Panoramic viewing system with a composite field of view

A method of producing a composite image with a plurality of sensors each producing data representative of an individual field of view, comprising the steps of:

• for at least one of the plurality of sensors, redirecting at least a portion of its field of view with a reflective surface;
• for each of the sensors, producing data representative of a modified field of view that disregards at least a portion of the field of view of the sensor;
• and
• merging the data representative of the modified fields of view to produce data representing a composite image having a corresponding field of view
• that is larger than any single one of the modified fields of view, and that contains at least one blind region that encompasses at least part of one of the disregarded portions of the individual fields of view.

A viewing apparatus having a composite field of view, comprising:

• at least two image sensors, each having an individual field of view;
• at least one reflective area that redirects at least part of the field of view associated with one of the image sensors, all the redirected and other fields of view being merged to produce the composite field of view, at least portions of each of two merged fields of view having substantially similar viewing directions where they are merged, and the merged fields of view creating in the composite field of view at least one blind region that encompasses at least a portion of an edge of a reflective area and that lies between portions of two individual fields of view;
• and
• a memory for storing data representative of said composite field of view electronically.

A viewing apparatus having a composite field of view, comprising:

• at least two image sensors, each having an individual field of view;
• at least one reflective area that redirects at least part of the field of view associated with one of the image sensors, all the redirected and other fields of view being merged to produce the composite field of view, at least portions of each of two merged fields of view having substantially similar viewing directions where they are merged, and the merged fields of view creating in the composite field of view at least one blind region that encompasses at least a portion of an edge of a reflective area and that lies between portions of two individual fields of view;
• a memory for storing data representative of said composite field of view electronically;
• and
• control means for selectively retrieving said data from said memory in response to user signals produced in response to a user's input.

A viewing apparatus having a composite field of view, comprising:

• at least two image sensors, each having an individual field of view;
• at least one reflective area that redirects at least part of the field of view associated with one of the image sensors, all the redirected and other fields of view being merged to produce the composite field of view, at least portions of each of two merged fields of view having substantially similar viewing directions where they are merged, and the merged fields of view creating in the composite field of view at least one blind region that encompasses at least a portion of an edge of a reflective area and that lies between portions of two individual fields of view;
• a memory for storing data representative of said composite field of view electronically;
• control means for selectively retrieving said data from said memory in response to user signals produced in response to a user's input;
• and
• communication network interface means for transmitting said data retrieved from said memory over a communications network and for receiving said user signals over said communications network.

A composite image produced with a plurality of sensors each having an individual field of view, by following the method of:

• for at least one of the plurality of sensors, redirecting at least a portion of the field of view with a reflective surface;
• disregarding at least a portion of the field of view of at least one of the plurality of sensors to produce a modified field of view;
• and
• merging images corresponding to the one or more modified and any unmodified fields of view to produce a composite image having a corresponding field of view
• that is larger than any single one of the fields of view corresponding to the images that are merged, and that contains at least one blind region that encompasses at least part of a disregarded portion of an individual field of view.