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:
Mar. 09, 2004
Filed:
May. 10, 1999
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The invention relates to an image pickup optical system which can make a sensitive tradeoff between the precision of alignment of a decentration optical prism used as an image formation element for an electronic camera or the like with respect to an image pickup element and ease of fabrication. The invention provides an optical prism comprising three optical surfaces to . An entrance surface is suitable for incidence of light from a subject. The incident light is subjected to at least two internal reflections to turn back an optical path. The reflected light leaves the prism through an exit surface to form an image of the subject on an image pickup surface located outside of the prism. At least one of the entrance surface and exit surface is constructed of an optical surface having a combined transmission and internal reflection action. The optical prism is used in combination with a prism frame designed to be well fit therefor. Sides L and R formed in directions intersecting the directions of the entrance surface 14 and exit surface 12 are provided with protrusions L and R for mounting the optical prism to the prism frame