Camera apparatus

• US 6,575,643 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2001
• Issued: 06/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): RUTLEDGE, DELLA J
• Application Number:
  US09/872,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20010048816A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• Field of Search: 396/351, 396/429, 396/428, 348/118, 348/36, 348/147, 359/846, 359/872
• 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 including an aspherical reflecting surface; and

a main camera body for taking a picture of an image reflected by said convex mirror;

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.

2. 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.

3. A camera apparatus comprising:

a convex mirror including an aspherical reflecting surface; and

a main camera body for taking a picture of an image reflected by said convex mirror;

wherein the aspherical reflecting surface is non-disjoint and non-linear across its extend in each direction, and wherein the aspherical reflecting surface is different along the surface in the directions of the horizontal and vertical angles of view.

4. 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.