U.S. patent application number 11/159911 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-15 for advanced camouflage system and method.
Invention is credited to Tooley, Kurt.
Application Number | 20050276955 11/159911 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46304760 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050276955 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tooley, Kurt |
December 15, 2005 |
Advanced camouflage system and method
Abstract
A camouflage utilizing statistical countercoloring,
countershading, and disruptive coloration principles to provide
concealment to a person or object. The method of manufacturing the
camouflage covering includes photographing a form and obtaining
imagery from the photographs. The imagery is then manipulated by
photographic manipulative software to determine appropriate
countershading for the camouflage covering. The countershading may
then be statistically varied to enhance the concealment properties.
In addition, appropriate statistical countercoloring and disruptive
coloration may be utilized upon indicia applied to the camouflage
covering. Counterbanding of an object may also be employed to
conceal an object.
Inventors: |
Tooley, Kurt; (Columbus,
NE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Michael L. Diaz
Suite 200
555 Republic Drive
Plano
TX
75074
US
|
Family ID: |
46304760 |
Appl. No.: |
11/159911 |
Filed: |
June 23, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11159911 |
Jun 23, 2005 |
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10407655 |
Apr 4, 2003 |
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6912440 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
428/195.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
Y10T 428/24802 20150115;
A41D 13/00 20130101; F41H 3/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
428/195.1 |
International
Class: |
A41G 001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A camouflage covering for concealment, said covering comprising:
a covering having indicia located on a surface of said covering,
the indicia employing countershading, said covering providing
concealment of an object in an outdoor environment.
2. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein the
countershading includes countershading from direct sunlight exposed
on the object, wherein the countershading is specific to the object
being concealed.
3. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein
statistical countershading is employed upon the indicia.
4. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 3 wherein the
statistical countershading including randomly varying the shading
while simultaneously employing countershading upon the
covering.
5. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 3 wherein the
countershading on said covering is obtained by photographing the
object for creating imagery to determine a design providing
countershading upon said covering.
6. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 5 wherein
computer manipulative photographic software manipulates the imagery
to determine an appropriate countershading of the object.
7. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein the
indicia employs countercoloring and disruptive coloration.
8. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 7 wherein the
indicia employs statistical countercoloring, disruptive coloration
and countershading.
9. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 8 wherein the
wherein the statistical countercoloring, disruptive coloration and
countershading includes randomly varying the coloration and shading
while simultaneously employing countercoloring, disruptive
coloration and countershading upon the covering.
10. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein: the
indicia employs countercoloring and disruptive coloration; and the
indicia includes situational camouflage utilizing countercoloring,
disruptive coloration and countershading.
11. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein: the
indicia employs countercoloring and disruptive coloration; and the
covering is worn by a person, whereby the indicia enhances the
aesthetics of the human form of the person.
12. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 1 wherein the
indicia employs protective coloration for delayed acquisition of
the object being covered by the camouflage.
13. A method of manufacturing a camouflage covering employing
principles of countershading, said method comprising the steps of:
photographing a form to obtain imagery of the form; producing
photographic negatives derived from the imagery of the form;
determining a countershade design from the negatives; designing
indicia from the countershade design by statistically varying the
countershade design; and applying the indicia on the camouflage
covering.
14. The method of manufacturing a camouflage covering of claim 13
wherein said step of designing indicia for a camouflage covering
includes utilizing photographic manipulation software to manipulate
the negatives to providing countershading of the form.
15. The method of manufacturing a camouflage covering of claim 13
wherein the form is a human form.
16. The method of manufacturing a camouflage covering of claim 13
further comprising the steps of: employing countercoloring on the
camouflage covering; and employing disruptive coloration on the
camouflage covering, whereby both the countercoloring and
disruptive coloration is statistically varied.
17. A camouflage covering for concealment of an object, said
covering comprising: a covering having indicia located on a surface
of said covering, the indicia employing counterbanding, said
covering providing concealment of the object.
18. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 17 wherein the
object is cylindrical in shape.
19. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 17 wherein
counterbanding includes the cryptic coloration of the cylindrically
shaped object.
