Patent ID: 6856472

Claim:
A panoramic photographic apparatus comprising: a mirror; and means for mounting the mirror on an axis; wherein the mirror includes a convex reflective surface symmetric about the axis, the surface forming a first angle C with respect to a first plane perpendicular to the axis substantially at a point of intersection between the axis and the mirror, the first angle C being at least about 0.5°, wherein the convex reflective surface comprises a surface of rotation defined by rotating around the axis a shape described by the equation: ⅆ r ⅆ ( θ + A α ) = r ⁢ ⁢ cot ⁢ ( k ⁢ ⁢ tan ⁢ ( θ + A α ) + π 2 ) where θ is the angle that a light ray makes with the axis as it reflects off of a point on the surface of the mirror and into a camera lens, r is the length of a light ray between the camera lens and a point on the surface of the mirror, α is a constant defining the gain, and k is a constant defined by (−1−α)/2.