IP Library Granted Patent US 7,380,996
Granted Patent B2
US 7,380,996 · App. 11/281,560 · Granted Jun 3, 2008

Camera platform

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,380,996
App. No.
11/281,560
Granted
Jun 3, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A camera platform for installing a camera in the inside of an automobile is designed in such a manner that even when a camera is rotated to capture rearward images, the camera does not interfere with a room mirror. Since the shaft of a rotation portion is divided into a rotation shaft and a ball shaft, an arm part of the camera platform is rotated without the necessity of rotating the camera main body in the vicinity of the room mirror, so that it becomes possible to carry out rearward image capturing operations. Moreover, since the rotation shaft of the arm part is designed to be offset from the camera attaching center line by 20 mm, it becomes possible to prevent a cable extending from above the camera from contacting with an arm attachment part of a mount, even when the camera is rotated.

Claims (22)

1. A camera platform comprising:

an attachment member comprising a front portion with a front end, a rear portion with a rear end, a first fastening hole in the rear portion for attaching the attachment member to an attachment target, and a second fastening hole in the front portion;

an arm;

a rotation part for rotatably attaching one end of the arm to the attachment member through the second fastening hole; and

a ball shaft attached to an opposite end of the arm;

wherein the axis of the second fastening hole is offset from a plane containing the axis of the first fastening hole.

2. The camera platform according to claim 1 , wherein the arm part has a crank shape having one end bent upward and an opposite end bent downward, and comprises a pair of shells on opposite lateral sides, the pair of shells for being tightened and secured by a tightening mechanism.

3. The camera platform of claim 1 , wherein the attachment member is for attaching the arm part next to a room mirror on a ceiling of an automobile.

4. A camera platform comprising:

an arm for rotating a camera;

an attachment member comprising a first fastening hole for attaching the arm to an automobile;

a rotation part for rotatably attaching one end of the arm to the attachment member via a second fastening hole; and

a ball shaft attached to an opposite end of the arm,

wherein the axis of the second fastening hole is offset from a plane containing the axis of the first fastening hole.

5. A camera platform system comprising:

a camera having a front-to-rear centerline plane;

an arm part;

an attachment member comprising a first fastening hole for attaching the attachment member to an attachment target and a second fastening hole;

a rotation part for rotatably attaching one end of the arm part to the attachment member through the second fastening hole; and

a ball shaft attached to an opposite end of the arm part to adjust a direction of the camera,

wherein the axis of the fastening hole located in the attachment member for fastening with the rotation part is offset from the camera centerline plane.

6. The camera platform according to claim 5 , wherein the camera comprises a connector, and the axis of the fastening hole is offset from a plane extending through a center axis of the connector.

Assignments (9)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063101/0966 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Mar 16, 2023
From: I-PRO CO., LTD.
To: I-PRO CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 063102/0075 →
MERGER Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
Reel/Frame 054883/0201 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PSP HOLDINGS CO., LTD
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0234 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 31, 2020
From: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 054883/0248 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE POSTAL CODE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 051327 FRAME 0516. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE POSTAL CODE SHOULD BE 812-8531 AND NOT BLANK. Recorded Dec 23, 2019
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051399/0888 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2019
From: PANASONIC CORPORATION
To: PANASONIC I-PRO SENSING SOLUTIONS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 051327/0516 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 30, 2019
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049897/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 30, 2006
From: KOUCHI, TAKAMITSU; TERATANI, KAZUMI; KOBAYASHI, HISAO; TERANISHI, KEIICHI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 017081/0493 →