20. The camouflage covering for concealment of claim 17 wherein the
indicia includes a composite of two or more patterns.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of a copending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/407,655 by Kurt Tooley entitled
"CAMOUFLAGE COVERING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE OF THE CAMOUFLAGE
COVERING," filed Nov. 30, 2001 and is hereby incorporated in its
entirety by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to camouflage and, more particularly,
to a camouflage employing statistical countershading,
countercoloring and disruptive coloration camouflage
techniques.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/407,655 to Tooley
(Tooley) discloses a unique camouflage employing countershading,
countercoloring and disruptive coloration techniques to conceal an
object or person. Currently, the most popular form of camouflage
technique utilized is situational camouflage. Situational
camouflage attempts to conceal an object or person with patterns
resembling the surrounding vegetation in which the object or person
is located. The basic theory is the better the resemblance to the
local vegetation, the better the concealment of the object or
person. With situational camouflage, there are no universal
camouflage patterns which may be used in general for most
environments. Rather, the more appropriate camouflage patterns
depend on the local environment in which concealment by an
individual or object is sought. There are patterns for broadleaf
forest in the early and late seasons of the year, patterns for
willows, wetlands, marshes, grasslands, evergreens, pear flats, and
various other environments. Virtually all situational camouflages
are optimized for concealment within specific environments. In
addition, many of these camouflage patterns incorporate
three-dimensional effects and photorealistic detail to provide
greater emulation of the surrounding vegetation.
[0006] However, in addition to the fact that tailoring camouflage
for every environment is expensive, the basic use of situational
camouflage is flawed. It can be seen in nature that situational
camouflage is not utilized by large predators. Large predators hunt
by stealth, but still have not evolved camouflage patterns that
look like the surrounding vegetation in which they hunt. In
addition, all large predators that hunt by stealth have evolved
camouflage patterns that, though they differ in the finest details,
are exactly alike in principle. The forms of camouflage used by
large predators are far superior to the situational camouflage used
in existing camouflage. Additionally, the camouflage used by large
predators is universal, or nearly universal, thus offering the best
possible concealment in almost all environments. Presently, no
camouflage exploits the crucial elements of the camouflage evolved
by large predators.
[0007] The leopard species provides an excellent example which
contradicts the basic tenets of situational camouflage. Leopards
live in many different habitats from rainforests, to frigid
mountains, to deserts. The leopard is found as far north as 50
degrees latitude to the southern tip of Africa. In order to
survive, a leopard must kill by using stealth to approach its prey.
When in close enough proximity to the prey, the leopard can launch
an attack. Thus, the leopard's camouflage is particularly demanding
and definitely a requisite for survival. It should be noted, that
wherever the leopard is found around the world, the spots of the
leopard never change. Thus, the leopard does not change to blend in
with its environment as would be dictated by situational
camouflage. Rather, the leopard has evolved to be invisible rather
than look like the surrounding vegetation.
[0008] All of the great cats of the world, such as leopards, have
developed camouflage which follows three basic principles. The
first principle is that these large predators all are
countershaded. Countershading conceals the shape of a countershaded
form. Ordinarily, the way light strikes a form reveals its shape,
contours, and orientation. Countershading counteracts the ordinary
way that light strikes a form from above, thereby concealing the
orientation, shape, contour and form of a countershaded form.
Countershaded forms are invariably darker on top where the light is
brighter, and lighter on the usually shadow-shrouded bottom. This
subtle and sometimes dramatic shading conceals a predator by making
it more uniformly lit, thereby making it seem less
three-dimensional and more two-dimensional. A countershaded form
appears flat, and is easily hidden, even in the thinnest of
cover.
[0009] The second principle used by these large predators is
countercoloring. Countercoloring counteracts the color composition
of the light typically encountered by the predator and determines
the color in which an animal is countershaded. Where countershading
counteracts the intensity of light reflected on a countershaded
form, countercoloring counteracts the color composition of the
light reflected about the environment, thereby reducing the
contrast of a countercolored form to its environment.
[0010] Three factors must be taken into account for
countercoloring. First, in the open/under "normal" daylight, much
of the light is blue light reflected around the blue sky. Second,
yellow is the color that counteracts blue and reduces the contrast
between a form countercolored in yellow under the sky in daylight.
Third, the light filtering through vegetation is depleted in red
light in proportion to the amount of vegetation because plants
preferentially absorb red light for photosynthesis. Taken together,
these three facts explain why animals that depend on stealth are
countershaded in their particular colors. Yellow is the color
needed to reduce the contrast of an object in normal, unfiltered
daylight. Thus, the lion, which lives preferentially in the open
and is exposed to the blue sky, is yellow in color. The heavier the
vegetation in which an animal evolves and lives, the more depleted
the prevailing light is in red and, thus, the redder (relative to a
basic lion-like yellow which is the starting point needed to
counteract strongly blue unfiltered daylight) an animal must be to
compensate for the absorption of red light by the vegetation. This
is why animals of the jungle such as tigers and jaguars are reddish
brown or even orange. In addition, this explains why the leopard's
color tends to be more yellow in more open habitats and tends to
darken to rusty reddish brown and orange in jungle habitats. Also,
this explains why there are no large predators that are green, even
though almost all of them live in environments that are
predominantly green for much of the year.
