Means For Changing The Camera's Field Of View Without Moving The Camera Body, E.g., Nutating Or Panning Optics Or Image-sensors (epo) Patents (Class 348/E5.03)
  • Patent number: 10761303
    Abstract: An omnidirectional image and video capturing system including a tube, a plurality of reflectors, openings for rays of light to the enter tube, and a stitching, display or decoding non-transitory storage media. The reflectors may include a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, and a fourth mirror and may be angled at an approximate 45-degree angle and a fifth mirror that may capture reflected images from the first (4) four mirrors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Inventor: Barry Henthorn
  • Patent number: 10739454
    Abstract: A laser warning receiver system and method having at least four optical components mapped to a photodetector array to provide for omnidirectional detection of incident laser light. In some cases, a fifth optical component is mapped to the central portion of a photodetector array to provide hemispheric detection of laser light. The laser warning receiver system is configured to detect laser light in the NIR, SWIR, MWIR, and/or LWIR range using a single photodetector array and ROIC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Choiniere, Will R. Grigsby, Eric C. Hoenes, Jeffrey L. Jew
  • Patent number: 9939654
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a front lens group, including a reflector element and a front lens element on the object side thereof, and a rear lens group; a support member, fixed to a fixed member that supports the reflector element, including a spherical-swinging operation support positioned behind the reflection surface of the reflector element and supporting a movable member supporting the front lens element to spherically swing about a predetermined point, a rotation preventer preventing the movable member from rotating about the optical axis of the front lens element, a detector supporter, and a mounting portion mounted to the fixed member; an actuator which drives the movable member to spherically swing the movable member in response to vibrations applied to the imaging optical system; a detector detecting positional variations of the movable member; and an adjuster which adjusts the position of the mounting portion relative to the fixed member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: HOYA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Nomura, Takahiro Morinaga
  • Patent number: 8325229
    Abstract: A camera system having a camera lens module, a slip ring connector, and a pan/tilt mechanism. In one construction, the camera system includes a circuit board, a slip ring having a stator connected to the circuit board and a rotor rotatable with respect to the stator, a camera lens module, and a flexible flat cable. The camera system can also include an anti-rotation arm connected to the rotor and in contact with a first end of the flexible flat cable. The anti-rotation arm can prevent a twist of the flexible flat cable during panning of the camera lens module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Theodore L. Jones, Richard Wright
  • Patent number: 8305425
    Abstract: A panoramic camera system is disclosed that includes an unified optical system, an image capture device, and a processing unit. The unified optical system may include a first set of lenses that guide images received from horizontal directions of a target scene that surrounds the unified optical system. The unified optical system may also include a deflecting device that deflects the images guided through the first set of lenses and a second set of lenses that projects the images deflected by the deflecting device. The image capture device collects the projected images into a determined pattern based on the second set of lenses. Moreover, the processing unit processes the collected images from the image capture device to generate at least one of image signals and video signals representing a panoramic rendition of the target scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Promos Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mei Len, Chin-Hai Chang