Contraves Ag

Oerlikon Contraves Ag

Albin Vuichard

Bruno Buhler

Tell Cavin

Werner Gebauer

A video camera is used for controlling the adjustment of a manipulator unit. An object is imaged by the video camera which is optimumly focused with respect to the object as a function of the mean brightness of a predetermined image from containing the image of the object. The focusing operation is carried out on the basis of obtaining an optimum value for the mean brightness of the image elements within the predetermined image frame enclosing the object image. The manipulator unit may contain an industrial robot for selectively adjusting either one of a workpiece or a tool acting upon a workpiece. Furthermore, the manipulator unit may contain a target tracking platform for tracking a target constituting the object imaged by the video camera.

Automatic focusing control of a video camera for industrial and military

The brightness and the contrast are optimized in a video image which is used for controlling a manipulator unit. For this purpose, the gain/offset control means of a video camera producing the video image, is controlled using an image control unit in a manner such that the image data of an object can be processed by the image control unit in optimum manner. The manipulator unit may comprise an industrial robot manipulating a workpiece or a tool of a machine tool acting upon a workpiece. The manipulator unit can also be constructed as a target tracking platform for tracking a target which is imaged by the video camera.

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Mollis, Switzerland

Albin Vuichard