[0011] The third principle utilized by large predators is the use
of disruptive coloration. Disruptive coloration further conceals
the predator's shape by breaking it up with a contrasting pattern
or shading. This effect may be quite subtle, such as the dark color
on a lion's ear, or bold like a leopard's spots or a tiger's
stripes. In each case, the disruptive patterns resemble the shadows
cast by the vegetation through which the predator is likely to move
while hunting.
[0012] Collectively, countershading, countercoloring, and
disruptive coloration (CCD) are indispensable for camouflage
success in big cats. CCD camouflage is currently not being used by
man.
[0013] Although Tooley discloses a unique camouflage which conceals
an object by employing CCD, an improved camouflage may be obtained
by statistically employing disruptive coloration, countershading
and countercoloring. By randomizing the different shapes,
coloration, etc., of the camouflage, camouflage concealment can be
enhanced.
[0014] In addition, as discussed above, situational camouflage is
now predominately used in existing camouflage. Although the basic
concept of situational camouflage is flawed, situational camouflage
is used in most every condition. It would be advantageous to employ
CCD techniques with existing situational camouflage to enhance the
concealment properties of the camouflage.
[0015] It would also be advantageous to have a camouflage that
provides protective coloration of an object or person in urban
areas. True camouflage conceals the very presence of a camouflaged
object. However, in some situations, such as fighting at close
quarters in urban environments, such concealment is difficult, if
not impossible. In such situations, it may be desirable to abandon
concealment as a goal and utilize protective coloration to delay,
confuse, and degrade an enemy's ability to attack.
[0016] Thus, it would be a distinct advantage to statistically
employ the principles of CCD camouflage in concealing people and
objects. It is an object of the present invention to provide
methods in implementing and manufacturing CCD camouflage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] In one aspect, the present invention is a camouflage
covering for concealment. The covering has indicia located on a
surface of the covering. The indicia employs countershading. The
covering is utilized to provide concealment in an outdoor
environment. The countershading may include statistical variations
to the countershading. Countercoloring and disruptive coloration
principles may also be employed and varied statistically upon the
indicia.
[0018] In another aspect, the present invention is a method of
manufacturing a camouflage covering employing principles of
countershading. The method begins by photographing a form to obtain
imagery of the form. Next, photographic negatives derived from the
imagery of the form are produced. A countershade design is then
determined from the negatives. Indicia is designed for a camouflage
covering by statistically varying the countershade design. The
indicia is applied on the camouflage covering. The indicia may also
employ statistical disruptive coloration and countercoloring.
[0019] In still another aspect, the present invention is a
camouflage covering for concealment of an object. The covering has
an indicia located upon a surface of the covering. The indicia
employs principles of counterbanding to conceal the object.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The invention will be better understood and its numerous
objects and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled
in the art by reference to the following drawings, in conjunction
with the accompanying specification, in which:
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a man dressed in an
exemplary camouflage system in the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a flow chart outlining the steps for manufacturing
the camouflage system of FIG. 1 by statistically employing the
principles of CCD;
[0023] FIG. 3 is a planar view of a portion of a camouflage pattern
employing counterbanding in a first alternate embodiment; and
[0024] FIG. 4 is a planar view of a portion of a camouflage pattern
employing counterbanding in a second alternate embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The present invention employs statistical CCD camouflage
principles for concealing an object or person. FIG. 1 is a
perspective view of a man 20 dressed in an exemplary camouflage
system 22 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The
camouflage system includes a shirt 24, pants 26, a mask 28, gloves
40, and gaiters 42. Unlike existing camouflage garments, the
camouflage system 22 utilizes the principles of countershading,
countercoloring, and disruptive coloration (CCD).
