Camera with polygonal lens

1. A camera, comprising:

a camera housing

an annular LED array comprising a plurality of LEDs disposed about an image sensor, wherein the image sensor and annular LED array are located within the camera housing;

the annular LED array having an outer diameter and an outer circumference; and

a generally polygonal lens disposed at a front surface of the camera housing, covering the image sensor, and extending laterally outwardly beyond the outer circumference of the annular LED array, wherein an outer edge of the generally polygonal lens has a length equal to or less than the outer diameter of the annular LED array.

2. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the generally polygonal lens is a generally equilateral polygonal lens.

3. The camera of claim 2 , wherein the generally equilateral polygonal lens further comprises at least a first vertex and a second vertex disposed adjacent opposing sides of the outer diameter of the annular LED array, and wherein the first vertex and second vertex are approximately equidistant from a top edge and a bottom edge of the annular LED array, respectively.

4. The camera of claim 3 , wherein the first vertex is disposed adjacent a right lateral side of the annular LED array and the second vertex is disposed adjacent a left lateral side of the annular LED array.

5. The camera of claim 4 , wherein the annular LED array comprises in part a first LED and a diametrically opposed second LED; and wherein the first and second LEDs project uncropped light cones through the generally equilateral polygonal lens.

6. The camera of claim 5 , wherein the first LED is disposed adjacent a tight side of the annular LED array and the second LED is disposed adjacent a left side of the annular LED array.

7. The camera of claim 6 , wherein the annular LED array is a generally circular LED array.

8. The camera of claim 2 , wherein the generally equilateral polygonal lens is a generally square lens.

9. The camera of claim 8 , wherein the generally square lens further comprises at least a first vertex and a second vertex, and wherein the first vertex of the generally square lens is disposed adjacent a right lateral side of the annular LED array and the second vertex of the generally square lens is disposed adjacent a left lateral side of the annular LED array.

10. The camera of claim 7 , wherein the generally equilateral polygonal lens is a generally square lens comprising at least a first vertex disposed adjacent the first LED and a second vertex disposed adjacent the second LED; and wherein the first and second LEDs project uncropped light cones through the generally square lens.

11. The camera of claim 2 , wherein the generally equilateral polygonal lens has a curved surface projecting outwardly and perpendicular from the outer diameter from the annular LED array.

12. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the outer edge of the generally polygonal lens is a first outer edge of a plurality of outer edges, and wherein the plurality of outer edges are of equal length.

13. The camera of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of outer edges form a plurality of vertices of equal angle.

14. The camera of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to receive an image in a widescreen format.

15. A camera, comprising:

a generally circular LED array comprising a plurality of LEDs disposed about an image sensor configured to receive an image in a widescreen format;

the generally circular LED array having an outer diameter;

a generally square lens covering the generally circular LED array, the generally square lens comprising outer edges having a length equal to or less than the outer diameter of the generally circular LED array; and

wherein the generally square lens further comprises a first vertex disposed adjacent a right lateral edge of the generally circular LED array and a second vertex disposed adjacent a left lateral edge of the generally circular LED array.

16. The camera of claim 15 , wherein the generally circular LED array comprises a first LED disposed adjacent a right lateral edge of the generally circular LED array and a second LED disposed adjacent a left lateral edge of the generally circular LED array; and wherein the first and second LEDs project uncropped light cones through the generally square lens.

17. The camera of claim 15 , wherein a surface area of the generally square lens extends laterally beyond a location of the first and second LEDs, respectively.

18. A method of using an LED array camera configured to receive widescreen format images, comprising the steps of:

projecting uncropped light cones from a plurality of LEDs arranged in an annular LED array disposed about an image sensor, wherein the image sensor and annular LED array are located within a camera housing, and wherein the uncropped light cones are projected through a generally polygonal lens disposed at a front surface of the camera housing coving the image sensor and extending outwardly beyond an outer circumference of the annular LED array;

illuminating a field of view of the image sensor with the uncropped light cones; and

receiving an illuminated image at the image sensor.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the steps of

illuminating a right edge of the field of view of the image sensor with the uncropped light cone projected from a first LED, wherein the uncropped light cone of the first LED is projected through the generally polygonal lens at a first vertex of the lens; and

illuminating a left edge of the field of view of the image sensor with the uncropped light cone projected from a second LED, wherein the uncropped light cone of the second LED is projected through the generally polygonal lens at a second vertex of the lens, opposite the first vertex of the lens.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the illuminated image received at the image sensor is received in a widescreen format.