Automatic area of interest television optical probe focus apparatus

Claim 1

In a closed circuit T.V. system including a T.V. camera having a source of horizontal and vertical sync signals and lens means for focusing on a scene and producing output electrical signals representative of said scene and monitor means including a monitor screen and projector, the projector being connected to the camera for reproducing the scene responsive to the camera output electrical signals, apparatus for automatically focusing said camera on a limited area of interest of said scene dependent upon the head movements of a person viewing the scene reproduced on said monitor comprising in combination a. servo motor means connected to actuate the lens system of T.V. camera for focusing the same, b. an automatic focusing circuit including a discriminator, sample, hold and delay, comparator and search sequencer circuits together with a timer for automatically focusing said lens system responsive to output electrical signals from said T.V. camera, c. a normally open electronic switch means connected in serIes between said T.V. camera output and said focusing circuit to inhibit focusing condition indicator signals when said switch is in ''''off'''' position, and d. gate signal triggering means for actuating said electronic switch means to ''''on'''' condition responsive to the turn and tilt position of the head of the viewer and to the horizontal and vertical sync signals of said camera comprising a head piece attached to the viewer''s head and an electrical gate circuit means connected to said head piece and to the horizontal and vertical sync signal source of said camera and having an output connected to pass a gate signal to said electronic switch means to actuate said switch means to ''''on'''' condition for a limited portion of the video output of said camera corresponding to the area of interest as determined by the turn-tilt attitude of the viewer''s head.