[0026] As discussed in Tooley, the principles of CCD cannot be
achieved by merely creating another camouflage pattern,
transferring the pattern to cloth, and sewing pieces of cloth
together to make the garment. An exact orientation of the pattern
of each piece of cloth is indispensable to achieve true CCD
camouflage. Each piece of the camouflage system 22 must be
carefully constructed and oriented to achieve true CCD concealment
for the CCD system to be constructed from dyed cloth. Specifically,
the CCD system cannot be manufactured by simply sewing together
pieces of cloth bearing the CCD camouflage pattern of a leopard or
tiger. Emulating such patterns of other animals on a camouflage
pattern do not capture the essence of the principles of CCD
camouflage for human concealment. For example, the countershading
of a tiger evolved to conceal a tiger's shape, not a man's shape.
Human concealment, through the use of CCD principles, can only be
achieved by utilizing countershading, countercoloring and
disruptive coloration specialized for a human form or specific
object to be camouflaged. Considering first countercoloration
within the camouflage system 22, as discussed above, predators
simply do not vary much in color. Thus, the only reasonable choices
for coloration of the camouflage system fall in a continuum from
lion-like yellow to tiger-like rusty brown or orange, with the
medium tones such as the base colors of a cougar or leopard
providing an effective medium for nearly universal application.
Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention,
the camouflage system 22 is countercolored in the base colors of
either leopards or cougars for maximum effectiveness and nearly
universal utility.
[0027] Disruptive coloration is next considered for use in the
camouflage system 22. Unlike countercoloring and countershading,
there are no known universal laws governing disruptive coloration.
Spots, stripes, and other patterns appear to work effectively.
Extensive patterns may be seen in leopards, tigers, and jaguars
while minimal patterns are seen in lions and cougars. Although the
camouflage system 22 may utilize any number of acceptable ways, in
the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the disruptive
coloration of the leopard and/or cougar is utilized in the
camouflage system.
[0028] The most difficult and unique principle utilized in the
camouflage system 22 is the use of countershading. Countershading
is crucial in implementing the principles of CCD in the camouflage
system. As discussed above, countershading counteracts the tendency
of daylight to reveal a shape of an object. Countershaded forms are
darker on top where the light is stronger, and lighter where the
light is weaker and typically white on the unlighted
shadow-shrouded bottom. Countershading accounts for effects in both
shade and direct sunlight. Typically, shaded portions are simply
white, except for disruptive coloration native to typically shaded
areas. Lighted portions darken in direct proportion to how well the
subject is normally lighted. Thus, lighted portions are not
uniformly colored like shaded portions, but smoothly shaded from
dark to light in inverse proportion to the strength of the
lighting, all of which varies over the complex curves of an
animal's surface, an effect known to photographers as the "limb
effect." The "limb effect" operates in much the same manner as film
negatives. In practicality, countershading, and CCD camouflaging in
general, is "film negative" or "color negative" camouflage.
[0029] Film negatives are light where the photographed scene is
dark and dark where the photographed scene is light in precisely
the same manner as a countershaded form. Thus, photographing the
human form in various ways and from various angles in strong
sunlight produces a blueprint for countershading the human
form.
[0030] Unlighted portions of the anatomy are easily handled by
photographing the human form in strong sunlight from various angles
with a black and white film exposed and developed for extreme
contrast. In the resulting negatives, areas that should be
countershaded in white appear bright. However, in the preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the human form is
photographed, the film is exposed and developed as black and white
film, and the negatives are then scanned. The negatives may then be
manipulated utilizing conventional photographic computer software,
such as Adobe Photoshop.RTM.. The areas on the negative that should
be countershaded white are revealed as bright areas on the
negatives by manipulating image levels or by scanning the negatives
as pure black and white images, rather than grayscale images.
[0031] The use of manipulative photographic computer software
programs, such as Adobe Photoshop.RTM., permits the combining of
images to produce composites that reveal areas to be countershaded
white in "average" light. Average sunlight is the average effect of
the light as the sun passes overhead from dawn to dusk.
Countershading evolved to counter light from above as a whole, not
the light of any particular time of the day. Therefore, no single
photo can capture "average sunlight." A single photograph merely
produces an approximation of how to countershade a form. In the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, photographs are
taken from all around a human form throughout the day. Then the
average of the negatives from each vantage point is obtained via a
computer and associated software by stacking the negatives
(numbering n) and setting the opacity of each to 1/n. The result
shows the areas to be countershaded white on average as the
brightest areas on the composite of the negatives of photographs
taken from each vantage point. This process may be repeated
indefinitely to produce finer results. The result of the process is
the determination of the areas on the countershaded human form
which must be white as the brightest area on the composite
negatives.
