System and method for panoramic imaging using concentric spherical mirrors
First Claim
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1. A method for imaging a wide angle field of view using first and second concentrically positioned spherical surfaces having a common center point, the method comprising:
- reflecting light rays emanating from the field of view using the first generally spherical surface such that generally parallel light rays diverge after being reflected;
reflecting light rays emanating from the first generally spherical surface using the second generally spherical surface through an aperture in the first generally spherical surface such that generally parallel light rays converge after being reflected to form a generally spherical image of the field of view; and
transforming the generally spherical image to a generally planar image.
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Abstract
A system and method for wide angle imaging create a high resolution image using a convex primary mirror concentrically positioned relative to a concave secondary mirror and one or more detectors spherically juxtaposed. The radii of the primary and secondary mirrors are related by the square of the "golden ratio" to reduce low order aberrations. A fiber optic faceplate coupled to each detector corrects field curvature of the image which may then be detected with a conventional flat detector, such as a CCD camera.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A method for imaging a wide angle field of view using first and second concentrically positioned spherical surfaces having a common center point, the method comprising:
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reflecting light rays emanating from the field of view using the first generally spherical surface such that generally parallel light rays diverge after being reflected; reflecting light rays emanating from the first generally spherical surface using the second generally spherical surface through an aperture in the first generally spherical surface such that generally parallel light rays converge after being reflected to form a generally spherical image of the field of view; and transforming the generally spherical image to a generally planar image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for panoramic imaging of a field of view, the method comprising:
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reflecting light rays emanating from the field of view from a generally spherical convex surface having a first radius of curvature and an associated center point; reflecting light rays emanating from the generally spherical convex surface from a generally spherical concave surface having the associated center point through an aperture in the generally spherical convex surface form a generally spherical image of the field of view; and transforming the generally spherical image to a generally planar image. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification