Encapsulated optical imaging camera
AssigneeOmniscient Imaging, Inc.
InventorsBhaskar Banerjee, Balaji Akkayyagari, Zijian Wan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging camera containing an encapsulated optical lens enables viewing from inside and imaging of a chosen cavity in/from a variety of directions with the use of an electromagnetic apparatus located inside the encapsulation. A portion of camera's optical system together with light source(s) and optical detector mutually cooperated by housing structure inside the encapsulating shell are moveable/re-orientable within the shell to vary a desired view of the object space without interruption of imaging process. Method(s) of using optical, optoelectronic, and optoelectromechanical sub-systems of the camera.
Claims21
An imaging camera having an optical field of view (FOV) and comprising:
- a first optical element having at least a portion thereof structured as a substantially spherical shell having a shell axis, the first optical element defining a volume and an aperture configured to provide access to the volume;
- an optical lens disposed inside the volume in an optical lens holder configured to affix constituent lens elements of the optical lens with respect to one another;
- a light source configured inside the volume on a base portion of the optical lens holder to illuminate an object space outside the first optical element only through the first optical element;
- an electromagnetic apparatus separated from the optical lens by the base portion and configured to tilt the optical lens inside the volume with respect to the shell axis;
- and
- an optical detector configured inside the volume to acquire light from the object space through both the first optical element and through the optical lens.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.