Patent Publication Number: US-11050906-B2

Title: Camera chassis for a panoramic camera with isothermal mounting base

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/237,753 filed Jan. 2, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/058,182 filed Oct. 18, 2013, each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     Embodiments of the invention relate to thermal management. In particular, embodiments of the invention relate to thermal management for a panoramic camera. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Panoramic cameras have become increasingly popular due to their ability to capture images with a high horizontal field of view (FOV). Panoramic cameras may be classified into single sensor systems, or multiple sensor systems. In the case of a multiple sensor system, a plurality of individual sensors is mounted in a spaced apart configuration. The inventors have found that in the case of a multiple sensor panoramic camera, the individual sensors are very sensitive to thermal variations. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. § 1.73, requiring a summary of the invention briefly indicating the nature and substance of the invention. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 
     In one aspect, a chassis for use in a panoramic camera is disclosed. The chassis comprises a base; a heat sink formed on a first portion of the base; and an isothermal mounting structure formed on a second portion of the base, wherein an isothermal mounting structure defines a plurality of mounting formations for securing imaging sensors thereto. 
     Other aspects of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form only in order to avoid obscuring the invention. 
       The present invention, in accordance with one or more various embodiments, is described in detail with reference to the following figures. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict exemplary embodiments of the invention. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader&#39;s understanding of the invention and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the invention. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale. 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a lower chassis for a panoramic camera, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates the lower chassis of  FIG. 1  with two sensor sub-assemblies  120  mounted thereon. 
     
    
    
     The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that the invention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, structures and devices are shown in block diagram form only in order to avoid obscuring the invention. 
     Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments. 
     Moreover, although the following description contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and/or alterations to said details are within the scope of the present invention. Similarly, although many of the features of the present invention are described in terms of each other, or in conjunction with each other, one skilled in the art will appreciate that many of these features can be provided independently of other features. Accordingly, this description of the invention is set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the invention. 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment  100  of the inventive lower chassis for a panoramic camera. Referring to  FIG. 1 , it will be seen that the lower chassis includes a base portion  102  that defines a lower cover for the panoramic camera. Located centrally on the base portion  102  is a metal boss  104  which stands proud of the base portion  102 . The metal boss  104  has a cylindrical profile and defines a flat upper surface  108 . In use, a chip (e.g. a multiple imager video processor (MIVP)) may be mounted to abut or rest on the upper surface  108  of the metal boss  104 . Thus, the chip (not shown) is thermally coupled with the metal boss  104  which essentially serves as a heat sink to dissipate heat away from the remaining components of the camera. 
     A sensor mounting plate  110  stands proud of the base portion  102 . The sensor mounting plate  110 , in the embodiment shown, defines an arc and includes slots  112  and apertures  114  to secure a sensor sub-assembly thereto, as is described in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/058,131 filed Oct. 18, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. It is important to note that the sensor mounting plate  110  is resistively isolated or at least partially thermally isolated from the metal boss  106  by a trench indicated generally by reference  116  formed between the metal boss  106  and the sensor mounting plate  110 . 
     The design of the sensor mounting plate  110 , and its separation from the metal boss  106  by the trench  116  ensures that imaging sensors mounted on the sensor mounting plate  110  remain on an isotherm. This ensures that temperature variations of the different imaging sensors mounted on the sensor mounting plate  110  are kept to a minimum. This improves operation of the panoramic camera. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates the lower chassis  100  with two sensor sub-assemblies  120  mounted thereon. 
     Numerous specific details may be set forth herein to provide a thorough understanding of a number of possible embodiments of a digital imaging system incorporating the present disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments. It can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments. 
     Although the invention is described above in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments of the invention, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
     Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unless otherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposed to limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” should be read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term “example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item in discussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or “an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or the like; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,” “standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construed as limiting the item described to a given time period or to an item available as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompass conventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may be available or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, where this document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known to one of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass those apparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in the future. 
     The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “at least,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instances shall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or required in instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of the term “module” does not imply that the components or functionality described or claimed as part of the module are all configured in a common package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of a module, whether control logic or other components, can be combined in a single package or separately maintained and can further be distributed in multiple groupings or packages or across multiple locations. 
     Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described in terms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations. As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture or configuration.