Optical: systems and elements – Mirror – With support
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-03
2001-09-25
Sikder, Mohammad (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Mirror
With support
C359S872000, C359S874000, C359S875000, C359S876000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293681
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to optical systems. More particularly, this invention relates to an optical apparatus that may expand a user's field of view or utilize successive reflections to yield a true image.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many occasions when individuals, such as sign language interpreters or those who are speaking before an audience, need to steadily face in one direction, but at the same time have visual access to information that exists outside of their field of view. Mirrors, can be of some assistance. However, if the information needs to be viewed in a non-reversed version, for example, when the information is to be read, single mirrors are essentially useless.
Several, double-mirror assemblies have been disclosed in the prior art that produce an image which is not reversed. However, such mirror assemblies appear to have only been directed at providing a true image of the one who is using such an assembly to view oneself. Thus, the relative orientations of such mirrors are fixed at a limited number of angles, usually at the 90 degree angle required to yield such a non-reversed image. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,625,501, 5,430,578, 5,357,377, 4,639,102, 4,580,880, 1,991,054, 1,855,095 and 370,623 and foreign patent materials European Patent Office No. 0056968 and Germany 3921-103-A. Such non-reversing mirrors are also the subject of advertisements appearing on the Internet. For example, see web pages that existed as of February 2000 at www.realimagemirror.com and www.truemirror.com.
Similarly, the prior art discloses several mirror assemblies that have been designed to expand a user's field of view for specific applications. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,148,327, 4,268,121 and 3,684,380.
However, it is not apparent that the prior art reveals any attempts directed at producing a portable, fully-adjustable mirror system that can be used for the purposes of either yielding a non-reversed image or expanding its user's field of view.
The need exists for such a mirror system. This need is especially acute for sign language interpreters who often need to keep general eye contact with those for whom they are signing, while also trying to turn and see the visual materials of the person whose auditor) message they are communicating. Similarly, such a need exists with those who are making general presentations before audiences and need to steadily face the audience while also referring to visual information that is out of their direct field-of-view.
The problems and limitations enumerated above are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are among many which tend to impair the effectiveness of previously known mirror systems. Other noteworthy problems and limitations may also exist; however, those presented above should be sufficient to demonstrate that the mirror systems appearing in the prior art have not been altogether satisfactory.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is generally directed to satisfying the needs set forth above and the limitations and problems identified with prior mirror systems.
In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, an image viewing apparatus that can remedy many of the problems and limitations described above includes a support member to which a pair of mirror housings are rotatably and detachably mounted. These housings each contain a mirror having a front reflective surface. Meanwhile, the housings are connected to the support member by straps whose center portions are adapted so as to frictionally wrap around and provide for rotation of the housings and their mirrors about the support member.
Since each of the mirrors may be independently set and remain in place at desired rotational orientations with respect to the support member, a user of this embodiment may, upon properly orienting the mirrors, view an object that is behind the user in either a version that is a reversed or a true image of the object.
Additionally, the support member has a connector which allows it to be securely and detachably connected with a stand or supporting mechanism. This connection allows the support member, and thus the mirrors, to be oriented in a full, three-dimensional spectrum of planes for viewing an image that is out of a user's initial field of view.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a process of sign language interpreting for communication with deaf and hard of hearing people regarding written information that is outside of an interpreter's direct field of view. This process comprises the steps of providing an image viewing apparatus, such as that described above, to allow the interpreter to see a true image of the written information, with the interpreter orienting the first mirror to view the information, while orienting the second mirror to provide a reversal of the image seen in the first mirror so as to yield a true version of the information.
In another embodiment, the present invention is a process of directly communicating with an audience regarding visual information that is outside of a communicator's direct field of view. This process comprises the steps of providing an image viewing apparatus, such as that described above, to allow the communicator the communicator to see the visual information by appropriately orienting the apparatus' mirrors.
Thus, there has been summarized above, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood and appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended thereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying out the purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image viewing apparatus that overcomes the limitations of the prior art described above.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a portable, adjustable, image viewing apparatus that can either greatly expand a user's field of view or yield true images of objects that are outside of a user's field of view.
It is a yet another object of the present invention to provide a mirror system that contains at least two mirrors, wherein the viewing angles of the mirrors can be adjustably fixed so that information, which appears outside of a user's field of view, will be reflected in a first mirror, but projected and reversed into a second mirror which is within a user's field of view so that the user sees in the second mirror a true/positive
on-reversed image of the information.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a mirror system having a support member to which are rotatably and detachably mounted mirrors that may be independently adjusted with respect to each other and the support member, which is itself capable of being oriented in wide range of positions relative to a general mounting stand.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an image viewing apparatus that is easy
Guffey Larry J.
Sikder Mohammad
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