Abstract:
A camera housing permits installation of a surveillance camera on a wall or ceiling. The camera housing includes tamper resistant features to prevent disabling or vandalism of the camera. Because the camera housing mounts into a wall with a low profile, the camera housing may be installed at eye level to provide a more advantageous viewing angle of an area. For example, the camera housing may be mounted so that the camera is capturing images of a doorway at approximately eye level. This mounting level provides a clearer view of the subject. The camera housing may be positioned so the camera can obtain a view over a range of up to 360 degrees of pan and up to 180 degrees of tilt. The camera housing may also be colored using an anodizing process. The anodizing process provides for a durable color that resists scratching or wear. The color of the camera housing may be matched to the décor of the surface the housing is mounted on so the housing blends seamlessly with the décor.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Applications 60/078,817 and 60/078,851, both filed Mar. 20, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of camera housings. More specifically, the invention relates to a housing for mounting a surveillance camera to a surface. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Surveillance cameras are widely used to enhance the security of a building, room, or other designated areas. Surveillance cameras are typically mounted high to provide a broad coverage area of the camera. One common installation location is to mount the camera on a bracket from the ceiling of a room. Although this provides a broad coverage area, the viewing angle may provide images that are inadequate for later use such as identification. Further, bracket installations of surveillance cameras are unable to provide coverage over a broad range of pan and tilt. The bracket itself is generally an impediment to proper camera orientation. 
     One goal of surveillance cameras is to deter crime. However, it is common for thieves or vandals to destroy cameras in order to prevent having the camera record their image. Because cameras are installed on a bracket, or within a glass dome, it is simple for the vandals to gain access to the camera. Such cameras are usually easily disabled by several blows from a blunt instrument or by cutting the electrical connection wires leading to the camera. 
     Another problem of existing surveillance camera systems is that the cameras are generally not aesthetically pleasing. Surveillance cameras and their associated housings may have visible wiring, present a bulky appearance, and not blend with the décor or a room. One may be deterred from installing a surveillance camera if the camera degrades the overall appearance of the room. 
     For externally mounted surveillance cameras or cameras mounted in industrial areas, the camera should also be protected from environmental hazards. If a camera has any exposed electronics, the chances of damaging the camera is increased. Even current camera housings which are not watertight expose the electronic components of a camera to potential damage due to inclement weather or other environmental hazards. 
     What is needed is a camera housing capable of being mounted anywhere within a room, including on the walls. The camera housing should permit the camera to cover a broad area. The housing should provide protection from the environment, vandalism, and other external elements, while simultaneously blending in with the décor of a room. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is a camera housing that permits installation of a camera on a wall or ceiling. The camera housing includes tamper resistant features to prevent disabling or vandalism of the camera. Because the camera housing mounts into a wall with a low profile, the camera housing may be installed at eye level to provide a more advantageous viewing angle of a room. For example, the camera housing may be mounted so that the camera is capturing images of a doorway at approximately eye level. This mounting level provides a clearer view of the subject. The camera housing may be positioned so the camera can obtain a view over a range of up to 360 degrees of pan and up to 180 degrees of tilt. 
     The camera housing of the present invention may also be colored using an anodizing process. The anodizing process provides for a durable color that resists scratching or wear. The color of the camera housing may be matched to the decor of the surface the housing is mounted on so the housing blends seamlessly with the decor. 
     One embodiment of the invention is a camera housing comprising a first retaining ring and a second retaining ring. The second retaining ring is positioned in coordination with the first retaining ring to create a gap between the rings. A camera retaining body is positioned between the retaining rings and is adapted to enclose a camera. The camera retaining body is moveable over a range, but may be locked in a set position by decreasing the gap between the retaining rings. In one embodiment, the camera retaining body is adapted to enclose a surveillance camera and is moveable over a range of 360 degrees of pan and 90 degrees of tilt and is rotatable about its axis. The camera retaining body may also enclose cameras of differing sizes. A bolster plate may be mounted on one side of the surface to increase the mounting strength of the retaining rings. The retaining rings are connected together using a plurality of fasteners having anti-tampering features. 