[0032] The tint and color intensity of the tint on the
countershaded form is preferably, as explained above, in a narrow
range of colors from lion-like yellow to tiger-like rust. The tawny
base color of the mountain lion and the yellow-orange base color of
the leopard are preferred. As the colors evolve on the garment
utilized in the camouflage system 22 to minimize the contrast of
the countershaded/countercolored form in sunlight, the human form
being photographed should be photographed in sunlight and a shade
of blue similar to the color of the sky.
[0033] Referring back to FIG. 1, the camouflage system 22 employs
the principles of CCD to conceal the human form in natural outdoor
environments. As illustrated, a top portion of the camouflage
system 22 and the man 20 is countershaded by having darker portions
30 on top and lighter portions 32 on the lower part of the
camouflage system 22. Additionally, disruptive coloration and
countercoloring is utilized. The garment illustrated in the
camouflage system 22 is exemplary only. Any garment may be utilized
which produces a camouflage system employing the principles of
CCD.
[0034] To provide a variation in the camouflage and enhance the
concealment properties of the camouflage, statistical CCD may be
employed. Statistical CCD is the statistical or probabilistic
alteration of a 3-D pattern employing CCD principles to permit
variation in the pattern without seriously compromising the visual
effectiveness of the underlying pattern. For example, the present
invention may be used in military pixilated patterns. Each pixel
assumes a probability of assuming another related value (i.e.,
either a color or tint found elsewhere on the garment or a color or
tint related in a specified way to the normal color of the area
being altered), or a random distribution of related values such
that the average of the area being randomized remains unchanged or
nearly unchanged from its normal state.
[0035] For example, a field of 1000 pixels may be used for a given
color. A pixel is a subunit of an area composed of a plurality of
subunits to form a larger area. The pixel is preferably precisely
defined and distributed subunits within the larger area. In that
field of 1000 pixels, 100 pixels may be randomly distributed which
are 25 percent brighter and 100 pixels may be 25 percent darker.
(In a corresponding approach built only on probability has each
pixel retaining an 80 percent chance of retaining its native color
in the original pattern, with a 10 percent chance of being lighter,
and a 10 percent change of being darker.) The result is a field of
1000 pixels with the same average value as the original field, and
thus serving the same function as the original field. The present
invention provides a less uniform, and thus, less recognizable form
to the human eye and mind. In addition, the present invention also
is less recognizable by the pattern recognition surveillance
technologies that may soon be developed and deployed in the near
future.
[0036] In general, statistical or probabilistic alteration need
only specify six variables: the nature of the randomization (e.g.,
independent probability of alteration vs. probabilistic
distribution of alternations), the size of the area subject to
alteration, the probability of alteration of an area from its
normal color, the color(s) that an altered area may acquire (some
statistical variations need not strictly preserve the average value
of an area), the probability of the altered area assuming each of
the colors that can be acquired in alteration, and the shape of the
area the alteration will assume. For military pixilated "digital"
garments, this shape is always a square, but this is not a
requirement to employ the present invention. If a given number of
shapes are to be randomly distributed to an area, the shapes to be
distributed may be any shape or even random shapes. For example,
given a field of 1000 pixels, randomly distribute 100 circles
(diameter=1) that are 15 percent lighter and 100 similar circles
that are 15 percent darker in the field. The random distribution or
generation of the varied pixels can be created in a wide variety of
ways. For example, a computer may be utilized to randomly generate
the variations sought. Random number generation software may be
utilized. In addition, random number generation by a computer may
be created by recording a random process, such as atmospheric
static. Such methods are used in two pad encryption processes to
produce truly random transformations. Additionally, physical
processes, such as the flipping of a coin may be used to provide
randomness. It should be understood that any method of creating a
random or pseudo-random variation may be used.
[0037] Although variation of the camouflage is often desired, the
unwise selection of alteration parameters may result in patterns
that are highly non-adaptive and non-functional for concealment.
For example, too high a probability of alteration combined with
unwise alteration values (i.e., color changes) produces garments
that are not countershaded. Specifically, for example, in a
traditional military "digital" pattern, a 20 percent chance of no
change from the normal color and an 80% chance of change to black
produce a garment that is highly likely to be nearly black. Such
changes are unwise. Although alteration may enhance concealment,
the goal of randomization is not to change the pattern so much as
to sacrifice essential function, but subtle change that preserves
essential function while introducing potentially valuable
variability.
