the water supply member and the cleaning brush reaches the first time period T1, the cleaning brush and the water supply member are deactivated.

After this step, the process may return to S410 to continue the detection.

Fig. 5 is an exemplary structural diagram of another camera to which the water collecting mechanism shown in fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of a cleaning state of the video camera shown in fig. 5. Referring to fig. 5 in combination with fig. 6, taking the water collecting mechanism and the ultrasonic wave to implement non-physical contact dust removal as an example, the camera may include a housing 20, a water collecting mechanism 10 installed in the housing 20, an imaging module arranged in the housing 11, and a lens installed in the housing 20, wherein the lens has a lens window 200 for providing an imaging field of view for the imaging module.

As can be seen from fig. 5 and 6, the lens further has a window ledge 50, and the window ledge 50 is enclosed and surrounded along the periphery of the lens window 200 to form a front lens open cavity. The front mirror opening cavity may be a semi-open cavity having one end of an annular cylindrical cavity formed by the window ledge 50 closed by the lens window 200 and the other end opened, or may be a closed-end opening cavity having the lens window 200 as a bottom surface and the window ledge 50 as an annular peripheral wall.

The camera in this embodiment further includes an ultrasonic transducer 60, and the ultrasonic transducer 60 is mounted in the anterior opening of the mirror. For example, a plurality (e.g., 2-8) of ultrasonic transducers 60 may be equiangularly distributed along the edge of the lens window.

Alternatively, the ejector element 19 may be installed in the front opening of the mirror.

The video camera shown in fig. 5 and 6 further includes an elevation mechanism 70, the elevation mechanism 70 supporting the cabinet 20, and the elevation mechanism 70 providing the cabinet 20 with a first support posture (a posture shown in fig. 5 and a posture shown in a dotted line portion in fig. 6) and a second support posture (a posture shown in a realized portion in fig. 6) which are switchable, wherein:

when the casing 20 is in the first support posture, the lens window 200 is in the shooting posture facing the preset angular direction (fig. 5 and 6 take the preset angular direction as the horizontal direction as an example), and at this time, the camera can normally shoot the target scene;

when the machine shell 20 is in the second supporting posture, the lens window 200 is in the water storage posture that the opening of the front opening cavity of the mirror is upward, at this time, as long as the water supply element 17 supplies the condensed water stored in the water tank 16 to the injection element 19, the water in the front opening cavity of the mirror can be stored, and therefore the ultrasonic wave array 60 can trigger the vibration of the water stored in the front opening cavity of the mirror, and the non-contact cleaning of the lens window 200 can be realized.

In order to prevent the condensed water stored in the water tank 16 from flowing backward from the water collection port when the cabinet 20 is in the second support posture, in this embodiment, a one-way flow element is provided at the water collection port of the water tank 16 of the water collection mechanism 10.

Referring to fig. 6 in particular, this embodiment represents the first support attitude in the illustrated attitude of the casing 20 in the horizontal direction and the second support attitude in the illustrated attitude of the casing 20 in the vertical direction, but it is understood that the first support attitude may be any angular attitude that is inclined by a first offset angle ± α with respect to the horizontal direction and the second support attitude may be a specified angular attitude in which the optical axis direction of the lens window is inclined by a second offset angle ± β with respect to the vertical direction.

As described above, the first support posture is intended to bring the lens window 200 into the photographing posture, that is, the first support posture is concerned with an angle at which the lens window 200 faces a photographic target, and the photographing posture of the lens window 200 can be understood as an adjustable angle range.

For example, the camera may use a PTZ (azimuth, elevation, variable magnification) space coordinate system to calibrate the target position, the PTZ coordinate system including an azimuth coordinate (Pan) in the horizontal direction and an elevation coordinate (Tile) in the vertical direction, which may be referred to as PT angle coordinates; and, the imaging module group also includes a mirror group and an image sensor, the focusing of the camera can be regarded as adjusting the position of the mirror group relative to the image sensor, so that the focal point of the mirror group falls on the image sensor, wherein the focal point refers to the point where the parallel light rays are converged after being refracted by the lens in the mirror group, and the adjustment of the focusing can determine the Zoom magnification (Zoom) for changing the view field of the movement. At this time, the photographing pose of the lens window 200, i.e., the tilt angle ± α from the horizontal direction, can be understood as a set of angles within a preset angle range of an elevation coordinate (Tile).