     In another embodiment of the invention, a camera housing comprises a first mounting plate, a second mounting plate, a body, and a connection board. The body has a first section and a second section and is adapted to enclose a camera. The mounting plates act in cooperation to secure the body recessed in a surface. The connection board is adapted to host connections for the camera and is movably attached to the second section of the body to allow for movement of camera connections. The connection board allows for an increased range of motion of the camera body without the camera connections contacting the mounting surface. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is a method of mounting a camera housing within a surface including the steps of securing a first retaining ring to the surface, positioning a camera retaining body on the first retaining ring, and locking the camera retaining body into position by tightening a second retaining ring to the first retaining ring. The camera housing may be mounted at eye level on a wall. The camera body may be mounted in an electrical box or recessed in the surface. 
     Another embodiment of the invention is a camera housing comprising means for mounting a camera retaining body on a surface. The camera retaining body is adapted to enclose a camera and position the camera over a range. The camera housing also includes, means for locking the camera retaining body in a set position 
     Another embodiment of the invention is a camera housing comprising a base, a protective dome, a locking ring, and a camera mounting stand. The locking ring secures the dome to the base by fitting over the dome and threading into the base. The camera mounting stand is adapted to receive a camera and can mount to the base in either a first mounting position or a second mounting position. The combination of mounting positions permits positioning of the camera over a range of 360 degrees of pan and 180 degrees of tilt. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a cut-away plan view of a camera housing mounted within a surface according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the camera housing according to FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 3A illustrates a back view of the camera housing mounted within a surface according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3B illustrates a front view of the camera housing mounted within a surface according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside surface of one section of the camera-retaining body according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of the camera-retaining body according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates an expanded view of a portion of the camera-retaining body according to FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a camera housing according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded, perspective view of the camera housing according to FIG.  7 . 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the camera mounting hardware of the camera housing of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The camera housing of the present invention is designed to contain a surveillance camera and to be mounted within a surface such as a wall, ceiling, or floor. The camera housing provides environmental and physical protection for the camera. After the camera is inserted in the housing, the camera and housing can be positioned in an appropriate location to provide video coverage of important areas of an area. 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a cutaway view of a camera housing  100  according to the present invention. The camera housing  100  comprises a camera-retaining body  105 , a retaining ring  120 , and a mounting ring  125 . The camera-retaining body  105  has a first section  110  and a second section  115 . The first section  110  and the second section  115  combine to form a generally spherical-shaped, camera-retaining body  105 . The interior of the camera-retaining body  105  is hollow and is adapted to hold a surveillance camera  170 . The camera-retaining body  105  fits between the retaining ring  120  and the mounting ring  125 . In one embodiment of the invention, the retaining ring  120 , the mounting ring  125 , and the camera-retaining body  105  are machined from aluminum. One type of material which may be used is Billet 2024, 6061, or 7075 aircraft grade aluminum. The camera housing  100  may also be made from other materials such as steel, iron, copper, or other metals. Of course, the camera housing  100  may be made from other material such as plastic, but doing so would decrease the overall strength and protection provided by the housing  100 . 
     The mounting ring  125  is placed within a mounting surface  135 . The mounting surface  135  may be a wall, a ceiling, a floor, or any other surface. The mounting ring  125  is designed to be placed into an opening in the mounting surface  135 . The opening in the mounting surface  135  may be a hole cut within the mounting surface  135 , and no additional mounting hardware would be required. However, a surface mount assembly (not shown) may be used if it is desired to not cut a hole in the mounting surface  135 . Adapters may also be used to mount the camera housing  100  in an existing electrical box or other preexisting outlets. 
     Because the mounting ring  125  is adapted to fit within a hole in a mounting surface  135 , the camera housing  100  of the present invention may be mounted in any location on its surface  135 . This allows the camera housing  100  to be placed at the most strategic location in an area. For example, the camera housing may be mounted on a wall facing the entry doorway into a room. With this mounting, the camera would capture the facial image of anyone entering or leaving the room. By mounting the camera at eye level, a better image of each person would be captured as compared to the traditional ceiling mount. 
