Spherical and nearly spherical view imaging assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A nearly spherical imaging assembly comprising an axi-symmetric lens, providing at least a reflection of a cylindrical field of view;
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
a second image capture device, set to capture an image, at least partially different from the image captured by said first image capture device;
wherein, light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said axi-symmetric lens and captured by said first image capture device and light rays from a second scene, at least partially different from said first scene are captured by said second image capture device, said image assembly further comprising;
wherein,a) the first image capture device is directed towards said reflective surface and set to capture the image that arrives from the direction of said reflective surface after penetrating said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens;
b) the second image capture device is positioned coaxially with said second axi-symmetric lens, directed towards said second axi-symmetric lens, and set to capture the image that is reflected by said second axi-symmetric lens;
c) light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said first axi-symmetric lens towards said reflective surface, reflected from said reflective surface towards said transparent area in the first axi-symmetric lens and towards said first image capture device, and are captured by said first image capture device;
d) light rays from a second scene penetrate said transparent area in said reflective surface, travel toward said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens, penetrate said transparent area, and are captured by said first image capture device; and
e) light rays from a third scene, at least partially different from said first scene are reflected by said second axi-symmetric lens towards said second image capture device and captured by said second image capture device.
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Abstract
The present invention describes several embodiments of electro-optical assemblies, which are capable of capturing full or nearly full spherical field of view. The present invention presents improvements of the prior art methods by unifying several methods to achieve coverage of a large field of view. The present invention provides a method for utilizing the concept of reflective surfaces and combining two image capture devices to achieve an even larger field of view than those presented previously.
25 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A nearly spherical imaging assembly comprising an axi-symmetric lens, providing at least a reflection of a cylindrical field of view;
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
a second image capture device, set to capture an image, at least partially different from the image captured by said first image capture device;wherein, light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said axi-symmetric lens and captured by said first image capture device and light rays from a second scene, at least partially different from said first scene are captured by said second image capture device, said image assembly further comprising; wherein, a) the first image capture device is directed towards said reflective surface and set to capture the image that arrives from the direction of said reflective surface after penetrating said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens; b) the second image capture device is positioned coaxially with said second axi-symmetric lens, directed towards said second axi-symmetric lens, and set to capture the image that is reflected by said second axi-symmetric lens; c) light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said first axi-symmetric lens towards said reflective surface, reflected from said reflective surface towards said transparent area in the first axi-symmetric lens and towards said first image capture device, and are captured by said first image capture device; d) light rays from a second scene penetrate said transparent area in said reflective surface, travel toward said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens, penetrate said transparent area, and are captured by said first image capture device; and e) light rays from a third scene, at least partially different from said first scene are reflected by said second axi-symmetric lens towards said second image capture device and captured by said second image capture device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
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4. A nearly spherical imaging assembly comprising an axi-symmetric lens, providing at least a reflection of a cylindrical field of view;
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
a second image capture device, set to capture an image, at least partially different from the image captured by said first image capture device;
wherein, light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said axi-symmetric lens and captured by said first image capture device and light rays from a second scene, at least partially different from said first scene are captured by said second image capture device, said imaging assembly having optical zoom capability and further comprising a reflective surface located around the central axi of symmetry of the axi-symmetrical lens, providing an optically zoomed reflection of a limited sector towards the first image capture device;wherein, a) the first image capture device is directed towards said axi-symmetric lens, set to capture the image that is reflected by said axi-symmetric lens; b) the second image capture device is positioned opposite to said axi-symmetric lens; and c) light rays from a third scene comprising a partial sector of the first scene are optically zoomed and reflected by said reflective surface towards said first image capture device and captured by said first image capture device. - View Dependent Claims (5)
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
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6. A nearly spherical imaging assembly comprising an axi-symmetric lens, providing at least a reflection of a cylindrical field of view;
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
a second image capture device, set to capture an image, at least partially different from the image captured by said first image capture device;
wherein, light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said axi-symmetric lens and captured by said first image capture device and light rays from a second scene, at least partially different from said first scene are captured by said second image capture device, said imaging device further comprising;wherein, a) the first image capture device is directed towards said first reflective surface and set to capture the image that arrives from the direction of said first reflective surface after penetrating said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens; b) the second image capture device is positioned coaxially with said second axi-symmetric lens, directed towards said second reflective surface, and set to capture the image that arrives from the direction of said second reflective surface after penetrating said transparent area in said second axi-symmetric lens; c) light rays from a first, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said first axi symmetric lens towards said first reflective surface, then reflected towards said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens, penetrate said transparent area, and are captured by said first image capture device; d) simultaneously, light rays from a second scene, which is at least partially different from said first scene, penetrate through said transparent area in said first reflective surface, travel towards said transparent area in said first axi-symmetric lens, and are captured by said first image capture device; e) simultaneously light rays from a third, cylindrical, scene are reflected by said second axi symmetric lens towards said second reflective surface, then reflected towards said transparent area in said second axi-symmetric lens, penetrate said transparent area, and are captured by said second image capture device; and f) simultaneously, light rays from a fourth scene, which is at least partially different from said third scene, penetrate through said transparent area in said second surface, travel towards said transparent area in said second axi-symmetric reflective lens, and are captured by said second image capture device.
- a first image capture device, positioned coaxially with said axi-symmetric lens; and
Specification