Camera apparatus

• US 20010048816A1
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Published: 12/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masami
• Granted Patent: US 6,575,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/351
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor

Abstract

The camera apparatus includes a camera main body and a convex mirror. A picture reflected by the convex mirror is taken by the camera main body. Even if the angle of view of a camera lens is set small and the camera main body is made compact, a picture having a wide angle of view can be taken through the convex mirror.

Claims

1. A camera apparatus comprising a convex mirror and a camera main body for taking a picture of an image reflected by said convex mirror.

2. The camera apparatus According to

claim 1

, wherein a reflecting surface of said convex mirror is an aspherical surface.

3. The camera apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the radius of curvature of the reflecting surface in the direction of the diagonal angle of view is larger than the radii of curvature of the reflecting surface in the directions of the horizontal and vertical angles of view.

4. The camera apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein the radius of curvature of said reflecting surface in the direction of diagonal angle of view varies according to positions.

5. The camera apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said camera main body is carried on a vehicle for taking a picture of the outside of the vehicle reflected by said convex mirror.

6. The camera apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said camera main body is carried on a vehicle for taking a picture of the outside of the vehicle reflected by said convex mirror.

7. The camera apparatus according to

claim 3

, wherein said camera main body is carried on a vehicle for taking a picture of the outside of the vehicle reflected by said convex mirror.

8. The camera apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said camera main body is carried on a vehicle for taking a picture of the outside of the vehicle reflected by said convex mirror.