     The mounting ring  125  is secured to the mounting surface  135  by a plurality of mounting fasteners  140 . The mounting fasteners  140  extend through the mounting ring  125  and through the mounting surface  135 . The mounting fasteners  140  may be bolts, screws, or the like. One or more bolster plates  145  may be placed on the back side of the mounting surface  135 . When the bolster plates  135  are used, the plurality of mounting fasteners  140  also extend through the bolster plates  145 . The bolster plates  145  provide additional surface area contact on the rear surface of the mounting surface  135 . The additional surface area contact provided by the bolster plates  145  increases the mounting strength of the camera housing  100 . 
     Once the mounting ring  125  is secured to the mounting surface  135 , the retaining ring  120  is secured to the mounting ring  125  by a plurality of fasteners  130 . The fasteners  130  extend through the retaining ring  120  and into the mounting ring  125 . The plurality of fasteners  130  may be screws, bolts, or other appropriate fasteners. In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of fasteners  130  are tork screws. The tork screws may include antitampering features to prevent the camera housing  100  from being removed by unauthorized personnel. When positioned over the mounting ring  125 , the retaining ring  125  precludes access to the mounting fasteners  140 . 
     The first section  110  of the camera retaining body  105  includes a neck portion  155  which houses a lens cover  150 . The lens cover  150  provides protection for the camera  170 . The lens cover  150  is a transparent cover and may be resistant to breakage from external force. This allows the camera  170  to operate through the lens cover  150  while providing protection to the camera  170 . The lens cover  150  may be constructed of acrylic, Lexan, safety glass, or other break-resistant transparent material. The lens cover  150  contains removal apertures  165  to assist in inserting and removing the lens cover into the neck  155  of the first section  110  of the camera housing  105 . A gasket  160  may be inserted with the lens cover  150  to provide water-tight sealing. 
     The second section  115  of the camera housing  105  contains a bottom cutout  118 . The bottom cutout  118  also contains an aperture  119 . As will be described below, the bottom cutout  118  and the aperture  119  provides for the electrical connections to the camera  170 . Because the bottom cutout  118  is located on the rear of the camera housing  105 , the electrical connections are located within the mounting surface  135 . This decreases the ability to vandalize or sabotage the camera. 
     The camera  170  is typically mounted on a camera board  175 . The camera board  175  may be a printed circuit board or other mounting device for the camera. The camera board  175  is secured to the second section  115  of the camera retaining body  105  using a plurality of standoffs or adaptors  180 . The use of standoffs or adaptors  180  allows for a variety of sizes and shapes of cameras  170  and camera boards  175  to be used within the camera-retaining body  105 . 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of the camera housing  100 . The camera retaining body  105  is positioned between the mounting ring  125  and the retaining ring  120 . The first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105  protrudes from an aperture  202  in the first section  120  of the camera-retaining body  105 . The diameter of the first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105  is such that only a portion of the first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105  extends through the aperture  202 . Likewise, the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105  protrudes through an aperture  225  in the mounting ring  125 . When the first section  110  and the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105  are connected together, the camera-retaining body  105  may rotate within the apertures  202  and  225 . The camera-retaining body may rotate over a range to provide a full 360° of pan and 90° of tilt. The camera-retaining body may also rotate about its axis to provide proper orientation of the video image. 
     After the camera-retaining body  105  is positioned between the retaining ring  120  and the mounting ring  125 , and the proper orientation of the camera-retaining body  105  is obtained, the camera-retaining body  105  may be locked in position. When the retaining ring  120  is placed over the mounting ring  125 , a slight gap is formed between the two rings. While this gap exists, the camera-retaining body  105  may freely rotate between the two rings  120  and  125  over the full range of pan and tilt. To lock the camera-retaining body  125  in place, the fasteners  130  are inserted through the apertures  200  in the retaining ring  120  and through the apertures  215  in the mounting ring  125 . The fasteners  130  are then tightened to reduce the gap between the rings  120  and  125 . When the size of the gap between the rings  120  and  125  is sufficiently reduced, pressure provided by the rings  120  and  125  locks the camera-retaining body  105  in a set position. To reposition the camera-retaining body  105  at a different angle, the fasteners  130  should be loosened to increase the size of the gap between the retaining rings  120  and  125 . The camera-retaining body  105  may then be manually repositioned and then locked down by tightening the fasteners  130 . 