While the second support attitude is intended to keep the open cavity in front of the mirror in a water-storable attitude, i.e., the second support attitude is concerned with avoiding as much as possible the water spilling out of the open cavity in front of the mirror. In practical applications, the amount of water stored in the open cavity of the scope is preferably sufficient to submerge all of the ultrasonic transducer 60, and does not necessarily need to fill all of the space in the open cavity of the scope, that is, the water level in the open cavity of the scope is only required to be located above the end of the ultrasonic transducer 60, and does not necessarily need to reach the open surface of the open cavity of the scope, and therefore, even if the second support posture is deviated by the second deviation angle ± β from the vertical direction, it is possible to avoid the water from spilling while keeping all of the ultrasonic transducer 60 submerged. In addition, the second support posture functions to perform non-contact cleaning of the lens window 200 by using the ultrasonic wave generated from the ultrasonic array 60 to drive the water wave, and thus, the second support posture can be understood as a designated angle, not necessarily set to an adjustable angle range. Accordingly, β may be an angle value with a smaller constraint range with respect to α, e.g., β may take any value within an angle range of 0-10 degrees.

In practical applications, as the elevation mechanism 70 for driving the chassis 20 to switch between the first support posture and the second support posture, it may be a PT bracket for adjusting the PT angular coordinate of the camera in the PTZ coordinate system, in this case, the second support posture may be set to an elevation coordinate (Tile) of 90 degrees or approaching 90 degrees, and the first support posture may be set to an angular range smaller than the value of the elevation coordinate (Tile) of the second support posture.

Based on the above embodiment, the condensed water supplied by the water collecting mechanism 10 can be stored in the front opening of the lens window 200, accordingly, the floating dust can be removed from the lens window 200 by the water wave under the ultrasonic disturbance, and the contact type physical friction to the lens window 200 can be avoided.

In practical applications, the camera in the above embodiments can achieve automatic water collection and cleaning without manual intervention and without dependence on random external conditions such as rainfall. That is, the water collecting mechanism 10 may further include a humidity sensor 110, a water level sensor 160, and a processor (not shown in the drawings), which is preferably a CPU of the camera, to implement self-cleaning control of the camera.

Specifically, the processor can implement automatic water collection control in the manner shown in fig. 2, and assign the water quantity threshold in the flow chart shown in fig. 2 to be not less than a preset second water quantity threshold Thre2, wherein the second water quantity threshold Thre2 can be set to be enough for the water quantity accumulated in the mouth before the mirror to submerge all the ultrasonic array 60. The processor may also implement a purge control and be further configured to:

receiving an image from an imaging module;

performing stain detection on the received image;

when the stain is detected in the image, the water level signal output from the water level sensor 160 is used to detect the water storage amount in the water tank 16;

when the water storage amount in the water tank 16 is detected to be not lower than the second water amount threshold value Thre2, the lifting mechanism 70 is driven to switch the machine shell 20 from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture;

when the cabinet 20 is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 are activated;

when the duration of the activation of the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 reaches the preset second time period T2, the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 are deactivated, and the elevation mechanism 70 is driven to switch the cabinet 20 back to the first support posture.

Fig. 7 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary cleaning control method suitable for use with the camera shown in fig. 5. Referring to fig. 7, the cleaning control method in this embodiment includes:

s710: when the shell is in the first supporting posture, receiving an image from the imaging module and carrying out stain detection on the received image, namely detecting whether a graphic area representing stain exists in the image or not;

skipping to S720 if stains are detected in the image;

and if the stains are not detected in the image, returning to the step for continuous detection.

S720: when the dirt is detected in the image, detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor, namely detecting whether the water storage amount in the water tank reaches a preset second water amount threshold Thre 2;

if the water storage amount in the water tank reaches the second water amount threshold Thre2, jumping to S730;

if the water storage amount in the water tank does not reach the second water amount threshold value Thre2, returning to the step for waiting until the water collection is triggered according to the water collection control flow shown in FIG. 2 and the water storage amount is enough to be cleaned.

S730: when the water storage amount in the water tank reaches the second water amount threshold value, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the shell from the first supporting state to the second supporting posture.

S740: when the cabinet is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are started.

