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:
Nov. 18, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 15, 2001
Nathan J. Schara, Pasadena, CA (US);
Hans D. Høeg, Arcadia, CA (US);
Eric L. Hale, South Pasadena, CA (US);
EndActive, Inc., Arcadia, CA (US);
Abstract
A variable direction-of-view endoscope ( ) with a spherical viewing window ( ) symmetric about a symmetry plane ( ) sealed to a distal end portion ( ). The endoscope optical system can be adjusted to vary the direction of a view vector ( ) through an unlimited range ( ) about a pivot axis ( ). The spherical viewing window ( ) enables a process that switches the device between an initial configuration ( ) and a final configuration ( ), both having the same viewing direction ( ). In addition to providing the user with an alternative to a possibly unfavorable viewpoint, this redundancy enables a stereo imaging process which captures ( ) and displays ( ) a stereo image pair ( ) affording the user three-dimensional viewing.