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. 28, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 12, 2003
Edward P. Wallerstein, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Robert G. Hoffman, Fremont, CA (US);
Stanley P. Demarta, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Edward C. Driscoll, Jr., Portola Valley, CA (US);
Edward P. Wallerstein, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Robert G. Hoffman, Fremont, CA (US);
Stanley P. DeMarta, Pleasanton, CA (US);
Edward C. Driscoll, Jr., Portola Valley, CA (US);
Be Here Corporation, Fremont, CA (US);
Abstract
A panoramic lens includes an aspherical convex surface and an aspherical concave surface. The convex surface includes a transparent portion and an internally reflective portion, and the concave surface also includes a transparent portion and an internally reflective portion. Light from a 360-degree surrounding scene enters the panoramic lens through the transparent portion of the convex surface, is reflected by the internally reflective portion of the concave surface, is reflected by the internally reflective portion of the convex surface, and exits the panoramic lens through the transparent portion of the concave surface as a narrow column of light beams. Light beams containing image data can be provided to the transparent portion of the concave surface, and those beams will follow this same optical path through the panoramic lens in reverse to project a panoramic image out from the transparent region of the convex surface.