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Abstract

An automotive rear view mirror system comprises passive optical elements (which may include lenses, but must include one or an odd number of mirrors) configured to provide a wide field of view with a negative optical element having a small width dimension mounted externally and close to the body of the vehicle. In a basic embodiment, a small negative optical element, such as a convex mirror, is mounted outside the vehicle, and a larger positive optical element, such as a convex lens, is placed inside the vehicle. The optical elements are positioned to be substantially confocal, with the distance between them equal to the difference in their focal lengths, so as to cancel the curvature of field generated by the external element. The internal element magnifies the image to a size comparable to that obtained with a standard external flat mirror. Alternative embodiments that are optically equivalent may incorporate a more compact 'folding' of the optical path by using at least one additional mirror placed between the external and internal optical elements, thus allowing the elements to be configured more compactly and placed out of the driver's way in the passenger compartment. Because the system does not require a large side-mounted outside mirror as is commonly used on present-day vehicles, the external element may be integrated into the body line of the vehicle to improve aerodynamics, styling, and safety.

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First Claim