[0038] FIG. 2 is a flow chart outlining the steps for manufacturing
the camouflage system 22 of FIG. 1 by statistically employing the
principles of CCD. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the steps of
the method will now be explained. The method begins with step 100
where a human form is photographed. In the preferred embodiment of
the present embodiment, several photographs are taken of the human
form from various vantage points. Additionally, the human form is
photographed outside at various sun positions. Next, in step 102,
negatives from the photographs created in step 100 are produced. In
step 104, from the negatives, proper countershading is determined.
Preferably, a manipulative photographic computer software program
such as Adobe Photoshop.RTM. is utilized. The negatives, or images,
are scanned into a computer for manipulation. Areas that should be
countershaded white are revealed as bright areas while dark areas
indicate darker shading. Additionally, iterative photographs taken
in step 100 are used to produce composites to reveal areas to be
countershaded white in "average light." The negatives or images may
be stacked while setting the opacity of each to 1/n, where n is the
number of negatives stacked. The results show the areas to be
countershaded white on average as the brightest areas on the
composite of the negatives. This process of stacking the negatives
may be accomplished again several times for finer results.
[0039] The method then moves to step 106 where the countercoloring
of the camouflage system 22 is determined. The preferred coloration
of the camouflage system is most preferably within the colors used
by the a lion (e.g., yellow) to a tiger (e.g., rusty brown or
orange). These base colors are utilized for the camouflage system
22. Next, in step 108, disruptive coloration is determined for the
camouflage system 22. As discussed above, any form of disruptive
coloration may be employed. However, in the preferred embodiment of
the present invention, the disruptive coloration of the leopard
and/or the cougar is utilized.
[0040] The method then moves to step 110 where the collective
determination of countershading, countercoloration and disruptive
coloration found in steps 100-108 are statistically or
probabilistically varied. A computer (not shown) may be utilized to
randomize the camouflage. As discussed above, statistical or
probabilistic alteration need only specify six variables: the
nature of the randomization, the size of the area subject to
alteration, the probability of alteration of an area from its
normal color, the color(s) that an altered area may acquire, the
probability of the altered area assuming each of the colors that
can be acquired in alteration, and the shape of the area the
alteration will assume. These variables are assigned a value and
inputted within the computer. The computer then randomizes, through
a randomization system well known in the art of computing systems,
the variables as desired.
[0041] Next, in step 112, the randomized collective determination
of countershading, countercoloration, and disruptive coloration
found in steps 100-108 are applied to the garments used in the
camouflage system 22 by applying as an indicia upon the garments of
the camouflage system. Preferably, the determined pattern is
applied on conventionally dyed cloth. Once a prototype pattern is
created, this resulting pattern is utilized as a blueprint for
manufacturing a true CCD garment from conventionally manufactured
dyed cloth.
[0042] Although present technology prefers the use of negatives
from photographs, any imagery process may be utilized which can
capture countershading of the human form. In addition, several
variations of the camouflage system 22 may be utilized. For
example, in order to comply with "Hunter Orange" laws which call
for the use of the color orange for safety reasons, countercoloring
and countershading in "Hunter Orange" may be used. In an alternate
embodiment of the present invention, where cultures and/or laws
prohibit the use of traditional camouflage, the camouflage system
may use minimal disruptive coloration, such as a mountain lion.
[0043] Alternatively, the same methodology discussed above may be
implemented by an artist utilizing an airbrush on a white garment
to produce prototypes. The prototypes may then be disassembled by
opening all seams and the resulting pieces. The resulting pattern
of pieces may then be utilized as a blueprint for manufacturing a
garment from conventionally manufactured dyed cloth with minimal
waste and complications.
[0044] In addition, although the human form and camouflage garments
are discussed above, it should be understood that the methodology
may be applied to any object, such as a vehicle or equipment.
[0045] In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, CCD may
be employed in conventional camouflage or clothing. Traditional
camouflage patterns depict with varying degrees of detail and
fidelity objects of the environment in which concealment is sought.
Even though this theory is mistaken, it is nonetheless so strongly
fixed in the mind of consumers of camouflage garments that it may
not be easily overcome. Thus, it may be desirable to produce true
CCD patterns that employ elements of traditional camouflage
patterns. In this alternate embodiment, elements of the environment
of a specified color are simply combined to compose CCD camouflage
patterns. For example, on one embodiment, the base color/tint of
true CCD camouflage (areas not typically strongly lighted or shaded
on the side of the body) is composed simply by laying out a pattern
of appropriately colored pale yellow/brown leaves. The darker
elements of CCD camouflage (areas typically strongly lighted) are
similarly composed of leaves of appropriately darker colors, while
the paler areas of CCD camouflage (areas typically shaded) are
composed of elements of the environment that are appropriately
light in color, such as leaves, stones, bark (e.g., white birch or
aspen) or even dead timber that has been bleached white by the sun.