In this step, the water supply element may be activated and the ultrasonic vibrator may be activated with a predetermined delay. For example, the water supply element may be activated first, and the ultrasonic transducer may be activated after a delay sufficient to allow the amount of water stored in the open cavity before the mirror to completely submerge the ultrasonic transducer.

S750: and when the duration of starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second time length T2, stopping the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator, and driving the lifting mechanism to switch the machine shell back to the first supporting posture.

In this step, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator may be deactivated first, and then the elevation mechanism is driven to switch the casing back to the first support posture. Or, in this step, the elevation mechanism may be driven to switch the casing back to the first support posture, and the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped in the switching process, so as to prevent floating dust mixed in water residing in the open slot of the front cavity of the lens from being reattached to the lens window before being switched back to the first support posture.

After this step, the process may return to S710 to continue the detection.

Fig. 8 is an exemplary structural diagram of still another camera to which the water collecting mechanism shown in fig. 1 is applied. Fig. 9 is a schematic view of a secondary cleaning state of the camera shown in fig. 8. Referring to fig. 8 and 9, taking the water collecting mechanism combined with the cleaning brush and the two-stage dust removal implemented by ultrasonic waves as an example, the camera may include a housing 20, a water collecting mechanism 10 installed in the housing 20, an imaging module disposed in the housing 11, and a lens installed in the housing 20, wherein the lens has a lens window 200 for providing an imaging field of view for the imaging module.

Still referring to fig. 8, the camera in this embodiment may further include a cleaning brush 40, the cleaning brush 40 is mounted to the housing 11, and a swing range of the brush piece 44 of the cleaning brush 40 covers the lens window 200.

As can be seen from fig. 8 and 9, the lens further has a window ledge 50, and the window ledge 50 forms a front mirror open cavity along the periphery of the lens window 200. The anterior mirror open cavity in this embodiment may be the same or substantially the same as the anterior mirror open cavity in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the camera in this embodiment further includes an ultrasonic transducer 60, the ultrasonic transducer 60 is mounted in the front opening of the mirror, and the ejection element 19 is also mounted in the front opening of the mirror.

The camera shown in fig. 8 and 9 further includes an elevation mechanism 70, the elevation mechanism 70 supporting the cabinet 20, and the elevation mechanism 70 providing the cabinet 20 with switchable first support postures (postures shown in fig. 8 and in phantom lines in fig. 9) and second support postures (postures shown in the implementation section in fig. 9) which may be the same or substantially the same as the first support postures and the second support postures in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, wherein:

when the casing 20 is in the first support posture, the lens window 200 is in a shooting posture facing a preset angle direction (fig. 5 and 6 take the preset angle direction as a horizontal direction as an example), at this time, normal shooting of a target scene by the camera can be realized, or the cleaning brush 40 and the water supply element 17 can be started, and floating dust is separated and removed from the lens window 200 by using condensed water;

when the machine shell 20 is in the second supporting posture, the lens window 200 is in the water storage posture that the opening of the front opening cavity of the mirror is upward, at this time, as long as the water supply element 17 supplies the condensed water stored in the water tank 16 to the injection element 19, the water in the front opening cavity of the mirror can be stored, and therefore the ultrasonic wave array 60 can trigger the vibration of the water stored in the front opening cavity of the mirror, and the non-contact cleaning of the lens window 200 can be realized.

In order to prevent the condensed water stored in the water tank 16 from flowing backward from the water collection port when the cabinet 20 is in the second support posture, in this embodiment, a one-way flow element is provided at the water collection port of the water tank 16 of the water collection mechanism 10.

Based on the above embodiment, the cleaning brush 40 can be selectively activated, and the condensed water supplied by the water collection mechanism 10 can be used to remove the floating dust from the lens window 200, or the condensed water supplied by the water collection mechanism 10 is stored in the open cavity in front of the lens window 200, and the water wave under the ultrasonic disturbance can be used to remove the floating dust from the lens window 200.

