Omnidirectional Camera

• US 20120242837A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Sasagawa, Jun, Yamada, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,934,019 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 11/04 Hoods or caps for eliminating unwanted light from lenses, viewfinders or focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/00 Details of cameras or camera bodies; Accessories therefor lens hoods or caps G03B11/04
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/55 with provision for heating or cooling, e.g. in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 37/04 with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

An omnidirectional camera comprises two or more camera units 6, 7, a camera assembly 2 in which the two or more camera units are mounted, a heat shield cover 4 to accommodate the camera assembly, a heat insulating member interposed between the camera assembly and the heat shield cover, a space formed between the camera assembly and the heat shield cover, a required number of slit 36 formed in the heat shield cover and extending in up-and-down direction, and in the omnidirectional camera, the space communicates with an outside through the slit.

Claims

1. An omnidirectional camera, comprising two or more camera units, a camera assembly in which said two or more camera units are mounted, a heat shield cover to accommodate said camera assembly, a heat insulating member interposed between said camera assembly and said heat shield cover, a space formed between said camera assembly and said heat shield cover, a required number of slit formed in said heat shield cover and extending in up-and-down direction, wherein said space communicates with an outside through said slit.

2. An omnidirectional camera according to claim 1, wherein said camera assembly is a heat radiator and a heat of a heat generating member of said camera units is transferred to said camera assembly.

3. An omnidirectional camera according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein radiation fins are formed on a surface of said camera assembly.

4. An omnidirectional camera according to any of claim 1 to claim 3, wherein said camera assembly has a liquid-tight structure.

5. An omnidirectional camera according to any of claim 1 to claim 4, wherein a gap is formed between said heat insulating member and said heat shield cover, said space partitioned by said heat insulating member is communicated through said gap.