     The camera-retaining body  105  contains a flat surface  205  at the periphery of the first section  110 . Likewise, the second section  115  contains a flat surface  210  at its periphery. The flat surfaces  205  and  210  combine to form one extended flat surface when the first section  110  and the second section  115  are secured together to form the camera-retaining body  105 . This provides the generally spherical shape of the camera-retaining body  105  with a small, flat area along its circumference. By creating this flat area using the combined flat surfaces  205  and  210 , the camera-retaining body  105  may freely rotate between the rings  120  and  125  within the apertures  202  and  225 . Further, to assist in the assembly and disassembly of the camera-retaining body  105 , the first section contains assembly grips  212  and the second section  115  contains assembly grips  214  (FIG.  3 A). The assembly grips  212  and  214  are designed to mate with a special tool (not shown) which allows the user to rotate the first section  110  with respect to the second section  115 . The tool allows the user to rotate the sections with increased torque. The assembly grips  212  and  214  allow the user to tighten the camera-retaining body  105  to a point where it would be difficult to loosen the two sections by hand. This increases the security of the surveillance camera  170  within the camera-retaining body  105 . 
     Also seen in FIG. 2 are mounting apertures  220  within the mounting ring  125 . The mounting fasteners  140  extend through the mounting apertures  220  to connect the mounting ring  125  to the mounting surface  135  (FIG.  1 ). The bolster plates  145  also contain mounting apertures  230  which the mounting fasteners  140  extend through. The mounting ring  125  is affixed to the mounting surface  135  by placing the mounting fasteners  140  through the mounting apertures  220  and  230 . 
     FIG. 3A illustrates a top view of the camera housing  100  mounted within and extending through a mounting surface  135 . Depending on the positioning of the camera-retaining body  105 , portions of the second section  115  and portions of the first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105  may extend through the mounting surface  135 . The mounting ring  125  extends within an access aperture  270  in the mounting surface  135 . As stated above, the bolster plates  145  may be included on the back side of the mounting surface  135  to increase the strength of the mounting. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of bolster plates  145  are installed on the rear side of the mounting surface  135 . The bolster plates  145  are secured by the mounting fasteners  140 . 
     A circuit board  250  is placed within the bottom cutout  118  of the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105 . The circuit board  250  may contain electrical connections for the camera  170 , including a video connector  260  to connect the video cable to the camera  170  and connection circuitry  265 . The circuit board  250  can be movably mounted within the bottom cutout  118  so the circuit board  250  may rotate within the bottom cutout  118 . A retaining ring (not shown) may be used to secure the circuit board  250  within the bottom cutout  118 . Of course, other known methods of movably securing the circuit board to the bottom cutout  118  may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. The camera connector  260  is typically connected to a video cable which extends from the camera to a recorder. Because the camera-retaining body  105  may move within a range of 360° of pan and a full 90° of tilt, it is possible the camera connector  260  may impinge upon the access aperture  270  in the mounting surface  135 . If the camera connector  260  were mounted in a stationary position, this would limit the range of movement of the camera-retaining body  105 . In the present invention, the camera connector  260  is mounted on the circuit board  250  which may be rotated within the bottom cutout  118 . If the camera-retaining body  105  is moved to a position which may cause the camera connector  260  to impinge on the access aperture  270 , the circuit board  250  may simply be rotated until the camera connector  260  is in a position which does not interfere. The rotating circuit board  250  ensures complete range of movement of the camera-retaining body  105 . 
     FIG. 3B illustrates the flush mounting of the camera housing  100  according to the present invention. When the camera housing  100  is installed within the mounting surface  135 , only the retaining ring  120  and the camera-retaining body  105  are visible. The fasteners  130  extend through the fastener apertures  200  to secure the retaining ring  120  to the mounting ring  125 . The camera-retaining body  105  provides protection for the camera  170 . This low-profile design allows the camera housing  100  to be placed within a variety of locations within an area. 