In practical applications, the camera in the above embodiments can achieve automatic water collection and cleaning without manual intervention and without dependence on random external conditions such as rainfall. That is, the water collecting mechanism 10 may further include a humidity sensor 110, a water level sensor 160, and a processor (not shown in the drawings), which is preferably a CPU of the camera, to implement self-cleaning control of the camera. Further, in consideration of the non-physical contact type cleaning using ultrasonic waves, it is necessary to switch the housing 20 to the second support posture in which the lens window 200 is deviated from the target imaging scene, and therefore, in order to achieve continuity of imaging, physical cleaning by a cleaning brush may be provided to prioritize the non-physical contact type cleaning by ultrasonic waves. That is, when the lens window 200 is not effectively cleaned by the physical cleaning by the cleaning brush 40 (for example, due to dirt or the like on the brush piece 44 of the cleaning brush 40 after a long time use), the ultrasonic wave-based non-physical contact cleaning is activated, and at this time, the ultrasonic wave non-physical contact cleaning as the secondary cleaning not only cleans the lens window 200 but also cleans the brush piece 44 of the cleaning brush 40.

Specifically, the processor may implement automatic water collection control in the manner shown in fig. 2, and assign the water amount threshold in the flow chart shown in fig. 2 to be not less than a preset third water amount threshold Thre3, wherein the third water amount threshold Thre3 may be set to be not less than the sum of the first water amount threshold Thre1 and the second water amount threshold Thre2 in the foregoing embodiment.

And, the processor may also implement a purge control and further to:

receiving an image from an imaging module;

performing stain detection on the received image;

when stains are detected in the image, inquiring a cleaning mark position of the cleaning brush and detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using the water level signal;

when the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is inquired to be an invalid value indicating that the cleaning brush 40 is not used for cleaning and it is detected that the water storage amount in the water tank 16 reaches the first water amount threshold Thre1, the water supply element 17 and the cleaning brush 40 are enabled for a preset first time period T1, and the cleaning record flag bit is positioned to be an effective value indicating that the cleaning brush 40 is used for cleaning;

when the cleaning brush cleaning flag is found to be an effective value indicating that cleaning is performed using the cleaning brush 40 and it is detected that the water storage amount in the water tank 16 reaches the second water amount threshold Thre2, the elevation mechanism 70 is driven to switch the cabinet 20 to the second support posture, the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 are activated after the standby cabinet 20 is switched from the first support posture to the second support posture, when the duration of activation of the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 reaches a preset second duration T2, the water supply element 17 and the ultrasonic vibrator 60 are deactivated, the elevation mechanism 70 is driven to switch the cabinet 20 back to the first support posture, and the cleaning record flag is set to an invalid value indicating that cleaning using the cleaning brush has not been performed.

Fig. 10 is a schematic flow diagram of an exemplary cleaning control method suitable for use with the camera shown in fig. 8. Referring to fig. 10, the cleaning control method in this embodiment may include:

s1010: when the shell is in the first supporting posture, receiving an image from the imaging module and carrying out stain detection on the received image, namely detecting whether a graphic area representing stain exists in the image or not;

if the dirt is detected in the image, jumping to S1020;

and if the stains are not detected in the image, returning to the step for continuous detection.

S1020: when a stain is detected in the image, the cleaning brush cleaning flag is queried to detect whether a cleaning brush was used before the current stain appeared.

If the query shows that the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is an invalid value which indicates that the cleaning brush is not used for cleaning, the query indicates that the cleaning brush is not used before the current stain appears, and therefore the step can be skipped to S1030 to execute first-level cleaning;

if the query result shows that the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is a valid value indicating that the cleaning brush is used for cleaning, the query result shows that the cleaning brush is used before the current stain appears, and therefore, the process can jump to S1040 to perform secondary cleaning.

S1030: the water level signal output by the water level sensor in the water tank is utilized to detect the water storage amount in the water tank, namely, whether the water storage amount in the water tank reaches a preset first water amount threshold value is detected.

If the water storage amount reaches the first water amount threshold Thre1, the water storage amount is enough to be cleaned, and the step is shifted to S1031;

if the water storage amount does not reach the first water amount threshold value Thre1, returning to the step for waiting until the water collection is triggered according to the water collection control flow shown in the figure 2 and the water storage amount is enough to be cleaned.

S1031: and when the cleaning brush cleaning flag bit is inquired to be an invalid value which indicates that the cleaning brush is not used for cleaning and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach the first water amount threshold Thre1, starting the water supply element and the cleaning brush for the preset first time length T1.

