U.S. patent application number 14/217071 was filed with the patent office on 2014-09-18 for color and pattern identifying and highlighting lenses.
The applicant listed for this patent is Ideal Innovations Incorporated. Invention is credited to Loran Ambs, Paul Patricio, David Simon.
Application Number | 20140268280 14/217071 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51522501 |
Filed Date | 2014-09-18 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140268280 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Simon; David ; et
al. |
September 18, 2014 |
Color and Pattern Identifying and Highlighting Lenses
Abstract
An optical film having electrochromatic characteristics that
block selected wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum when
activated by an electric signal configured to operate with a
controller that activates the electromagnetic characteristics of
the film.
Inventors: |
Simon; David; (Alexandria,
VA) ; Ambs; Loran; (Williamsburg, VA) ;
Patricio; Paul; (Arlington, VA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ideal Innovations Incorporated |
Arlington |
VA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
51522501 |
Appl. No.: |
14/217071 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61800374 |
Mar 15, 2013 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
359/265 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G10K 11/26 20130101;
F03B 13/10 20130101; B63H 19/02 20130101; G10K 11/346 20130101;
G06F 16/951 20190101; Y02E 10/20 20130101; Y02E 10/30 20130101;
F03B 13/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
359/265 |
International
Class: |
G02F 1/15 20060101
G02F001/15 |
Claims
1. An optical device, comprising a film having electrochromatic
characteristics that block selected wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum when activated by an electric signal; and
a controller operatively connected to the film that activates the
electromagnetic characteristics of the film.
2. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the film is integrated
into a lens.
3. The optical device of claim 1, wherein the controller cycles the
activation and deactivation of the electrochromatic
characteristics.
4. An optical film with temporally varying attenuation
characteristics that alternatively attenuate or pass 1 or more
optical bands.
5. The device of claim 4 in which the attenuation characteristics
are controlled by an electric current.
6. The device of claim 5 in which the frequency or frequencies of
the optical and affected are determined and controlled by a
microprocessor.
7. The device of claim 6 further comprising an optical sensor to
determine ambient light conditions.
8. The device working in conjunction with other vision-enhancing
device such as a thermal or light-amplifying goggles.
9. The device of claim 6 in which the attenuation characteristics
can be manually adjusted.
10. A method for enhancing vision, comprising determining the
visible wavelength deficiencies of a user, selecting a film color
filter in accordance with the deficiencies, and attenuating the
film to alert a user to the user's deficiencies.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
patent application No. 61/800,374.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A large number of people in this country have color vision
deficiencies (more commonly known as colorblindness) and are unable
to distinguish between disparate parts of the visible spectrum.
While in many situations, this can serve as a minor issue, there
are other cases where it can be a major inconvenience (hard to read
text with certain color combinations on a computer screen) or even
a safety issue (not being able to read a red safety sign).
Colorblind people are often overlooked because their condition
isn't as obvious as someone with a wheelchair.
[0003] Another potential application addressees the military's need
to rapidly and accurately distinguish between friend and foe. With
the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the role of
equipment capable of rapidly and accurately distinguishing between
friend and foe is more critical than ever. Currently, many military
forces have IR patches that can be used by those with Night Vision
Goggles (NVGs) to identify persons at a distance. Similarly, the
CPIHL could be used in daylight hours to distinguish between two
uniforms that look very similar.
[0004] Past efforts have related to the development of optical
films capable of selectively isolating distinct parts of the
spectrum primarily for scientific analysis. Furthermore, these
efforts do not make use of periodic or other temporal variation of
the filter's attenuation characteristics, which permit a user to
rapidly and effectively identify the presence of specific colors
within their field of view. Additional efforts have related to
using photochromic and other materials to automatically apply
broadband attenuation as a function of intensity. This method is
commonly applied in auto-dimming rear-view mirror on cars as well
as with certain sunglasses. These efforts also do not make use of
periodic or recursive variation to attenuate or pass specific
wavelength bands. Nor are they band specific; they are instead
conceived as broadband attenuators.
