Binocular apparatus and method

Abstract

A binocular-type viewing apparatus designed in such a manner that a user, wanting to view an object located at a distance above the viewer's horizontal line of sight, need only direct his/her view downward into the apparatus to view the elevated object. Thus the eyepiece component has an optical axis inclined downwardly and an objective optical component of the apparatus has an optical axis inclined upwardly. An optical structure is disposed between the objective and the eyepiece to redirect the image optical path from the objective optical component to the eyepiece component and into the viewer's eyes. The binocular may have a fixed deviated optical axis or a variably adjustable optical axis from in-line up to or exceeding 90 degrees.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus, comprising:
 a housing having an optical viewing end characterized by an optical axis and an optical objective end characterized by an optical axis; and 
 an optical imaging assembly disposed within the housing, 
 wherein the optical axis of the optical objective end is operationally inclined upwardly with respect to the optical axis of the optical viewing end. 
 
     
     
         2 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging assembly is parameterized for imaging an object at an object distance greater than one meter. 
     
     
         3 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical objective end is operationally inclined upwardly with respect to the optical viewing end at an angle less than 90 degrees. 
     
     
         4 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging assembly comprises a right-eye and a left-eye objective component and a right-eye and a left-eye eyepiece component. 
     
     
         5 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging assembly comprises a right-eye and a left-eye objective component and an image viewing display. 
     
     
         6 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging assembly comprises a fiber optic image relay component. 
     
     
         7 . The ‘pair of binoculars’ apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging assembly comprises a prism image relay component.