The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 29, 2000
Filed:
Oct. 21, 1998
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G03B / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
396323 ; 396326 ; 396378 ; 348 36 ; 348 42 ;
Abstract
A multiple lens image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of image pickup systems, a control system, and an optical viewfinder. Each image pickup system is arranged to allow an angle an optical path makes through the system to be changed. The control system selects a stereoscopic photographing mode in which images taken through the plurality of image pickup systems overlap in a large proportion, or a panoramic photographing mode in which images taken through the plurality of image pickup systems overlap in a small proportion. The optical viewfinder selectively sets an observing range in accordance with the photographing mode selected.