Fisheye Lens Wedge Prisms for Clear 360° Surround Viewing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current fisheye lenses and sensors face limitations in achieving a full 360° azimuthal view due to optical aberrations, inefficient use of sensor area, and the need for large sensors, leading to blurring, color distortion, and suboptimal pixel resolution.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating one or more wedge prisms, such as right angle, isosceles, or conical wedge prisms, adjacent to the fisheye lens to deflect rays beyond the maximum radial angle onto the sensor, allowing for a complete 360° azimuthal view with improved clarity and pixel utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fisheye lens with larger radial viewing angle (e.g., 110°) is used to extend the viewing range, then the maximum radial viewing angle increases, but optical aberrations increase leading to blurring and color distortion
Solution Approach 1:
A wedge prism is introduced as an intermediary optical element between the fisheye lens and the sensor. The prism deflects rays incident at large radial angles (beyond the lens's maximum acceptance angle) to smaller angles, allowing these rays to be properly focused on the sensor without causing optical aberrations. This mediator enables the system to achieve an extended viewing angle while maintaining optical clarity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a circular fisheye view with full 90° radial angle is recorded in both horizontal and vertical directions, then a full 360° azimuthal view is achieved, but significant areas of the sensor are not used, limiting angular resolution
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge prism is positioned and oriented to specifically address the limitation in one direction (vertical or horizontal) while preserving the full capability in the other direction. This allows the sensor to achieve full 360° azimuthal viewing in the unaffected direction while extending the radial viewing angle in the direction where the prism is applied, thereby utilizing more of the sensor area effectively and improving angular resolution.
3Device complexity
If smaller sensors are used to reduce device size and cost, then the device becomes more compact and affordable, but the full 360° azimuthal view cannot be recorded, especially in the vertical direction
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge prism acts as a mediator that enables smaller sensors to achieve full 360° azimuthal viewing capability. By deflecting large-angle rays to angles within the sensor's acceptance range, the prism allows compact sensors to capture the complete surround view without requiring large sensor areas, thus reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining full viewing capability.
4Area of stationary object
If the central portion of the sensor records views from small radial angles, then the sensor utilizes its full area, but these views are not required or useful in many applications
Solution Approach 1:
The wedge prism extracts and redirects the portion of the visual field that corresponds to small radial angles (upward views) away from the sensor's central area. By deflecting these rays to the periphery or excluding them from the recorded image, the system removes unnecessary information while preserving the useful 360° azimuthal view at larger radial angles, thereby optimizing sensor area utilization for the intended application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution extends the maximum radial viewing angle, enhances clarity, and optimizes sensor usage, enabling a full 360° azimuthal view on smaller, less expensive sensors without the need for larger and more costly components.
Implementation Method 1
one or more wedge prisms disposed adjacent the fisheye lens and each configured such that a ray incident at more than θm radial angle is deflected to be captured through the fisheye lens onto the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An optical device and a method of extending a field of view of an optical device comprising a fisheye lens configured to provide a substantially 360° azimuthal angle view with a forward direction at 0° radial angle and with a maximum radial angle θm, and a sensor configured to record an image through the fisheye lens. The method comprises the step of disposing one or more wedge prisms adjacent the fisheye lens, wherein each of the one or more prisms is configured such that a ray incident at more than θm radial angle is deflected to be captured through the fisheye lens onto the sensor.