Finally, dark disruptive coloration may be added in the form of
shadows (e.g., leaves or even shadows on the bottom of leaves
already depicted in the pattern).
[0046] Cosmetic shading and countershading may also be employed for
fashion or enhancing the appearance of an individual. Shading and
countershading may also be employed for use on ordinary garments to
enhance the wearer's appearance. Subtle changes in garment color
may make a person look thinner, or more or less shapely. Waists may
be visually minimized, bosoms visually enhanced or reduced. For
example, subtly darkening the fabric below the bosom may enhance
the visual appearance of the bosom and gives the impression of a
fuller bosom without transparently attempting to do so. Similarly,
subtly lightening the material under the bosom may give the
impression of a smaller bosom.
[0047] In another alternate embodiment, protective coloration may
be utilized in various instances to confuse or degrade the ability
to not only detect but also precisely locate a person or object.
True camouflage conceals the very presence of a camouflaged object.
However, in some situations, such as fighting at close quarters in
urban environments, such concealment is very difficult. For such
situations, it may be desirable to abandon concealment as a goal,
and embrace alternative forms of protective coloration that do not
conceal, but rather, delay, confuse, or degrade an enemy's ability
to precisely locate the object or person. In the natural world, for
example, zebras bear a pattern evolved primarily to degrade the
effectiveness of attacking predators rather than to escape
detection by predators. Consequently, various patterns employing
shading, countershading, and other visual illusions may be
developed not to conceal or camouflage in close quarter battle, but
to visually confuse an enemy and thereby delay the launching of
attacks, while also degrading the effectiveness of attacks that are
actually launched. Protective coloration that provides such
benefits for urban close quarter battle may be a decisive advantage
on the urban battlefield.
[0048] A range of visual illusions is potentially adaptable for
protective coloration on the urban battlefield. Some of these
patterns may also be suitable for all environments between the
arctic and Antarctic. The simplest embodiment of these patterns is
the ordinary, countershaded and countercolored pattern for human
concealment, where the pattern of disruptive coloration has been
replaced with a soft, irregular rectilinear grid roughly resembling
the pattern of mortar in brickwork. In such a pattern, the
countershading conceals the shape of the wearer. The
countercoloring allows the garment to fade or "gray out" and remain
unobtrusive in any environment. In addition, the brickwork pattern
further breaks up the shape of the wearer while simultaneously
suggesting the presence of nothing noteworthy or out of place. The
brickwork pattern may then be adjusted or distorted to flatten the
visual appearance of a soldier wearing such a pattern when seen
from the front or back. This is accomplished on the curved sides of
the body by allowing the horizontal elements of the brickwork
pattern to diverge slightly, thereby countering distance induced
convergence of parallel lines and allowing the interval between
vertical elements to grow (to compensate for the visual compression
produced by the curve of the body as seen from the front or back).
In an urban environment, such a pattern may not permit a soldier or
group of soldiers to entirely escape detection, but may certainly
degrade an enemy's ability to quickly recognize and identify the
soldier or group of soldiers so protected. Additionally, it is also
likely to degrade an enemy's ability to precisely locate a soldier
or group of soldiers that are so protected. All of this delays
attack, and degrades the effectiveness of attacks that are
ultimately launched. Such a pattern is also extremely likely to be
highly adapted and highly functional for all non-urban, non-polar
environments as well. For this it is important that the brickwork
grid be soft (e.g., devoid of sharp, crisp, or well-defined edges
of high contrast color or diffused) and of irregular color and
clarity. Such a grid appears splotchy and irregular at all but the
closest ranges and in all but the best light and thus, functions as
ordinary disruptive coloration in all other circumstances.
