Patent ID: 8497935
Filing Date: 2013-07-30
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A camera system comprising: a base including a first substrate haying an inner surface and an outer surface, a power supply coupled to the first substrate, and a first light emitter and a first light detector coupled to the inner surface of the first substrate; a camera assembly including a camera and a pan, tilt and zoom adjustment mechanism to adjust a field of view of the camera, a second substrate having an inner surface and an outer surface, a second light emitter and a second light detector coupled to the inner surface of the second substrate, said first light emitter remaining in communication with said second light detector during rotation of said camera assembly, said second light emitter remaining in communication with said first light detector during rotation of said camera assembly; a mounting assembly configured to rotatably mount said camera assembly on said base, the mounting assembly including at least one conductive ring located the inner surface of one of the first and second substrates and at least one brush coupled to the inner surface of the other of the first and second substrates, each brush being configured to engage a corresponding conductive ring so that power is supplied from the power supply to the camera assembly through the at least one conductive ring and at least one brush, and wherein the first light emitter wirelessly communicates data signals to the first light detector to control the camera and the pan, tilt and zoom adjustment mechanism, and the second light emitter wirelessly communicates video signals including video images captured by camera and data signals indicative of pan, tilt and zoom positions of the camera to the second detector, the video signals and data signals being modulated together within a signal stream transmitted from the second light emitter to the second light detector; wherein each of said first and second emitters define a substantially conical range of emission defining an emission apex angle and wherein each of said first and second detectors define a substantially conical range of reception defining a reception apex angle, said reception apex angles being greater than said emission apex angles; wherein each of said first and second detectors are positioned wherein each of said substantially conical ranges of reception define a detector axis substantially aligned with an axis of rotation and wherein at least one of said first and second emitters is positioned wherein at least one of said substantially conical ranges of emission defines an emitter axis that is positioned at an angle to said axis of rotation and intersects said axis of rotation at a location defined by the detector with which it is in communication, and wherein said first and second emitters each define an emission apex angle of approximately between 5 and 20 degrees and wherein said first and second detectors each define a reception apex angle of approximately between 30 and 90 degrees.