Wide angle optical system

Claim 1

A WIDE ANGLE OPTICAL OBJECTIVE SYSTEM FOR USE WITH A PLURALITY OF CAMERAS FOR SEGMENTING A CONTINUOUS WIDE ANGLE FIELD OF VIEW INTO A PLURALITY OF UNIFORM MATABLE SEGMENTS AND PROVIDING A PLURALITY OF UNIFORM MATABLE IMAGES WHICH MAY BE COMBINED TO PROVIDE A CONTINUOUS IMAGE OF THE TOTAL WIDE ANGLE FIELD OF VIEW, SAID OBJECTIVE SYSTEM INCLUDING, FOR EACH OF SAID CAMERAS, AN IMAGE FORMING LENS ELEMENT FOR PROJECTING AN IMAGE OF A FIELD OF VIEW UPON A FOCAL PLANE, SAID FIELD BEING VIEWED THROUGH A VIRTUAL ENTRANCE PUPIL, A PUPIL FORMING LENS ELEMENT FOR FORMING SAID VIRTUAL ENTRANCE PUPIL IN FREE SPACE POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID IMAGE FORMING LENS ELEMENT AND SAID PUPIL FORMING LENS ELEMENT, SAID PUPIL FORMING LENS ELEMENT HAVING REFRACTION CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE SUCH AS TO TRANSFER THE ACTUAL ENTRANCE PUPIL TO THE OBJECT SURFACE OF THE IMAGE FORMING LENS ELEMENT, AND EACH OF SAID PUPIL FORMING LENS ELEMENTS DEFINING A FIELD OF VIEW HAVING THE SIDE ADJACENT TO THE ADJACENT FIELD IN COINCIDENCE.