[0005] There are also some products on the markets that enable
someone with CVD to pass color tests such as Ishihara test for
Color Deficiency. However, most of these are simply color filters
that will darken certain color tones. Color vision is not actually
improved with these products; the contrast range is only shifted,
not enhanced. For example, people with deuteranomaly have trouble
distinguishing between red and green. On the Ishihara test, some of
the plates contain green numbers on red plates, or red numbers on
green plates to test for this trait. The brightness of the greens
and reds are equal, but the tones are different. Looking at the
plates through a red filter will darken the green images, so those
with deuteranomaly can distinguish between the number and
background on that particular plate. However, if the red number was
darker to begin with, then they would be able to distinguish
between the background and the number without the lenses--but not
with the lenses. So the only difference is that with the glasses,
brighter greens get confused with darker reds. While this may be
useful in some circumstances, it still does not give the user a
means to distinguish all greens from all reds, as people with
ordinary color vision can.
SUMMARY
[0006] An optical device, comprising a film having electrochromatic
characteristics that block selected wavelengths of the
electromagnetic spectrum when activated by an electric signal; and
a controller operatively connected to the film that activates the
electromagnetic characteristics of the film.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 shows images made of two or more colors
[0008] FIG. 2 show s grayscale version of FIG. 1 that shows the
images have similar brightness between the colors.
[0009] FIG. 3 shows the images of FIG. 1 viewed through a green
filter
[0010] FIG. 4 shows that filtered images have more contrast,
changing the relative brightness of the colors within each
image
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] In accordance with the present invention the and Pattern
Identifying and Highlighting Lenses is a vision enhancement device
that can help counteract the effects of vision problems such as
color blindness as well as augment the capability of those with
normal vision.
[0012] It accomplishes this by though the use of an optical filter
that intermittently activates an electrochromatic or other material
that is either applied as an applique or included within a lens.
Current technologies apply either constant filtering or filtering
through manual control. By varying the filtering effect with time,
certain colors will appear to flicker while others will appear
steady.
[0013] Accordingly, several objects and advantages of the invention
are: (a) to provide an optical film with temporally varying
attenuation characteristics; and (b) to provide an optical device
that alternatively attenuate or pass specific optical bands
according.
[0014] In a superlative example, the red-tinted lenses would
alternately attenuate and pass the green color band (wavelength of
.about.495-570 nm). This would have the effect of darkening green
objects. While wearing this embodiment of the invention, red
objects would not change in appearance while green objects of the
same intensity would appear to flicker between light and dark as
the filter was cycled on and off.
[0015] Alternative embodiments could use different filters to match
the specific color vision deficiency of the user.
[0016] In another embodiment, the device can be used with other
vision enhancing devices to not only attenuate frequencies, but to
also amplify others, shifting the visible spectrum. This could be
an advantage, even to no-colorblind individuals. For example,
several studies have shown that people with certain color-blindness
types are better at locating certain camouflaged objects than
people with average vision. This is because colors with similar
shades but different brightnesses will be hard to distinguish by
people with normal vision, but more easily distinguished by those
with certain color deficiencies. With this invention, the same
ability can be conferred to non-colorblind individuals. This
ability would be advantageous to both the military as well as to
hunters.
[0017] When the human eye sees two different colors, the brain
combines these images. An alternate embodiment would use a filter
in just one lens (a monocle), thus preserving the true color for
the opposite eye.
[0018] In an alternative embodiment, the lenses could incorporate a
Heads Up Display (HUD) that could display other relevant
information. For pilots and drivers, HUDs could display critical
vehicle info such as vehicle heading and speed. For soldiers, a
Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) may indicate the location of friends
or foes or incorporate camera or night vision displays.
[0019] This invention of Color and Pattern Identifying and
Highlighting Lenses allows the user to literally see objects in a
new light. By alternately filtering various spectrums in the
visible range, it can allow a person to more easily distinguish
between color tones or shades that their normal vision doesn't
allow. The filtering properties changes at a high rate (over 20
Hz), so that the different views (resulting from the changing
filtering properties) are combined by their visual system into a
single image.
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