Super wide-angle panoramic imaging apparatus
First Claim
1. A panoramic imaging apparatus for sensing a super wide-angle field of view comprising:
- (a) a pair of reflectors, including (i) a primary reflector having a first shape and a first size and capable of providing a first reflection of a super wide-angle scene, and (ii) a secondary reflector having a second shape and a second size, which is positioned to accept the first reflection to provide a second reflection at a first location, the shapes and sizes of the primary and secondary reflectors, and their respective positions, are such that the second reflection provided at the first location is substantially free of field curvature effects and astigmatic effects;
(b) a relay system positioned to accept the second reflection and comprising optics capable of substantially filtering out optical rays other than those reflected directly by the secondary reflector from incoming optical rays reflected directly by the first reflector to provide a filtered reflection; and
(c) an image sensor positioned to accept the filtered reflection, in which the panoramic imaging apparatus captures the super wide-angle scene from a substantially single reference viewpoint.
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Abstract
A system for capturing super wide-angle panoramic images. In particular, a two-reflector system is disclosed which is substantially self-correcting in which optical aberrations are substantially eliminated, such as field curvature, astigmatism and the like. Moreover, the super wide-angle panoramic imaging apparatus of the invention captures a super-wide field of view from a substantially single reference viewpoint. The invention provides a substantially compact viewpoint, while also having a substantially flat and stigmatic image plane, in the context of a super wide-angle panoramic system. Devices and methods for capturing panoramic images of super wide-angle scenes are provided. In a particular embodiment of the invention, two reflectors are provided (e.g., one a hyperboloidal mirror, the other a concave ellipsoidal or spherical mirror), a relay system (e.g., optics such as a mirror, a lens, a pinhole and the like) and an image sensor (e.g., an electronic photo-sensor, a film and the like).
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A panoramic imaging apparatus for sensing a super wide-angle field of view comprising:
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(a) a pair of reflectors, including (i) a primary reflector having a first shape and a first size and capable of providing a first reflection of a super wide-angle scene, and (ii) a secondary reflector having a second shape and a second size, which is positioned to accept the first reflection to provide a second reflection at a first location, the shapes and sizes of the primary and secondary reflectors, and their respective positions, are such that the second reflection provided at the first location is substantially free of field curvature effects and astigmatic effects;
(b) a relay system positioned to accept the second reflection and comprising optics capable of substantially filtering out optical rays other than those reflected directly by the secondary reflector from incoming optical rays reflected directly by the first reflector to provide a filtered reflection; and
(c) an image sensor positioned to accept the filtered reflection, in which the panoramic imaging apparatus captures the super wide-angle scene from a substantially single reference viewpoint. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of providing a substantially stigmatic reflection of a super wide-angle field of view captured from a substantially single reference viewpoint comprising:
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(a) providing a primary reflector to generate a first reflection of a super wide-angle scene, the primary reflector having a near focal point and a far focal point;
(b) providing a secondary reflector to accept the first reflection and to generate a second reflection, the secondary reflector having a near focal point and a far focal point;
(c) providing a relay system having an entrance pupil, in which the primary reflector, secondary reflector and lens are positioned such that the far focal point of the primary reflector coincides substantially with the near focal point of the secondary reflector and the entrance pupil of the relay system coincides substantially with the far focal point of the secondary reflector. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A panoramic imaging apparatus for sensing a super wide-angle field of view comprising:
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(a) a pair of reflectors, including (i) a primary reflector having a first shape and a first size and capable of providing a first reflection of a super wide-angle scene, and (ii) a secondary reflector having a second shape and a second size, which is positioned to accept the first reflection to provide a second reflection at a first location, the shapes and sizes of the primary and secondary reflectors, and their respective positions, are such that the second reflection provided at the first location is substantially free of field curvature effects and astigmatic effects;
(b) a relay system comprising optics capable of relocating the second reflection to a second location to provide a relocated reflection; and
(c) an image sensor positioned to accept the relocated reflection at the second location, in which the panoramic imaging apparatus captures the super wide-angle scene from a substantially single reference viewpoint. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method of providing a substantially planar and stigmatic reflection of a super wide-angle field of view captured from a substantially single reference viewpoint comprising:
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(a) providing a primary reflector having a first shape and a first size to generate a first reflection of a super wide-angle scene; and
(b) providing a secondary reflector having a second shape and a second size to accept the first reflection and to generate a second reflection, in which the shapes and sizes of the primary and secondary reflectors, and their respective positions, are such as to give rise to a second reflection that is substantially planar and stigmatic and in which a super wide-angle field of view is captured from a substantially single reference viewpoint. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification