Camera aiming structure

Claim 2

A camera aiming structure comprising, a camera, a support for mounting said camera, coupling means positioned between said support and said camera and coupling the same, said coupling means including pivot means and motor means therefore for orienting said camera in alignment with a subject in at least one direction of movement, lens means associated with said coupling means for collecting and focusing contrasting light from behind the subject, photocell detector means associated with the lens of said coupling means in spaced aligned relationship and adapted to receive light from the lens means and respond thereto, means to initially align the camera aiming structure with the subject to produce a predetermined amount of light on the photocell detector means, and circuit means including a differential amplifier for responding to a difference from the predetermined amount of light in energization of the photocell detector means from the light collected by the lens and directed to the photocell detector means to drive said motor means in a direction to diminish the output of the differential amplifier until said photocell detector means receives said predetermined amount of light from the lens indIcative of alignment of the subject in the direction of motion with the lens and camera.

Claim 3

The camera aiming structure of claim 1 in which the coupling means includes two axes of pivot to align the subject in two directions of motion with respect to said camera and in which the photocell detector responsive to light from the subject is received for the two directions of motion; and included in said circuit means said photocell detector means driving separate differential amplifier means and responsive to the light differential from the detector means to control movement of the coupling and orientation of the camera about the said two axes of movement to bring the subject into alignment with the camera for said two directions of movement.

Claim 4

The camera aiming structure of claim 1 in which the lens and photocell detector means are included in the camera.

Claim 5

The camera aiming structure of claim 1 in which the coupling is a box-like structure mounting the camera and carries the lens and photocell detector means together with the motor and circuit means for orienting the same.

Claim 6

A camera aiming structure comprising, a camera, a support for mounting said camera, coupling means positioned between said support and said camera and coupling the same, said coupling means including pivot means and motor means therefor for orienting said camera in alignment with a subject in at least one direction of movement, lens means associated with said coupling means for collecting and focusing contrasting light from behind said subject, at least a pair of photocell detector means associated with the lens of said coupling means in spaced aligned relationship and adapted to receive light from the lens means and respond thereto, means to initially align the camera aiming structure with the subject to produce a predetermined amount of light on the photocell detector means, and circuit means including a differential amplifier for responding to a difference from the predetermined amount of light in energization of the photocell detector means from the light collected by the lens and directed to the photocell detector means to drive said motor means in a direction to diminish the output of the differential amplifier until each photocell detector means receives said predetermined amount of light from the lens indicative of alignment of the subject in the direction of motion with the lens and camera.

Claim 7

A camera aiming structure comprising, a camera, a support for mounting said camera, coupling means positioned between said support and said camera and coupling the same, said coupling means including pivot means and motor means therefor for orienting said camera in alignment with a subject in at least one direction of movement, lens means associated with said coupling means for collecting and focusing contrasting light from behind said subject, at least a pair of photocell detector means associated with the lens of said coupling means in spaced aligned relationship and adapted to receive light from the lens means and respond thereto, means to initially align the camera aiming structure with the subject to produce a predetermined amount of light on the photocell detector means, and circuit means including a differential amplifier for responding to a difference from the predetermined amount of light in energization of the photocell detector means from the light collected by the lens and directed to the photocell detector means to drive said motor means in a direction to diminish the output of the differential amplifier until each photocell detector means receives said predetermined amount of light from the lens indicative of alignment of the subject in the direction of motion with the lens and camera.

Claim 8

The camera aiming structure of claim 5 and including means positioned in said box-like structure and connected to and mounting the photocell detector means along an axis generally parallel to the line of movement of the subject in which the photocell detector means receives light from the lens, said means including means to space one of the photocell detector means relative to the other for varying the relative positions where contrasting light from the subject will fall on the pair of photocell detector means.

Claim 9

The camera aiming structure of claim 6 in which the means mounting the photocell detector means includes an adjustable screw shaft means positioned in the box-like structure to provide for movement of one of the photocell detector means toward and away from the other.

Claim 10

The camera aiming structure of claim 5 in which the photocell detector means are photo transistors connected in a bridge type network whose output feeds the differential amplifier to control the operation of the motor means.

Claim 11

The camera aiming structure of claim 8 in which the circuit means including the photo transistors connected in the bridge type network provide a differential output to the amplifier means which selectively controls a pair of electronic switches selectively connecting positive and negative DC source supplies to the motor means in the form of a DC motor to drive the coupling means and hence the camera relative to the support until a balance is obtained in the bridge type network indicative of an adjusted amount of light being received by the photo transistors corresponding to an Initial setting.

Claim 12

The camera aiming structure of claim 9 in which the bridge type network includes in addition to the photo transistors additional legs including an adjustable resistor in a leg of the bridge type network to compensate for the difference in light levels received by the photo transistors.

Claim 13

The camera aiming structure of claim 10 in which the circuit means from the electronic switches to the DC motor includes a pair of limit switches which limit movement in either direction of rotation of the motor beyond a predetermined rotation of pivot.

Claim 14

The camera aiming structure of claim 11 and including additional switch means connected in circuit with the DC motor and adapted to initiate operation of the motor with operation of the switches and in response to the output of the bridge circuit controlling the differential amplifier.

Claim 15

The camera aiming structure of claim 12 in which an additional switch means is coupled with remote control means and includes an additional remote control adapted to be operated with a switch means in sequence and selectively for aligning the subject with the camera and controlling the operation of the camera.

Claim 16

The camera aiming structure of claim 7 in which the photocell detector means includes mounting members for the photocells which include reflective surfaces adapted to collect contrasting light from the subject through the lens to concentrate said contrasting light on the respective photocell detector means.

Claim 17

The camera aiming structure of claim 1 in which the photo detector means includes a single photocell transistor and an adjustable voltage source connected to said circuit means to balance the differential amplifier when said single photo transistor receives a predetermined amount of light from the lens indicative of alignment of the subject in the direction of motion with the lens and camera.

Claim 18

The camera aiming structure of claim 2 in which one of the differential amplifiers corresponding to one of the directions of motion is driven from a pair of photocell detector means receiving light differentially from said lens for said direction of movement and another of said differential amplifiers includes a single photocell detector means coupled in said circuit means with an adjustable voltage source for driving said other differential amplifier means to bring the subject into alignment with the camera for said other direction of movement.