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:
Dec. 25, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 19, 2008
Takayoshi Togino, Shibuya-ku, JP;
Takayoshi Togino, Shibuya-ku, JP;
Olympus Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The invention relates to an optical apparatus allowing images in multiple directions to be simultaneously taken with simple construction using a prism optical system yet with high definitions even at wide angles of view. Specifically, the invention provides an optical apparatus using a prism optical system which has three optical surfaces: a first surface having transmission, a second surface having internal reflection plus transmission and a third surface having reflection and is formed of a medium having a refractive index of 1.3 or greater and in which light enters the medium through the first surface, is totally reflected at the second surface, and then reflected at the third surface, and finally leaves the medium this time through the second surface. At least two prism optical systems () are arranged side by side with respect to an imaging plane of a single imaging device () so that images in at least two directions are formed side by side on the imaging plane of the single imaging device (), and at least one of three surfaces of each of said prism optical systems () has a reflecting surface defined by a rotationally asymmetric plane.