Imaging system for simultaneous viewing of two images

• US 5,172,235 A
• Filed: 04/23/1991
• Issued: 12/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Original Assignee: Volkswagen AG
• Inventors: Wilm, Thomas, Kugler, Dirk
• Primary Examiner(s): Brier, Jeffery A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARVEY, MINSUN OH
• Application Number:
  US07/690,512
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 358/225, 358/226, 358/55, 358/108, 358/213.26, 358/213.11, 350/317, 350/162.16, 350/311, 350/319
• US Class Current: 348/343
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/00 Special procedures for taking photographs; Apparatus therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices

Abstract

For simultaneous viewing, for example, of a stretch of roadway in front of a vehicle, with telephoto and wide-angle images, an electronic receiver receives telephoto and wide-angle image information from an input optical system. In one example, a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens have individual zone filters whose transmissive regions are complementary to each other. The zone images are combined into a composite image for reproduction by the receiver.

Claims

1. An image reproducing system for reproducing two images simultaneously comprising electronic image-reproducing means and optical input means providing optical image information to the reproducing means in which the optical input means includes an optical element having a central region and having a focal length which decreases continuously in the direction outwardly from the central region to provide simultaneous central telephoto and peripheral wide-angle optical image information to the reproducing means.

2. An image reproducing system according to claim 1 wherein the optical element having a focal length which decreases continuously from the central region outwardly is a lens.

3. An image reproducing system according to claim 1 wherein the optical element is a mirror which is shaped so as to produce telephoto optical image information in a central region and wide-angle image information outwardly from the central region.

4. An image reproducing system for reproducing two images simultaneously comprising electronic image-reproducing means and optical input means providing optical image information to the reproducing means in which the optical input means provides simultaneous telephoto and wide-angle optical image information to the reproducing means wherein the optical input means includes two separate lenses having parallel axes to produce two images and corresponding zone filters and mirrors to produce a composite image containing complementary zonal images.