# US 7,548,373 B2 · Image pickup device

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- Number: US 7,548,373 B2
- Document ID: US7548373B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/078,892
- Filed: 2005-03-11
- Published: 2005-07-28
- Granted: 2009-06-16
- Earliest claimed: 2003-09-15
- Assignees: Sony Corporation
- Inventors: Koichi Yoshikawa; Shigeru Tajima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7548373B2

## CPC

- H04N 23/698: for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
- G03B 37/04: with cameras or projectors providing touching or overlapping fields of view
- H04N 23/55: Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
- H04N 23/58: Means for changing the camera field of view without moving the camera body, e.g. nutating or panning of optics or image sensors
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G03B: APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OR FOR PROJECTING OR VIEWING THEM; APPARATUS OR ARRANGEMENTS EMPLOYING ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR (optical parts of such apparatus G02B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; apparatus for processing exposed photographic materials G03D)

## Abstract

An image pickup device which can obtain an image of wide range picked up by a plurality of cameras is provided by preventing occurrence of parallax.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image pickup device in which an object of wide range is divided into a plurality of divided object portions to be separately picked up by a plurality of image pickup means and images of the divided object portions are processed into one combined video image by processing means to which information on video images supplied from said respective image pickup means is input characterized in that:
said image pickup means comprises a lens and an image pickup element which detects rays of light passed through said lens, and
when from among principal rays passing through the center of an aperture stop of said lens in said image pickup means the principal rays positioned in Gauss area are selected and a point where linear components of said selected principal rays in an object side space are extended to intersect an optical axis is defined as an NP point,
in said respective image pickup means, said NP point is set behind said image pickup element and
respective NP points of said plurality of image pickup means are made to congregate within a predetermined radius area in which one NP point is centered;
wherein said lens contain a lens having a function of a convex lens is disposed on the object space side, and a lens having a function of a concave lens is disposed on the image space side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined radius is set to approximately 20 mm with one NP point being centered.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein in said respective image pickup means an optical system having said lens and said image pickup element is disposed within a space defined by straight lines passing through said NP point and the periphery in each direction of said lens.