Camera device

• US 7,006,303 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2005
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Autonetworks Technologies, Ltd. (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation), Sumitomo Wiring Systems Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Imoto, Masayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Epps, Georgia
• Assistant Examiner(s): Harrington, Alicia M
• Application Number:
  US11/101,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225880A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 359/726, 359/811, 359831-834, 348/148, 348/118, 348/335, 348/337, 348/340
• US Class Current: 359/726
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/006 Side-view mirrors, e.g. V-shaped mirrors located at the front or rear part of the vehicle combined with rear-view mirrors B60R1/08; side-view periscopes B60R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/10 characterised by the type of camera system used
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2300/802 for monitoring and displaying vehicle exterior blind spot views
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 17/045 having static image erecting or reversing properties only optical derotators G02B27/642; optical devices for controlling the direction of light using movable or deformable optical elements G02B26/08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/1066 for enhancing image performance, like resolution, pixel numbers, dual magnifications or dynamic range, by tiling, slicing or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/143 using macroscopically faceted or segmented reflective surfaces

Abstract

A light incident on one side surface of a prism is reflected twice between an inner surface of the other side surfaced of the prism and an inner surface of the one side surface of the prism. The reflected light is emitted from the rear surface of the prism to form an image on an image pickup element through the image pickup lens. A first reflective member disposed on a substantially entire other side surface of the prism totally reflects the light incident on the inner surface of the other side prism. A second reflective member disposed on an area, of the one side surface of the prism, in which the light incident on the inner surface of the one side prism is not totally reflected totally reflects the light incident on the inner surface of the one side prism.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

an image pickup member having an image pickup element and an image pickup lens disposed on a front side of the image pickup element; and

at least one substantially triangular prism disposed on a front side of the image pickup member, each prism having a rear surface facing the image pickup lens, one side surface disposed toward a visual field side in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical image pickup axis, and the other side surface disposed toward an opposite visual field side, wherein light incident on the one side surface of prism is reflected twice between an inner surface of the other side surfaced of the prism and an inner surface of the one side surface of the prism,

wherein the reflected light is emitted from the rear surface of the prism to form an image on an image pickup element through the image pickup lens,

wherein a first reflective member disposed on substantially entire other side surface of the prism totally reflects the light incident on the inner surface of the other side prism, and

wherein a second reflective member disposed on an area, of the one side surface of the prism, in which the light incident on the inner surface of the one side prism is not totally reflected, totally reflects the light incident on the inner surface of the one side prism.

2. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflective member is formed on a rear edge area of the one side of the prism.

3. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflective member is a reflective film formed on the one side of the prism.

4. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflective member has a reflective film formed on a surface of a base material,

wherein the reflective film is adhered to the one side of the prism.

5. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one prism is configured by two prisms,

wherein the two prisms are arranged in a plane symmetry with respect to a virtual plane including the optical camera axis of the image pickup member, and

wherein the light incident from visual fields substantially opposite to each other imaged on the image pickup element through the image pickup lens by the two prisms.

6. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup member focuses light guided by the prism from the visual field in a direction substantially perpendicular to an optical image pickup axis simultaneously with incident light that has not passed through the prism from the visual field at a front side of the image pickup member, on the image pickup element through the image pickup lens.

7. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the camera device is arranged at an end of a vehicle, and

wherein the camera device takes a peripheral image of the vehicle.

8. The camera device according to claim 1, wherein the second reflective member has a reflective film formed on a surface of a base material,

wherein the reflective film is disposed in a vicinity of the one side of the prism.