Patent ID: 8248512

Claim:
An image-capturing apparatus comprising: an image-capturing optical unit which reflects or transmits a light beam from an object; an image-capturing controller for controlling the image-capturing optical unit to allow the image-capturing optical unit to operate in a periodical manner; an image-capturing driver for driving the image-capturing optical unit based on the control operation by the image-capturing controller; and at least one image-capturing unit which receives the light beam from the object entering via the image-capturing optical unit operating periodically so as to capture an image of the object, wherein the at least one image-capturing unit captures the image of the object with a field of view substantially equal to 360° during a period when the image-capturing optical unit is operated in the periodical manner, and wherein the image-capturing controller multiplexes and outputs drive data for controlling the image-capturing optical unit and image data captured by the at least one image-capturing unit, wherein the image-capturing optical unit comprises a semi-conical mirror disposed around the outer side of a slit plate and surrounds the slit plate, wherein an inner surface of the semi-conical mirror is reflective and is disposed at a 45 degree angle with respect to side surfaces of the slit plate and a lens drum, and wherein all light beam components transmitted through the lens drum and slit plate enter the semi-conical mirror and are reflected upward.