Omni-directional imaging and illumination assembly
First Claim
1. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
- (a) a vertical axis of symmetry;
(b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens;
(c) a transparent perimeter surface;
(d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface;
(e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry;
wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; and
wherein the curvature of the upper surface and/or the curvature of the lower convex surface of said omni-directional lens and the material of which said omni-directional lens is made are selected to enable Total Internal Reflection of rays that arrive at said surfaces, without the use of a reflective coating.
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Abstract
In a first aspect, the present invention provides an omni-directional imaging assembly. In the preferred embodiment the assembly of the invention comprises a solid omni-directional lens comprising a vertical axis of symmetry; an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; a transparent perimeter surface; a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of the perimeter surface; and a transparent circular surface maintained in the lower convex surface around the vertical axis of symmetry. The light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by the transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by the lower convex surface towards the upper surface, and then reflected by the upper surface towards the transparent circular surface, where they are refracted and exit the omni-directional lens. In a second aspect the omni-directional imaging assembly of the invention can be combined with an illumination source to simultaneously provide both omni-directional imaging and omni-directional illumination. Also described are embodiments of the invention that comprise image capturing devices, embodiments that enable simultaneous imaging of the first scene and a second scene, and embodiments that are adapted to the requirements of endoscopic imaging.
40 Citations
31 Claims
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1. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; and wherein the curvature of the upper surface and/or the curvature of the lower convex surface of said omni-directional lens and the material of which said omni-directional lens is made are selected to enable Total Internal Reflection of rays that arrive at said surfaces, without the use of a reflective coating. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; said omni-directional imaging assembly further comprising a second transparent circular area maintained in the upper surface of the omni-directional lens around the vertical axis of symmetry;
said second transparent circular area enabling penetration of rays from a second scene, at least partially different than the first scene, into said omni-directional lens, wherein rays from said second scene travel through said omni-directional lens, are refracted by the transparent circular surface in the lower surface, and exit said omni-directional lens. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; Wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; said omni-directional imaging further comprising an image capture device, directed towards the transparent circular surface in the lower surface of the omni-directional lens and having its optical axis coinciding with the vertical axis of symmetry of said omni-directional lens and a connector located between the omni-directional lens and the image capture device, said connector having a first edge and a second edge, wherein optical transparency exists between said first edge and said second edge, allowing light penetrating said first edge to reach and exit through said second edge essentially without distortion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; Wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; said omni-directional imaging assembly further comprising cylindrical slots in the body of the omni-directional lens around the axis of symmetry, said slots formed in size and angle so as to not interfere with the optical path of rays originating in scenes that should be covered by said omni-directional lens;
wherein said slots absorb light and prevent glare.
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26. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; said omni-directional imaging assembly further comprising a prism and an illumination source;
wherein said prism is located coaxially with the omni-directional lens and said illumination source is located to the side of said prism and directed towards said prism;
wherein the shape of said prism, the reflectivity of its surfaces, and its location and orientation are selected so as to transmit rays that arrive from the direction of said omni-directional lens to the desired location and to refract illumination rays originating at said illumination source towards said omni-directional lens.
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27. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens said omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; and wherein the omni-directional lens further comprises a hole to the side of the vertical axis of symmetry, said hole extending from the upper surface to the lower surface of said lens;
wherein said hole comprises a mechanical channel.- View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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30. An omni-directional imaging assembly comprising a solid omni-directional lens omni-directional lens comprising:
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(a) a vertical axis of symmetry; (b) an upper surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the inner side of the omni-directional lens; (c) a transparent perimeter surface; (d) a lower convex surface, at least part of which is capable of reflecting rays that arrive from the direction of said perimeter surface; (e) a transparent circular surface maintained in said lower convex surface around said vertical axis of symmetry; wherein light rays from a first 360 degrees, panoramic, scene are refracted by said transparent perimeter surface, are then reflected by said lower convex surface towards said upper surface, and then reflected by said upper surface towards said transparent circular surface, then refracted and exit said omni-directional lens; further comprising an image capture device, directed towards the transparent circular surface in the lower surface of the omni-directional lens and having its optical axis coinciding with the vertical axis of symmetry of said omni-directional lens. - View Dependent Claims (31)
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Specification