S1032: when the duration of the activation of the water supply member and the cleaning brush reaches the first period T1, the cleaning brush and the water supply member are deactivated, and the washing record flag is positioned to an effective value indicating that the washing using the cleaning brush has been performed.

The set operation in which the washing record flag is set to a valid value indicating that washing with the cleaning brush has been performed may also be performed at any time before completion of this step and after S1031 starts to activate the water supply element and the cleaning brush. After this step, the process may return to S1020 to continue the detection.

S1040: detecting the water storage amount in the water tank by using a water level signal output by the water level sensor, namely detecting whether the water storage amount in the water tank reaches a preset second water amount threshold Thre 2;

if the water storage amount in the water tank reaches a preset second water amount threshold Thre2, jumping to S1041;

if the water storage amount in the water tank does not reach the preset second water amount threshold value Thre2, returning to the step for waiting until the water collection is triggered according to the water collection control flow shown in FIG. 2 and the water storage amount is enough for cleaning.

S1041: when the cleaning mark bit of the cleaning brush is inquired to be an effective value representing that the cleaning brush is used for cleaning and the water storage amount in the water tank is detected to reach a second water amount threshold value, the lifting mechanism is driven to switch the machine shell from the first supporting state to the second supporting posture.

S1042: and when the shell is switched from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture, starting the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator for a preset second time period T2.

In this step, the water supply element may be activated and the ultrasonic vibrator may be activated with a predetermined delay. For example, the water supply element may be activated first, and the ultrasonic transducer may be activated after a delay sufficient to allow the amount of water stored in the open cavity before the mirror to completely submerge the ultrasonic transducer.

S1043: when the duration of the activation of the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator reaches a preset second duration T2, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are deactivated, and the elevation mechanism is driven to switch the cabinet back to the first support attitude, and the washing record flag is positioned to an invalid value indicating that washing with the cleaning brush is not performed.

In this step, the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator may be deactivated first, and then the elevation mechanism is driven to switch the casing back to the first support posture. Or, in this step, the elevation mechanism may be driven to switch the casing back to the first support posture, and the water supply element and the ultrasonic vibrator are stopped in the switching process, so as to prevent floating dust mixed in water residing in the open slot of the front cavity of the lens from being reattached to the lens window before being switched back to the first support posture.

The set operation for setting the cleaning record flag to the invalid value indicating that cleaning is not performed by the cleaning brush may be performed at any time after the water supply element and the cleaning brush are started at S1042 before the completion of this step.

After this step, the process may return to S1010 to continue the detection.

As can be understood from the foregoing embodiment, the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism based on the ultrasonic vibrator 60 relies on the switching and reverse switchback from the first supporting posture to the second supporting posture and the water supply from the water supply member 17 to the open cavity in front of the mirror, and does not affect the ultrasonic cleaning when the water in the water tank 12 is collected in other ways. That is, the ultrasonic cleaning mechanism based on the ultrasonic vibrator 60 may not be limited by the principle of the water collecting mechanism.

Accordingly, as an extension variant, the ultrasonic cleaning can be realized by the camera only comprising the following elements:

a housing 20;

an imaging module disposed within the housing 20;

a lens installed in the housing 20, the lens having a lens window 200 for providing an imaging view field for the imaging module, and a window ledge 50 enclosing and surrounding the periphery of the lens window 200 to form a front mirror opening cavity;

an ultrasonic vibrator 60 installed in the front oral cavity of the mirror;

an ejector element 19 installed in the mirror front opening cavity;

an elevation mechanism 70 supporting the cabinet 20, the elevation mechanism providing a first support posture and a second support posture which are switchable for the cabinet 20, wherein when the cabinet 20 is in the first support posture, the lens window 200 is in a photographing posture facing a preset angular direction, and when the cabinet 20 is in the second support posture, the lens window 200 is in a water storage posture with an opening of the front mirror opening upward;

a water tank 16 installed in the cabinet;

a water supply member 17 communicating with the water tank 16; and

a water supply line communicating from the water supply element 17 to the injection element 19.

Also, the camera having the above-described extended modified structure does not exclude any water collecting means such as water collection or rainwater collection based on the cooling element 12, and further introduction of a physical washing mechanism based on a cleaning brush.

The above description is only for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention, and any modifications, equivalents, improvements and the like made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the scope of the present invention.