US 5,619,370 AGranted

Optical system for viewing a remote location

OwnerPatrick J. Guinossoinventor

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Abstract

An optical apparatus that enables an object at a first location to be viewed from a second remote location. The optical apparatus includes at least one objective lens assembly that views the object at the first location. The objective lens assembly focuses the viewed image onto the input plane of an image conduit. The fiber optic conduit propagates the image to the second remote location, wherein the image is projected from the image conduit onto the back surface of a substantially transparent planar member. The back surface of the planar member is not highly polished. As a result, the image projected onto the back surface does not pass directly through the planar member. The reflections caused by the unpolished nature of the surface allow the image to be viewed on the back surface of the planar member through the body of the planar member.

Claims11

Dependent claims

In a vehicle having a reverse gear setting and a blind spot behind the vehicle that can not be seen by the operator of the vehicle when sitting within the vehicle, an optical system for viewing the blind spot, comprising:

at least one objective lens arrangement coupled to said vehicle, wherein said at least one objective arrangement is oriented to view the blind spot;
a rear view mirror assembly disposed within said vehicle, said rear view mirror assembly including:
a focusing lens arrangement;
and
an imaging plane disposed proximate said focusing lens arrangement, said imaging plane having a front surface viewable from within the vehicle and a rear surface oriented toward said focusing lens arrangement, wherein said front surface of said imaging plane appears substantially reflective from within said vehicle when second surface is not illuminated from said focusing lens arrangement;
and
an image conduit coupling said at least one objective lens arrangement to said rear view mirror assembly at a point proximate said focusing lens arrangement, wherein an image of the blind spot, viewed by said at least one objective lens arrangement, is capable of being propagated across said image conduit and directed toward said focusing lens arrangement, and said focusing lens arrangement focuses the image onto said rear surface of said imaging plane for viewing through said imaging plane;
and
an optical diaphragm operationally coupled to the reverse gear setting of the vehicle for selectively changing the system between an ON condition when the vehicle is in the reverse gear setting, wherein the image from said at least one objective lens impinges upon said rear surface of said imaging plane, and an OFF condition when the vehicle is not in the reverse gear setting, wherein the image from said at least one objective lens is obscured prior to reaching said imaging plane.

6 more elements

In an automobile that is operational in a forward moving condition and a reverse moving condition, an optical arrangement for viewing at least one target region proximate an automobile, comprising:

at least one objective lens arrangement coupled to the automobile at a position where said at least one objective lens arrangement views an image of said at least one target region;
a rearview mirror assembly disposed within the automobile;
an image conduit coupling said at least one objective lens arrangement to said rearview mirror assembly, wherein the image viewed of said at least one target region is displayed within said rearview mirror assembly;
and
an electrically controlled optical diaphragm disposed in said at least one objective lens arrangement, wherein said electrically controlled optical diaphragm selectively obscures the image viewed by said at least one objective lens arrangement when the automobile is in said forward moving condition and enables the image to be viewed in said rearview mirror assembly when the automobile is in said reverse moving condition.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.