[0049] In an alternate embodiment of the present invention,
counterbanding may be employed to conceal an object. Counterbanding
utilizes cryptic coloration of a cylinder or any basically
cylindrical shape or form composed of such shapes such that the
cylinders (are countershaded, with the countershading having a
reduced directional bias or very low directional bias). Directional
bias is the normal appearance of the shading when countering only
light from above. Reduced bias creates the appearance of light from
more than one direction. The result is that the basic cylindrical
shape of an object so colored is confused and recognized only with
great difficulty. Though somewhat difficult to visualize, the
mechanics of producing such patterns are straightforward. A
cylinder may be countershaded by visualizing the following. A
cylinder is laid on its side. The cylinder is cut into a plurality
of discs. Each disc is rotated by the number of degrees equal to
360 divided by the number of discs. The result is a cylinder that
looks oddly chainlike from any angle of observation. This process
may be extended indefinitely by then overlapping such patterns at
various angles, where each pattern contributes equally to the
composite image. For example, a 90-degree change of orientation of
one pattern produces a grid of squares with even less directional
bias than the original banded pattern. In all cases, the result is
a pattern that confuses the shape and orientation of objects that
are composed of cylindrical shapes.
[0050] FIG. 3 is a planar view of a portion of a camouflage pattern
500 employing counterbanding in a first alternate embodiment. The
pattern 500 depicted is preferably oriented with the X-axis being
aligned horizontally with a cylinder (not shown) and the Y-axis
being vertically oriented. The X-axis, at the bottom of the pattern
500 (long axis) is preferably the base when properly formed into a
counterbanded cylinder. The pattern includes a plurality of bands
502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, and 514. The pattern is preferably
scaled for a cylinder with a circumference equal to the long axis
of the pattern 500. Each band includes a plurality of variously
shaded grids. Preferably the grids blend together with each
adjacent grid in the band. The shaded grids having varying degrees
of darkness.
[0051] FIG. 4 is a planar view of a portion of a camouflage pattern
600 employing counterbanding in a second alternate embodiment. The
pattern 600 includes a plurality of bands 602, 604, 606, 608, 610,
612, and 614. Each band includes a plurality of grids forming a
composite checkerboard pattern. As depicted in FIG. 4, the pattern
600 is a product of overlapping patterns 500 of FIG. 3 where each
pattern contributes equally to the composite image while rotating
one pattern 90 degrees clockwise.
[0052] The simple pattern depicted in FIG. 3 may serve as building
blocks for the iterative production of other patterns. Pattern 600
are two copies of the pattern 500 where each copy contributes to
the composite image. The patterns may then be rotated 90 degrees.
Additional patterns may be created by changing the contribution of
each contributing image to the composite image, changing the angle
of each contributing image, or by iteratively applying the
technique. Such patterns may then be easily combined with
countershading or statistical countershading to produce patterns
that confuse at short range and conceal at longer ranges. This is
done by simply allowing the various patterns to contribute to the
composite image. The present invention may be used to incorporate
multiple patterns as "pattern-within-a-pattern" by overlapping
patterns and allowing each to contribute equally to the composite
pattern. For example, overlapping counterbanding with a CCD pattern
discussed above while incorporating disruptive coloration,
countershading and countercoloring. Alternatively, counterbanding
may be employed with CCD and a pixilated CCD pattern all
overlapping each other where each contributes 1/3 to the composite.
It should be understood that the composite pattern may employ a
wide variety, number, and various orientations to create the
composite pattern.
[0053] It should be noted that this illusion is most effective when
executed neither too finely or too coarsely. The proper disc
thickness is intimately linked with cylinder height. If there are
not enough or too many discs per unit height, much of the
counterbanding effect is lost. However, it should be noted that if
a finer pattern is warranted, this pattern too is subject to
ordinary pixilation, where the discrete color of the pixel merely
assumes the average value of the area occupied by the pixel. Thus,
the counterbanding effect may be achieved though the proper
construction of patterns of any pixel size and the counterbanding
effect may be embedded to function at different scales or different
distances of observation. Such procedures produce a pattern within
a pattern, and can be combined with other garment features, in
whole or in part, including especially countershading,
countercoloring and disruptive coloration.
[0054] The present invention provides many advantages over existing
camouflage garments. The present invention statistically employs
the principles of CCD to created garments which provide the most
effective camouflage and enhance human concealment. Additionally,
the principles of CCD may be utilized in urban settings where
concealment is difficult and confusion and delay in acquisition of
the protected person or object is desired. Additionally, the
present invention may be used by employing CCD to enhance the
aesthetics of a human body. The present invention also may be
utilized to employ the concept of counterbanding to objects in
order to conceal the object.
[0055] It is thus believed that the operation and construction of
the present invention will be apparent from the foregoing
description. While the method and system shown and described have
been characterized as being preferred, it will be readily apparent
that various changes and modifications could be made therein
without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims.
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