Image pick-up device, image display device and information recording medium comprising a fisheye lens

• US 6,128,145 A
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanex Incorporated, Fit Corp. (Japan), Nidec Sankyo Corporation (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanex Incorporated, Fit Corp. (Japan), RIOS Corporation
• Inventors: Nagaoka, Tooru
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US09/300,972
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 359/749, 359/750-753, 359/680-682, 359/672-675
• US Class Current: 359/749
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

An image is picked up by a camera comprising a fisheye lens having a relationship of h=n·f·tan(θ/m), wherein h is the height of an image of a subject at a certain point, f is the focal distance of the fisheye lens, θ is a field angle, m has a value of 1.6≦m≦3, and n has a value of m-0.4≦n≦m+0.4, and the image data of which is output from the camera, is converted into a plane image by an image data processing unit, and this converted image is then output to a monitor unit. Preferably, n and m both equal 2.

Claims

1. An image pick-up device, comprising:

a fisheye lens for picking up an image of all directions of a field of view around an optical axis of said fisheye lens at a field angle of at least 90°

in each direction with respect to the optical axis,

the fisheye lens having a relationship of h=n·

f·

tan(θ

/m), h being a height of an image of a subject at a predetermined point obtained by the fisheye lens, f being a focal distance of the fisheye lens, θ

being a field angle, m having a value of 1.6≦

m<

3, and n having a value of m-0.4<

n≦

m+0.4.

2. The image pick-up device of claim 1, wherein m and n are substantially equal.

3. The image pick-up device of claim 1, wherein m and n both substantially equal 2.

4. The image pick-up device of claim 1, wherein m and n both equal 2 such that the fisheye lens has a relationship of h=2f·

tan(θ

)/2).

5. The image pick-up device of claim 1, wherein the fisheye lens is constructed by a master lens provided on an existing image pick-up device and an attachment lens to be attached to the master lens.

6. An image display device, comprising:

an image data processing unit for converting an image obtained by the image pick-up device of claim 1 into a plane image; and

a display unit for displaying the converted plane image.

7. The image display device of claim 6, wherein said image data processing unit receives the image picked up by said fisheye lens.

8. The image display device of claim 6, wherein m and n are substantially equal.

9. The image display device of claim 6, wherein m and n both substantially equal 2.

10. The image display device of claim 6, wherein m and n both equal 2 such that the fisheye lens has a relationship of h=2f·

tan(θ

/2).

11. An information recording medium having recorded thereon a program including at least the steps of:

converting into a plane image an image obtained by a fisheye lens for picking up an image of all directions of a field of view around an optical axis of said fisheye lens at a field angle of at least 90°

in each direction with respect to the optical axis, said fisheye lens having a relationship of h=n·

f·

tan(θ

/m), h being a height of an image of a subject at a predetermined point obtained by the fisheye lens, f being a focal distance of the fisheye lens, θ

being a field angle, m having a value of 1.6≦

m≦

3, and n having a value of m-0.4≦

n≦

m+0.4;

displaying a predetermined portion of the converted plane image on a display unit; and

changing continuously the predetermined portion with instruction means.

12. The information recording medium of claim 11, wherein m and n are substantially equal.

13. The information recording medium of claim 11, wherein m and n both substantially equal 2.

14. The information recording medium of claim 11, wherein m and n both equal 2 such that the fisheye lens has a relationship of h=2f·

tan(θ

/2).