     The retaining ring  120 , the camera-retaining body  105 , and the mounting ring  125  may be coated using an anodized process. The anodizing process provides a surface coating to the camera housing  100 . The surface coating permits the camera housing  100  to have a variety of colors and patterns. By using an anodizing process, the coating is resistant to scratching and other environmental hazards such as corrosion. The anodizing provides a durable colorized layer to the camera housing  100 . Additionally, the coloration and pattern of the anodizing process may be specially selected to blend with the decor of a room. Therefore, the camera housing  100  may easily blend within the décor of a room to be more aesthetically pleasing, as well as increase the camouflage of the camera housing  100 . 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the inside of the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105 . The camera  170  may be secured within the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105 . To secure the camera in place, and to provide a flexibility for multiple cameras and mounts, the second section  115  of the camera retaining body contains a plurality of adaptor apertures  400  and  405 . The adaptor apertures  400  and  405  are located in positions throughout the bottom of the second section  115  so a variety of different camera mounts may be used. Standoffs or adaptors  410  may be inserted into each adaptor aperture  400  or  405  to provide a mounting base for the camera board  175 . If different sized camera board  175  is needed, the standoffs or adaptors  410  may be moved among any of the adaptor apertures  400  or  405  as necessary. By using a combination of adaptor apertures  400  and  405  and different sizes and shapes of standoffs or adaptors  410 , a wide variety of camera boards  175  and cameras  170  may be attached to the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a plurality of the standoffs or adaptors  410  being used to connect a camera mounting board  430  to the second section  115  of the camera-retaining body  105 . The standoffs or adaptors  410  are inserted into the adaptor apertures  405 . In one embodiment, the adaptor apertures  400  and  405  are threaded and the standoff or adaptors  415  have matching threads to screw into the adaptor apertures  400  or  405 . However, other methods of attachment into the adaptor apertures may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. Once the appropriate number and size of standoffs or adaptors  410  are in place, the camera  170  on the camera board  430  is placed on the standoffs or adaptors  410 . At this point, a plurality of fasteners  435  may be used to secure the camera mounting board  430  to the standoffs or adaptors  410 . The standoffs or adaptors  410  may include threaded apertures in which to hold the plurality of fasteners  435 . 
     FIG. 5 further shows the camera-retaining body  105  comprising the first section  110  connected to the second section  115 . When the camera-retaining body is connected, a gasket  425  may be placed between the first section  110  and the second section  115 . The gasket  425  provides a water-tight seal between the first section  110  and the second section  115 . Each section  110  and  115  of the camera-retaining body  105  may include fine-pitched threads which allow the first section  110  and the second section  115  to screw together. The pressure created when the two sections are screwed together flattens the gasket  425  to create the water-tight seal. Of course, other methods of connecting the first section  110  to the second section  115  may be used and are well-known in the art. 
     Attachment of the lens cover  150  to the neck  155  of the first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105  is seen in FIGS. 5 and 6. In one embodiment, the lens cover  150  contains a plurality of threads  455  which mate with a plurality of threads  450  within the neck  155  of the first section  110  of the camera-retaining body  105 . The lens cover  150  includes the removal apertures  165  which are designed to hold prongs from a special attachment and removal tool (not shown). When the tool is inserted within the removal apertures  165 , the lens cover  150  may be easily inserted into or removed from within the neck  155  of the camera-retaining body  105 . As the lens cover  150  is tightened into the neck  155  of the camera-retaining body  105 , the gasket  160  is compressed at the neck  155 . The gasket  160  provides a water-tight seal between the lens cover  155  and the camera-retaining body  105 . 
     A camera housing  500  according to another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in FIG.  7 . The camera housing  500  comprises a base  505 , a dome  510 , a locking ring  515 , a positioning stand  520 , a ball mount  525 , and a camera mounting stand  530 . In one embodiment, the ball mount  525  and the camera mounting stand  530  comprises a single piece. The positioning stand  520  is secured to the floor  507  of the base  505 . A camera  550  is mounted on a camera-mounting board  540  which connects to the camera-mounting stand  530 . The camera-mounting stand  530  swivels about the ball mount  525  to move the camera over a specified range. When combined with the movement of the ball mount  525  and a plurality of mounting positions of the positioning stand  520 , the camera  550  may move over a range of 360° of pan and 180° of tilt. The dome  510  provides for protection for the camera  550  in the camera housing  500 . 
     Assembly of the camera housing  500  is seen in FIG.  8 . The base  505  has a plurality of mounting apertures  560 . The mounting apertures are designed to attach the base to a mounting surface. The base  505  may also be designed to fit within standard mounting boxes. A connection aperture  565  is also included in the floor  507  of the base  505 . The connection aperture  565  provides a connection between the positioning stand  520  and the base  505 . A fastener (not shown) attaches the positioning stand  520  through the connection aperture  565  to secure the positioning stand  520  to the base  505 . 
     The ball mount  525  is designed to fit within an aperture  522  in the positioning stand  520 . The ball mount  525  is an over center-type mount and the ball mount  525  may rotate within the positioning stand  520 . The camera  550  and camera-mounting board  540  attaches to the camera-mounting stand  530  through a plurality of fasteners  570 . The camera mounting stand  530  moves as the ball mount  525  rotates to position the camera  550  in a desired location. 
     After each of the positioning stand  520 , the ball mount  525 , the associated camera-mounting stand  530 , and the camera  550  are secured to the base  505 , the dome  510  is placed over the entire assembly onto the base  505 . The dome  510  contains a dome lip  512  which runs along the periphery of the dome  510 . The dome lip  512  fits on a ledge in the base  505 . After the dome  510  is placed on the base  505 , the locking ring  515  is placed over the dome  510  and secures the dome  510  to the base  505 . The locking ring has threads  521  which are designed to interface with threads  523  in the base  505 . By screwing the locking ring  515  into the base  505 , the locking ring  515  provides a downward pressure on the dome lip  512  to hold the dome  510  in position. The locking ring  515  is provided with a plurality of apertures  518  which may be used in cooperation with a tool to tighten the locking ring  515 . Alternatively, a plurality of raised grips may be used in place of apertures  518  to provide a grip for locking and unlocking the locking ring  515 . A gasket (not shown) is positioned between the dome  510  and the base  505 . As the locking ring  515  provides downward pressure on the dome lip  512 , the gasket is compressed to provide a watertight seal between the dome  510  and the base  505 . 
     A perspective view of the bottom end of the positioning stand  520  and the ball mount  525  is seen in FIG.  9 . The positioning stand  520  is in the shape of a chamfered cone. The chamfered shape provides for a plurality of mounting surfaces which may contact the base  505  of the camera housing  500 . In one embodiment, a mounting aperture  580  is positioned within a mounting surface  590 . When using the mounting surface  590 , the positioning stand  520  extends at approximately 90° from the base  505 . The positioning stand also includes a second mounting aperture  580  on a second mounting surface  582 . The mounting surface  582  is provided at an angle from the mounting surface  590  so that when the mounting aperture  580  is used to connect the positioning stand  520  to the base  505 , the positioning stand  520  extends at approximately 45° from the base  505 . Of course, the mounting surface  582  may be at such an angle so the positioning stand  520  may be mounted to the base  505  at a variety of angles within the range of 15° to 60°, and preferably 30° to 45°. The combination of the mounting positions from the mounting surfaces  590  and the mounting surface  582  provides the camera position over a full range of 360° of pan and 180° of tilt. The camera mounting surface  582  also allows the camera to rotate about its axis. 
     The ball mount  525  has a plurality of cutaway sections  528  to create a plurality of wedge sections  529 . The ball mount  525  is inserted into the positioning stand  520  so that the wedge sections  529  are slightly compressed. The friction between the wedge sections  529  and the positioning stand  520  secure the camera at a fixed location. However, by applying an amount of force to the ball mount  525 , the position of the camera  550  may be manually rotated within the positioning stand  520 . The camera mounting board  540  is attached to the camera mounting stand  530  through a plurality of connection apertures  575 . The camera mounting stand  530  is secured to the camera mounting board  540  using a plurality of fasteners  570  as is known in the art. 
     Numerous variations and modifications of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The detailed embodiment is to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.